Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 85

Kiss bang goodbye

The first round of sketches Ty Templeton did for Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman contained a striking piece that unfortunately did not make it into the book.

It’s art to accompany the brief account of Batman’s origin, and though the tragedy of young Bruce Wayne’s parents is expressed in the text, I felt showing it so graphically would make the book a challenge to read aloud in schools.

Published here for the first time (unless it’s already been on Ty’s blog and I missed that!), the first proposed sketch for the origin scene:


Final art from the book:

“Batman at 75” panel: main theater sold out!

The main theater for the “Batman at 75: To All a Dark Knight” panel at the Paley Center in New York on 5/5/14 is sold out. Seats are still available for the closed-circuit seating areas.

“I've been lucky to moderate some cool pop-culture events over the years, but there's one on the horizon that may take the cake.”
—Whitney Matheson, USA Today’s “Pop Candy” and moderator of the panel


After the panel, the panelists (Kevin Conroy, Chip Kidd, Kevin Smith, Michael Uslan, myself) will retire to a special undisclosed location to enjoy a Dark Knightcap.

Batman doll + giant typewriter = giant conversation piece

One of the things that Bill Finger, star of Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman, was known for was including larger-than-life everyday objects in his scripts.

At BookExpo America 2010, I was thrilled to see a 10x10 foot typewriter in the booth of Abrams Books (to promote the book Monumental: The Reimagined World of Kevin O’Callaghan):

Here it is in Grand Central Terminal’s Vanderbilt Hall, for an exhibition created by Kevin’s School of Visual Arts students.
I contacted the Kevin, hoping there would be an opportunity to borrow/rent his titanic typewriter for a Bill the Boy Wonder promotional event in New York. While oversized cool, the typewriter alone would not be enough.

We’d need a Batman as well. And I knew just the one:


the Batman of the 2009 Retro-Action line of 8-inch dolls, inspired by the Mego dolls of the 1970s…AKA 68% of my childhood 
I didn’t hear back, and no such event materialized, but the vision persists in my mind.

Bill Finger’s obituary: better 40 years late than never

Bill Finger died on January 18, 1974, in New York City.

The main mind behind Batman received no obituary in the New York Times.

Or anywhere else.

Except in The Amazing World of DC Comics #1:


I’m not dismissing this; I am glad someone did something. But Bill deserved so much more attention.

And who says an obituary must be published immediately after a passing?

Therefore, some time ago, I proposed to, I think, the New York Times and to the Huffington Post that I write Bill’s obituary to be run now.

An excerpt:

I am not suggesting a standard obit but rather a feature presented as an obit with an intro explaining that an actual obit should’ve run 40 years ago and this is a humble attempt to rectify that oversight. It is unthinkable now that someone of his cultural significance could die with no fanfare.

Because it’s Batman, and because Batman fans are passionately frustrated by Finger’s neglect, and because Batman is a New York story, I am confident that this particular approach would get a lot of attention—considerably more than a straightforward article. How often do you see a “posthumous obituary” (you know what I mean)?
 
I’ve long dreamed of seeing an obit for Finger in the NYT, the paper of the city in which he radically changed pop culture...

I did not hear back.

"Splash" 30th anniversary: interview with the young Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah

Splash, the mermaid romantic comedy directed by Ron Howard and starring Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, and John Candy, was released on 3/9/84.


If it has been a while since you’ve seen it, you may have forgotten just how funny it is.

In honor of its 30th anniversary, here is the first-ever interview with David Kreps and Shayla MacKarvich Wingfield, the actors who played Hanks and Hannah as kids in the flashback opening scene.



Photos of them today are below.

(After conducting this interview, I learned that David grew up living down the street from a friend of mine who currently lives down the street from me.)

How old were you when you appeared in Splash?

Shayla: I celebrated my 7th birthday while shooting in the Bahamas! How many 7-year-olds have Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, and Ron Howard at their birthday party? Well…they didn’t throw me a party, but I celebrated it in their company. I don’t remember what I did for my 6th or 8th birthday, but I sure remember my 7th!
David: Eight.


Where were you living at the time?

Shayla: Miami, FL; born and raised.
David: Miami Beach.

How were you cast?

Shayla: I had been doing print modeling and TV commercials pretty much my whole life and heard about the casting call through my agent. Well, through my mom from my agent. Having attended many casting calls before from my experience in commercials, I didn’t think much of it. But I vividly remember arriving at the hotel where the casting call was being held and being amazed by how many people were there! I had never seen that many people before for a casting call.

