From the Publisher
BOOKLIST Donna Seaman Bantock, the creator of Griffin & Sabine (1991) and nine other unusual works of illustrated fiction, fashions an elaborately pictorial fairy tale our of the story of his charmed artist's life... the most intriguing chapters recount Bantock's amazing good luck as a young English dropout in the late 1960s. In spite of evincing no talent whatsoever, he enrolled in art school and soon magically discovered his gift for drawing. After completing his studies, he acted once again on intuition and impulse and waltzed into the offices of Penguin (having chosen that particular publisher because its "logo seemed friendly") and walked out with his first assignment, thus launching what became a 28-year career in book cover illustration. Bantock presents an impressive array of his diverse and striking work, including his covers for Flann O'Brien's Third Policeman and Carson McCullers' The Heart is a Lonely Hunter, then takes up the thread of his tale, recounting on word and image his move to Canada and his quest for more personal, challenging, and unpredictable outlets for his unique vision and technical mastery. Bantock proudly illuminates his creative process and also acknowledges his diverse influences, which range from Rembrandt to Odilon Redon, Joseph Cornell, old maps stamps, and Hindu art, and he takes his fans through each stage of the conception and birth of his books.
Publishers Weekly
- Publisher's Weekly
It's been almost 10 years since the first, wildly successful Griffin & Sabine books hit the shelves; British author Bantock has since turned his distinctive idiom into a virtual industry. Eight more books weaving together romance (epistolary and otherwise), canny graphics and artsy inserts have been joined by seven pop-up books, along with miscellaneous "postcard books," journals, sets of notecards and a CD-ROM. This retrospective collection covers most of that material and more, with Bantock talking us through his career throughout. While this seems like a recipe for a narcissistic vanity project, Bantock's earnest "passion for parallax views" and gentle, self-deflating humor carry the book along nicely, if not compellingly for nonfans. Beginning with his late '60s art college days, we see Bantock work his way through the '70s and Thatcherite England as an ad graphics man and book jacket illustrator (including some uncharacteristic horror covers) while simultaneously producing competent but unremarkable paintings. By 1988, having had his fill of the "general air of hopelessness and despondency" in London, Bantock packed up his family and moved to Vancouver (where they remain), which made working with U.S. publishers more convenient, and led to a pop-up book, and then, out of musings on dreary mail, to the surprise-stocked pages of Griffin & Sabine and its follow-ups. Bestseller lists, book tours and fame followed, which Bantock is winningly modest in describing and which have abated somewhat. His explanations of books like The Golden Mean will intrigue fans, and the more than 350 color illustrations may make him more. But despite Bantock's goodwill, this one's mainly for completists. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
Library Journal
Few illustrators become celebrities, but the creator of the "Griffin and Sabine" trilogy is an exception. Part autobiography, part retrospective, Bantock's latest work illuminates his creative processes. We are guided by his wit through his formative years, a mixture of coincidence and hard work underscored by his appreciation for play. Fresh from his English art-school education, influenced by the likes of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Bantock did book-cover illustrations for many years. After moving to British Columbia, he began to make pop-up books. Always a shrewd observer, he was inspired while in his local post office to unite words and images as he had never done before. The rest is international history. It is rare to find books about illustrators and still rarer to find one by the illustrator himself. Bantock insightfully describes where his ideas come from, how he develops them, and even how he faces public speaking. For art students, this is an invaluable source of personal as well as professional mentoring. Bantock's sense of humor makes his ideas accessible, leaving the artwork to captivate and charm. While this book is ideal for art schools, it is likely to be popular in public libraries as well.--Susan M. Olcott, Powell, OH Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.