I remember I had an interview in front of the camera, then had to get in the pool and pretend to swim like a mermaid. I would like to think I was cast because of my acting skills, but I actually think it was how well I could swim like a mermaid that sealed the deal.
David: My mom was a stylist so would always drag me to sets and castings. Most of the agencies in Miami knew us, so when Splash was looking for a young Tom Hanks, they called us to try out. I went on a couple auditions and had to show that I could swim.


Shayla and her mom
Do you remember what your reaction was when you were cast?

Shayla: I remember being surprised. There were so many people at the casting that I knew it was a long shot. I was only six at the time, so although I knew being in a movie was a big deal, I don’t think I fully grasped it. I was excited for sure, but I remember my family being really excited. Especially my mom—she had spent so much of her time taking me all over town for casting calls, fittings, photo shoots, etc. while I was modeling and doing commercials, so to get cast in something as big as a feature film was definitely very exciting!
David: Incredibly happy and excited.  Especially loved that they picked me over my older brother.


Where was your scene filmed?

Shayla: Nassau, Bahamas (Paradise Island, Nassau, I think).

How long was the shoot?

Shayla: I was there for about a week but the weather was bad so they sent us back to Miami for about another week until the weather cleared. The second shoot was about five more days. What I remember most was that my scenes were actually some of the final ones shot for the whole movie so they wrapped the shoot while I was down there and I got to go to the wrap party! I thought it was cool to get to go to a big party with all the big movie stars, but I was only seven, so I remember mainly just having fun with my co-star (David) while all the adults had fun together!
David: Around a week, but not positive. 







How did you feel being a part of the movie?

Shayla: I was definitely very excited and thought it was super fun getting to go to the Bahamas with my mom to shoot the movie, but it mostly just felt like another fun day at the beach with a bunch of people I didn’t know. All of the crew was so nice though and really made me feel special which made the shoot memorable. It did not really hit me how big of a deal it was to actually be in the movie, though, until it was released in theatres.
David: It was awesome. No one was really famous at the time of shooting so it was more about being able to miss school and play around in the Bahamas. 


What was the hardest part of the shoot?

Shayla: Definitely being topless! I hated wearing bikinis when I was little. I was even self-conscious of showing my belly button. I knew ahead of time I would have to be topless since I was playing a mermaid and I was terrified!
David: Can’t remember there being any hard parts. It was probably harder on them trying to control me. 



How were the underwater shots filmed? Not really in the ocean, I presume?

Shayla: Actually, all scenes were filmed in the ocean! We were right off of the beach in Nassau, and they had scuba divers all around us that we could go to for air if we needed to. Just another day at the beach for a Miami native.
David: They shot some of the underwater scenes in the pool as well as the ocean. Being from Miami, I grew up on the water swimming, fishing and diving, so it wasn’t challenging for me.


What do you remember about working with Ron Howard? Did you know him from Happy Days?

Shayla: I knew that Ron Howard was in Happy Days and that it was a very big show, but I was too young to really watch the show. I remember being confused why he was the director instead of an actor, but I do remember that he was incredibly nice to work with.
David: I had no idea who he was. He did get upset with me once for not showing enough sadness when the mermaid left. I kept on laughing.

 Tom Hanks is on the right (in the blue Speedo).



What do you remember about your interactions with Tom Hanks, John Candy, or any of the other stars who were not in your scene?

Shayla: I met Tom Hanks, John Candy, Daryl Hannah, and Eugene Levy. I knew who Tom and John were, but not Daryl and Eugene. All of them were amazing!

But I will never forget meeting Daryl Hannah. As I mentioned before, I was very self-conscious about not wearing a top, so the crew took me to meet Daryl for the first time while she was in makeup—which was a major process. She actually had to swim in that mermaid tail, and was in makeup for hours to glue all the pieces onto her belly to make it look natural. Then they put gold makeup all over her chest and arms with an elaborate shell necklace.

The first time I met her, I might as well have been meeting a princess! I couldn’t believe it when I saw all that beautiful long blonde hair and that mermaid tail. She also had to be topless, which is why they took me to see her. She was so sweet and showed me the big necklace and all the gold makeup that had been put on her, and told me that I would be getting the same thing. She assured me I would be just as covered up as if I had a bathing suit on, only way prettier! She was so incredibly sweet.
David: I just met Tom and Daryl. Clearly we are on first name basis.


 
Any funny stories from the shoot?

Shayla: Back to the topless thing again…I was playing on the beach on the set knowing I was about to be called to shoot one of my scenes. I was ready and happy. Then all of the sudden Ron Howard yells into his bullhorn (megaphone…whatever you call it), “Okay, Shayla, we’re ready for your scene. We need you to take your top off now.” I instantly started bawling crying; I was completely terrified.

Next thing I know I was in the water and the camera was shooting me while I was crying the whole time, and all I wanted was my mom! Fast forward to the movie’s release, and everyone remembers me as the little Madison who was crying as Allen was taken away. Everyone complimented me on what a wonderful actress I was because my crying was so believable. Little did they know…
David: One night John Candy and I went out boozing. I wish. Don’t really remember any funny stories worth retelling.



Anything go wrong on the shoot?

Shayla: Just the weather causing delays.
David: Not that I was aware of.

What did you think of the movie?

Shayla: I really and truly absolutely loved it! I remember my family and I being so surprised when it came out. We didn’t realize at the time I filmed just how funny this movie really was. We still laugh when we see it on cable today, and I know we would feel the same even if I wasn’t in it. Truly a timeless film and I am so honored to have been a part of it.
David: I remember going to the theatre to see it with all my friends and family. We waited to see my name in the credits. It was great.


What did your parents think of it?

Shayla: Same as above, but my mom also thinks so fondly of the whole experience since the whole cast and crew were all so great.
David: What parent wouldn’t love seeing their kid on the big screen? They loved it and bragged about to all of their friends.

What did your friends think of it?

Shayla: My close friends absolutely loved it and thought it was so cool I was in it and wanted to know everything about my experience. Unfortunately, later, when I was in about 4th or 5th grade, some kids found a way to tease me about it which actually made me self-conscious about it for a while. Even though they didn’t know me, I was labeled as a snob because I was in a movie. I went through a stage where I didn’t want people to know I was in it because I didn’t want them to think I was a snob. Kids can be so mean sometimes and it is so sad that has to happen.
David: Not many kids get to do this so they thought it was the coolest thing ever. They still bring it up to this day…but more in a teasing manner.

Did you attend the premiere, and if so, what do you remember about it?

Shayla: This part is definitely the most memorable for me. Although I didn’t attend the premiere, I did [go to the movie] opening day at my local theatre, The Falls in Miami. I went with my family super excited to see it, but thought our trip to the movies would otherwise be like every other trip to the movies. When we showed up to the theatre, there was a huge line so my family and I took our place in the back of the line.

My parents asked the people in front of us what movie the long line was for and they said Splash. My parents then told them that I was in the movie and somehow that news ended up making it all the way to the front of the line. Next thing I knew, someone from the theatre came up to us in the line and invited us into the theatre, gave us popcorn and drinks, and let us take our seats.

After the movie, as we were in the lobby, all these people started coming up to me asking me for autographs. I went to the bathroom and literally as I was in the stall, I could hear a girl telling her mom, “Mommy, Madison is in the potty next to me.” I couldn’t believe it! All these people wanted to meet me and it was exciting, but very strange to me at the same time.
David: Didn’t attend a proper premiere. But went to the opening night in the theatre.

Did the movie ever affect your dating life in any way (i.e. when you first told boyfriends you were in it)?

Shayla: Not really. I kind of kept it quiet after some kids had made fun of me for it during my later years in elementary school.
David: The girls loved it. Splash was a serious panty dropper. Ha ha.

Did you receive fan mail? If so, do you still have any of it?

Shayla: I don’t think I ever did. I do not remember any. But I do get people who contact me via Facebook from time to time.
David: No.

What were you paid?

Shayla: No idea! My mom said I was paid SAG movie scale…whatever that means!
David: I honestly don’t remember exactly what I got but to this day receive residual checks for every time it plays.

Were you ever recognized in public? How often and when last? Any stories about that?

Shayla: I don’t think I have ever really been recognized in public, but people who already knew me but didn’t know I was in the movie would come up to me and ask me because they happened to see my name in the credits.
David: No.


Did you appear in other movies after that?

Shayla: No—well, not really. I shot a scene for another one, but it was never released and I can’t even remember the name anymore. As a Miami native, I did appear in two segments on Miami Vice. That was pretty cool and it felt like being in another movie.
David: Small part in Police Academy 5. But mostly did commercials.

Did you two keep in touch, and if so, when were you last in touch?

Shayla: We remained friends for several years after the movie as we were both in the modeling and commercial world, and our moms also became friends so we did get together socially from time to time. I think I lost touch with him toward the end of middle school, but I have great memories of him and his family. Would love to reconnect, if even just to be friends on Facebook! He is definitely one of the more memorable friends from my young childhood. I feel like I remember hearing he planned to study film in college?
David: We kept in touch for only a couple years. Growing up, I would always see her at castings. We actually used to do a lot of print work together.

 

If you went to college, where and what did you study?

Shayla: I thought I was destined to be a University of Florida girl, but moved from Miami to Atlanta during my senior year of high school. Visited the University of Georgia campus and fell in love instantly. I had a great four years in Athens, GA and got my bachelor’s degree in marketing. GO DAWGS!
David: Business at Babson College.

What are you doing these days?

Shayla: I own a children’s store in the Buckhead area of Atlanta called Pretty Please (Instagram: @loveprettyplease). It is an upscale boutique that offers whimsical children’s apparel, décor, accessories, and gifts for newborns through tweens. I own the store with my sister, Keely, who started the store in 2004 in Destin, FL.

There are times when I find my mind drifting thinking of what my life would be like if I had pursued an acting career, then I realize what it means to me to be working with my best friend and be part of a local, family-owned business, and I realize I am doing exactly what I am meant to do!

We both have so much fun with all the whimsy and imagination involved in finding unique products for children. It is our dream to have a TV show about all the ways kids can express their personalities through creative décor and fashion…we are both huge HGTV fans and would love to do something similar that focuses on kids. 
David: Real estate development.



Where do you live?

Shayla: Atlanta.
David: Miami.

If you are/were married, what was your future husband’s reaction when he learned you were in this movie?

Shayla: I married a wonderful man seven years ago. We met when I was working in real estate in my late 20s. It’s funny because he is a huge movie fan, especially ‘80s movies. Shortly after we started dating, I came home only to walk in the door and see my scene from the movie freeze-framed on the TV. He immediately started laughing…“It’s you! On the 20th anniversary edition!” I had no idea it was the 20th anniversary, but he had bought it and surprised me.
David: My wife was impressed and thought it was the coolest thing ever when she was in elementary school (we are old family friends). Now, probably not so much. However, my wife and mom are ready to put our son to work.

Kids?

Shayla: I have a beautiful 5-year-old girl. She absolutely loves to perform! She is very drawn to singing and drama. My family is the most amazing blessing and they bring me so much joy.
David: Six-month-old boy.

Shayla, does your daughter know about the movie yet?

Shayla: She gets excited when daddy shows her mommy on TV. She’ll ask me questions about being a mermaid like, “Could you breathe underwater?” or ask me why I was crying, but I’m not sure she fully understands since it doesn’t really look like me.

What did you think when you first heard from me?

Shayla: That you were possibly a stalker. Sorry… Then when I realized you probably weren’t, I actually thought it was odd that you would want to talk to me. I know the movie was a huge hit in the ‘80s but my part was so small, it was hard for me to believe you would want to interview me!
David: Surprised…wasn’t sure many people would be interested, but flattered.

Has anyone else ever interviewed you about this? If so, when and for what publication?

Shayla: Some local newspapers and magazines did shortly after the movie came out, but I really can’t remember what they were.
David: No, but I’ve been waiting 30 years for this. LOL.

How do you look back on the experience?

Shayla: I have to say, answering your questions was very fun and I appreciate you reaching out to me since it helped me stop and think about what an awesome experience the whole thing was. Thirty years is a long time, but taking a moment to really look back on it, I am so grateful that I got to be a part of this fantastic movie!
David: It was a great experience. Can’t believe I played a part in a movie that has turned out to be one of the biggest of the ‘80s.

Anything you’d like to add?

Shayla: I think you pretty much covered it…great questions!


All photos courtesy of David and Shayla; please no reuse without permission.
You may also like my interviews with women who starred in iconic 1980s music videos, from a-ha to ZZ Top.

Twyla and the Phoenix

“Twyla and the Phoenix”

Singed by the flame
Wings spread anew
Rising in the air
Proud Phoenix
No more cowering in the shadows
You dance alive in the flames

Weakened by the emergence
But not for long
Fueled by the strength
The strength in her song

Songs compiled by the old tunes
In her head
Losing the fear
Forgetting the dread

Be proud Phoenix
You’ve begun anew
The embers are dying
That gave birth to you

Singed by the flames
Forged by the fire
Hope in the wingspan
Lifting from the pyre.

—Twyla Olsen (4/28/90)

On perhaps the most appropriate day for rebirth, January 1, I heard from an educator named Twyla Olsen.


Twyla lives in a small gold-rush town in the Sierra Foothills and instructs speech and communication classes at Columbia College. She is also an artist located at Studio B in downtown Sonora. She can frequently be found in the southwest, one of her favorite locales to paint scenery. 

She wrote me the (excerpted) following:

“Amazing to run across this information on David and the Phoenix. I didn’t think Mr. Ormondroyd would still be alive.” [MTN: Nor did I.]


She said she’d written the above poem many years after reading David and the Phoenix. I forwarded her kind message to Edward and the two connected directly.

I asked if Twyla is she’d elaborate on her connection to the book and explain why she reached out to me. She granted me permission to post her response:

The poem almost wrote itself. It appeared to me one evening sitting at the computer and in response to an English class assignment. I was a re-entry student at age 38, feeling both fear and excitement as I returned to school. This is when I first began experiencing the memory, power, and influence of a book I had read in 2nd grade.

 

Have you had something—a book, a poem or a myth that you read when you were very young—stay with you, guiding you throughout your life, reappearing exactly when you needed it? That’s what the book David and the Phoenix has been for me. 

It is amazing that the theme of this book that I read over 50 years ago as a child would impact my adult life in so many ways. 

[Soon after] I wrote the poem, I realized that it [had come] almost fully formed from my memory and impressions of Edward Ormondroyd’s book. But what evoked the memory? 

“Twyla could work harder if she tried and [could] receive better grades,” said Mrs. Hunt in 3rd grade. I was and have always been a creative thinker and given to daydreaming in class. Mrs. Hunt didn’t understand that my mind was full of images that I had no way of communicating to her. When I read, the world came alive with my mind’s pictures and David’s Phoenix was a powerful image.

I was curious when I wrote my Phoenix poem as an adult. Why had Mr. Ormondroyd’s book been dormant but still alive inside me for so long? Maybe it was the adventure of education. After writing the poem, I thought how amazing it would be if I could tell the author about this poem. I wanted to let him know how this book had captivated my young mind and at this unexpected moment suddenly reappeared! Unable to find any contact information for him, I went on about my life.

Fast forward to today. I began to work on a project persuading funders in education to remember how important the humanities and the arts are to a well-rounded education.  After all, I was living evidence that we cannot put imagination and creativity on a spreadsheet. We may not know how exposure to the arts will inspire or guide a student down the road. But I know deep down that without art, literature, and visualization, my own life experiences and career as an educator would have been far less colorful, and certainly less creative.

Doing research for this important presentation led me to your blog. I was amazed that you had interviewed Mr. Ormondroyd, and that the opportunity for me to share my poem with the author of David and the Phoenix was still a possibility! It was a chapter called “In Which Twyla Finds Marc on the Internet and Her Dream Comes True.”

Sharing my poem with Mr. Ormondroyd was life coming full circle and could very well indicate [the beginning of an auspicious] New Year.

Late-night radio interview about ‘80s video girls

On 2/24/14 (actually, it was 1:30 a.m. on 2/25/14), I was a guest on pop culture savant Nick Digilio’s show on WGN Radio 720. 


This station is rated number one in Chicago and a good portion of the Midwest—actually, thanks to its 50,000-watt signal, it reaches 38 states plus Canada.

We had a lively chat for about 30 minutes in which he asked me about various women in the “girl in the video” series—both ones featured so far and, in particular, ones I am still looking for.

Thank you to Nick and his right-hand man/producer Dan Sugrue for the opportunity to broadcast my search to 38 states plus Canada. So far it hasn’t yielded any leads, but I was happy to hear that listeners loved the idea.

“The Anti-Coloring Book” - interview with the creator

When I was a kid, my mom was anti-coloring book. 

She is an artist and a teacher. (It’s been decades since she produced art professionally and she stopped teaching professionally before I was born, but these talents don’t leave you.)

The reason she did not like coloring books was because they put a border—literally—around a child’s creative impulse. She preferred a blank piece of paper, and now, so do I.

I have reminisced about books of my youth here (some of the more obscure titles of my early years), here (influences on my first published book), and here (this one is both recollection and game), and buried among all that nostalgia is a book that was well aligned with my mom’s philosophy.

In fact, it was called—literally—The Anti-Coloring Book.


The creator of that book, which became a popular series, is Susan Striker. Like my mom, Susan is both artist and teacher and, as it happens, when my daughter was in kindergarten, Susan was her art teacher. I was starstruck.

Susan kindly agreed to an interview. She told me that March is National Youth Art Month. And she is a reminder that part of being smart—literally—is “art.”

in Susan’s living room on her favorite chair; directly above her head is a drawing her son made; photo by Talisman Photo
When and how did you get the idea for The Anti-Coloring Book?

I had been teaching art for about ten years when I found myself taking an art education course in a university. The professor took me aside and asked me to “ignore” the assignments. Knowing of my experience as an art educator, he wanted me to do something different than the assignments he was giving the other undergraduate students. When I asked what he wanted me to do, all he said was “We’ll see.” Every week I again asked him what my special assignment would be, and “We’ll see” was the best answer I got.

One day he gave a lecture about how stifling coloring books were for children. I raised my hand and mentioned that this information had been documented decades before yet coloring books remained popular. I suggested that it wasn’t art educators who gave children coloring books, but well-meaning parents who had no alternative when they wanted to offer art activities to their children. “Why doesn’t someone do something about it?” I asked. He pointed at me and said “That is your assignment for the term.”

I struggled with the assignment for a while and finally decided to take my best, tried-and-true art lessons and convert them to a coloring book format that would be familiar to parents. I presented it to the class and was shocked when everyone applauded. The professor said that the assignment was so well done that I should consider trying to have it published.


I was very pleased with myself, but took it no further until, at a family gathering, I mentioned it to a relative who was a published author. He offered to show it to his editor. She loved it but was a trade book editor so she sent it to the children’s department. They rejected it. She went to her boss and asked if she could publish it, even though it was not a typical trade book, and he said that if she really believed in the book she should go for it. I think that was good for me, because in those days children’s books did not get the attention from reviewers that trade books did.

Where did the name of the book come from?

I was thrilled to have sold a book to a publisher and was telling a friend about it on the telephone. He couldn’t understand what the book was about and as I struggled to describe it, I heard myself say, “It is kind of an anti-coloring book.”

A light bulb went off in my head and I hung up and immediately called my editor. She advised me that although very descriptive, we couldn’t use that title because “negative titles are not acceptable” in the publishing world. She wanted to call it Just Imagine. This was in 1978 when the world had been “anti-war and anti-nuke” for a decade, [yet] I argued that my title would not turn young parents off. She and I argued back and forth for two days and she finally agreed to let me call the book The Anti-Coloring Book.

How did you get it published? How long did the process take from creation to publication?

In the seventies, it took nine months from submission to publication, just like having a baby. I am now beginning to publish books on my own through Amazon and it takes a week or two from the time I submit it until I receive a proof copy, and another week or two after I approve it for it to be available.

Was it the first thing you published?

The Anti-Coloring Book was my first book.

What was the reaction from the media and the public?

The first book got outstanding reviews and the first printing sold out immediately.

Did you pitch/sell it as a series, or did that come up only after the first one was out?

After the first book was on the market and doing well, my editor called me and said that the first book was so successful, Holt wanted me to do a second book. They had paid me an advance of $1,800 for the first book and offered me a $2,500 advance on the second book. Thrilled though I was, I went looking for an agent. She negotiated an advance of $25,000, ten times the publisher’s offer, which more than made up for the 10% fee I have been paying her for the last 35 years.


How many versions of The Anti-Coloring Book have been published?

There have been 14 versions of The Anti-Coloring Book and one I called Young at Art: An Anti-Coloring Book for Preschoolers. I wrote that one after my son was born. Because of my work with him and his friends, I became very interested in the importance of scribbling for young children.


Six are general interest books that [are numbered] and the others are special subject books, which usually reflected what was going on in my life. Build a Better Mousetrap: The Inventor’s Anti-Coloring Book came about because my ex-husband was a patent attorney and often came home with stories of funny inventions clients brought to him.

Artists at Work: An Anti-Coloring Book of Careers in Art was written because I overheard a student tell his friend that the only time he was ever happy in school was the one hour a week that he was in the art room. I stopped dead in my tracks and suggested to him that he could be a professional artist when he grew up and be happy all day long every day. He looked at me like I was crazy. A career in art was certainly not on his family’s radar for his future. My guess is that he is working on Wall Street now. I wrote that book for him, to prove that artists can earn money and don’t have to starve.

Exploring Space on Earth: An Anti-Coloring Book about Architecture was written while I was studying interior design and was in the middle of renovating my home.

Have you been involved in all of them?

I wrote them all and either drew the illustrations or supervised the artists who drew them for me. I own the registered trademark for the name. I have always taught art full time and many of the ideas for the books come out of my experiences teaching.


What licensed editions (like the one with DC Comics characters) did you do and how did those come about? Did the publisher seek out partners? Did you suggest any?

When my son was young, he loved the superheroes and always wore a cape. I encouraged his interest and bought him all the toys, took him to see the movies, etc. One day, when he was four years old, he was very angry at me because I was working at my drafting table instead of taking him to the playground. He stamped his foot and said, “Why are you always working on an Anti-Coloring Book? Why don’t you write a superheroes Anti-Coloring book for me?” I told him that was a brilliant idea!

I immediately telephoned DC Comics and, much to my surprise, was told that they knew of my work and were trying to copy the idea and couldn’t. They invited me to come and talk to them, and the book was published in time to be the party favor at Jason’s fifth birthday party the following year.


DC would not allow me to do the drawings, as they only had their own artists draw their characters. I just made rough sketches and the DC artist did a brilliant job drawing the illustrations. A photo of Jason wearing his Batman pajamas is on the cover of that book. I often took him with me to DC for business meetings and he’d be in heaven. There were superheroes all over the place, including a life-sized Superman figure sitting on a sofa in the waiting room.

By the way, on his last birthday, Jason was 34 years old.

I submitted proposals for a Smurf Anti-Coloring Book and a Disney Anti-Coloring Book, but neither company was interested. I also was rejected by Nancy Drew, but instead of shelving that idea I turned it into The Mystery Anti-Coloring Book and published it anyway.


Which title has been the most successful?

The first book remains the best seller.

Did you propose any Anti-Coloring Book themes that the publisher rejected?

Holt rejected one of my favorites, Fashionista!: An Anti-Coloring Book for Fashion Designers.

The publisher rejected most of my books that were not Anti-Coloring Book formats. Recently I have become interested in doing these other art books for children, and am working with Amazon and Xlibris to publish them myself.

Did you propose any individual Anti-Coloring Book activities that the publisher rejected?

Not that I can remember, although I always handed in more activities than were needed and we’d select the favorites and put the others on “hold.”

Any funny stories about the Anti-Coloring Books, such as an unusual way a school or class used one?

After my book came out, some school districts banned coloring books and workbooks. I was very gratified—until I discovered that some of those schools couldn’t order my [emphasis MTN] books because they were considered workbooks.


Have you published any other books?
M is for Mola Art: A Kuna Indian Alphabet of Quilted Folk Art, for children (Xlibris)Please Touch; how to stimulate your child’s creative development through movement, music, art, and play (Simon & Schuster)Young at Art: Teaching Toddlers Self-Expression, Problem-Solving Skills, and an Appreciation for Art
Recently published:
Alphabet of Art (Amazon)McGonegal’s Zoo, an alphabet book of Oaxacan wood carvings

Are you still producing Anti-Coloring Books?

I am working on creating an Anti-Coloring app for iPads and mini iPads. It will include pages from published books that children can work on with iPads instead of crayons.

In the last few years, I have been very excited about working on using my collection of folk art to create books for children.

Every time an Anti-Coloring Book idea pops into my head, I scribble it down and tuck it in a loose leaf book. Who knows if I will ever use the idea again and if so, in what?

What else are you doing these days?

I continue to teach art full time to elementary school students in Greenwich, CT [MTN: Susan was named Elementary Art Educator of the Year] and am working around the clock on the Anti-Coloring app. A few of the original Anti-Coloring Books are going out of print and as the rights revert back to me I publish them through Amazon. It used to be considered a disaster for an author’s books to go out of print, but I much prefer publishing them myself. My students pose for the covers.

When I started teaching in 1964, research and resources in the field of art education were slim. As I learned about sound art projects and developed lessons of my own, I became fanatic about typing and illustrating all of my art lessons. I had hundreds of pages and never really knew why I had taken on this job. I just couldn’t stop.

In the last two years, it has all fallen into place. I reorganized all of my art lessons by subject and created art curricula for teachers. So far, I have put together a curriculum of multicultural art projects and another based on the great master artists. I am now working on a series of workbooks I call Art-Rithmetic ® which includes art projects that teach math concepts. Color and Shape Curriculum are long written and photographed, but still need some finishing touches before I send it off to a printer.

I had a health scare a while back and was in the hospital thinking I couldn’t possibly die because I hadn’t finished all of my books. It turned out to be a false alarm, but it got me focused and busy. I now realize that the job I didn’t know why I was doing will be my legacy for parents and teachers. 

Do you ever hear from people who grew up with the Anti-Coloring Books? If so, do any particularly meaningful comments come to mind?

Yes, I do and I often post their comments on my web site.

I also hear from former students who are now grown and have children of their own drawing in my books.

What do you think the legacy of the Anti-Coloring Books is?

I hope it makes people think about how art should help children think for themselves and solve their own problems rather than coloring in an adult’s drawing.

Anything you’d like to add?

If people have enjoyed my books, I love to ask them to make comments on the Amazon or Barnes & Noble sites. 

Cos Cob, CT students posed for the 
new cover of The Fifth Anti-Coloring Book

“Everyone Is the Only One”

In 2004, I wrote a picture book manuscript called Everyone is the Only One. (I remember precisely where I was when the idea hit: the guest room in a friend’s house.)

It is about a boy named Ansel who feels uncomfortable for being the only dwarf at his new elementary school. Once his classmates learn this, they remind him one by one that each of them is also the only one in some way…only one with braces, only one allergic to peanuts, only only child, and so on.

I submitted to editors. No takers.

A couple of years later, I learned that the idea actually did get published, and in the year I sent it around…just not by me. Jane Naliboff’s The Only One Club follows a similar premise, except the central character’s distinction is that she is Jewish.


I’m glad this concept saw print, and I like Jane’s spin (not only the Judaism angle, which was what I had considered prior to dwarfism, but also that the first Only One starts a club revolving around it).

Parents and educators: I encourage you to encourage your kids to look at their circle of intimates and determine the ways in which each of them is also the only one. It’s a wonderful and worthy challenge that will get kids thinking about how we are different and how that is good.

“Instead of always telling our children that we are all equal and the same, we should tell them that we are all different. Saying we’re the same naturally makes them look for differences. Conversely, saying we’re all different (in appearance, cultures, etc.) makes them instinctively look for ways we’re alike.” 
—Erica L. Scott, Binghamton, NY, 2009 letter to Newsweek

Books—and a tablet PC—for a hard-working teacher in Pakistan

In 12/13, I received a compelling email from Tayyab Ajmal in Pakistan:

I teach primary, secondary and tertiary students (poor/needy) English but its all pathetic situation. We do not have books, libraries or book shops over here in my city. The habit of reading is dying day by day which is not a good thing.

Can you plz send a copy of Vocabulary Cartoon of the Day book. 

  Despite how much I dread waiting in line at the post office (I value the service but it sometimes seems they go slow on purpose), I immediately said yes. Tayyab’s excerpted response:

thanks for your reply as i thought i am from Pakistan and so no one will reply.

This was heartbreaking.

Tayyab asked several more questions:

Is it ok if i can be in loop like asking some questions regarding  English language, vocab and grammar etc. in future?

Do you know any tutor/post grad student on Skype who can be my MENTOR.

Can you advise any classic movies for improving English. I am a big fan of Hallmark Hall of Fame movies.

I said yes, no, and yes, and recommended movies including Twelve Angry Men and The Sound of Music.

I asked if Tayyab discovered me because I wrote a children’s book about Pakistan many years ago:


He said yes and then asked the following: 

Is it possible if i can get a Tablet PC (new/used) as a donation. It would be a really good AID to teach as i do not have my PC. Can you check with your family and friends as its CHRISTMAS ahead so any one like to GIVE/GIFT.

I do not need an expensive one just a normal one with normal specs like i can teach through videos, play audio files, share picture/photo for vocab building etc. [He sent this link.]

In response to this, I cut him a deal. 

I asked him to send me photos of his students with the books I would send and in exchange I’d blog about this experience—including a call to action to raise the money to send this clearly passionate teacher a tool that would be a relatively small cost for some of us and a huge asset for him. 

He sent photos:




How to help improve a few lives (AKA Kickstarter Lite):

Please simply PayPal me $5; to do that, all you need is approximately 27 seconds and my email, mtnobleman@gmail.com. (If you prefer to mail a check, email me for my address.)

To make this happen, I estimate we’ll need about $250, including shipping. That’s only 50 people contributing only $5. (Of course, should you wish to give more, that will be gladly welcomed. Also welcomed: suggestions as to which tablet to get him.)

Once we hit the goal, I’ll stop accepting donations and add an addendum here indicating the effort has completed successfully.

We’ll likely never meet Tayyab or his students, but we will know the effect of this small gesture.

I’ll again ask him to send us a photo of his students, this time with the tablet PC.