The Mr. Dog Blog

Greetings, friends!

We're coming out of hibernation at long last, and we're excited to kick off the 2016 holiday season with our "Christmas in June" booth at the Bay Area Book Festival. We'd love to see you there! You'll find us near the Kid's Stage in Civic Center Park in Berkeley, California (map below), 10am-6pm, Saturday and Sunday, June 4th and 5th.

To celebrate, we're also offering a great deal to help you stock up on the best Christmas gift around (if we do say so ourselves): Mr. Dog's Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn. Whether you pop by the festival to buy your books, or order online, receive a 25% discount when you buy two or more books (now through Sunday June 5th; simply enter the promo code BOOKFEST at checkout).

You'll find us on Center Street, near the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Way, in Berkeley. The festival is easily accessible by BART.

We've busted out the Christmas decorations again to create a magical display in our booth. Pop on by to enjoy some early holiday cheer!

The festival promises to be very exciting, with many famous authors giving readings and lots of family-friendly activities, as well as numerous exhibitors... including us! We're so happy to be part of this weekend-long celebration of books, writing, and reading.

If you visit on Saturday, you'll also be able to visit the Center Street Farmer's Market, happening right behind our booth. And on Sunday from 1-3pm, Adam and Cynthia (our book's illustrator and designer) will be with us to sign your copies of Mr. Dog!

We hope to see you there! 

I am eternally grateful to my brother, Jason, for inspiring me to publish "Mr. Dog’s Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn." As I wrote to him on the book’s acknowledgements page: “...this book simply wouldn’t be, were it not for your sly suggestion to me one Christmas morning.”

Though Jason carefully avoids the limelight, I know what a softie he is about "Mr. Dog’s Christmas" and I really wanted him to share his thoughts here on the blog. So I pestered and guilted him the way only a big sister can. He relented and delivered this: the most beautiful recollection of our childhood Christmases—and Mr. Dog’s place there—that I could have hoped for. Thank you once again, little brother.

~Betsy

by Jason Luther

I didn’t grow up at the Hollow Tree Inn, but my hometown was still a pretty nice place and Christmas was always a special time of year. I grew up in Ukiah, a small town in Northern California. Ukiah had four seasons and winters were generally crisp, cool and rainy.  Every year or two a large, cold storm would send a few inches of snow our way, just enough to let us make snow angels and eat a few bowls of packed snow drizzled with maple syrup.

Jason, about age 5, mugging at the Christmas tree farm.

We lived in a large house shaded by a massive oak tree and our home had most everything anyone could need, but it didn’t have central heating. All winter long we’d huddle together near a roaring fireplace, the only source of heat in the house. There, in the mornings, my folks would read newspapers and sip coffee while my sister and I read books or groused at each other. In the evenings my folks would sip cocktails and unwind by the fire while my sister and I did homework or groused at each other. At all times a dog or two and a cat would make an uneasy truce and lounge warily near the hearth for warmth.

Our folks worked long hours throughout the years but they always made sure that Christmas was special. They really went all out. As kids we could count on finding bulging stockings hanging under the mantel and lots of beautifully wrapped gifts under the tree. Our tree was tall and full bodied, with an array of ornaments and colored lights covering nearly every inch. The tree always had everything; everything except tinsel… It never had tinsel.

There are a few long-standing traditions in our Christmas routine: Christmas mornings we always throw some terrible Pepperidge Farm fruit turnovers in the oven before checking out our stockings and opening our gifts. We invariably forget about them till they’re burnt, and after we scrape off the burnt bits we usually inhale the turnovers too quickly, torching our tonsils in the process.

But I’m getting ahead of myself. Our most meaningful Christmas traditions happen on Christmas Eve. For decades now the traditional Christmas Eve dinner has been Mom’s leek and potato soup, served with crusty bread. After the meal we settle down comfortably in the living room for one of the holiday’s highlights: the reading of the story we’ve always called “Mr. Dog’s Christmas,” but which is officially titled “Christmas at the Hollow Tree Inn,” by Albert Bigelow Paine. My dad has done the reading for many, many years now and as we watch him ease into his comfy leather chair, take a sip of brandy, and clear his throat theatrically a few times, we all know that Christmas is really coming.

The feeling and meaning of the story change and grow with time and age. As a youngster the story seemed longer than it really is, the way a sprawling childhood home seems much smaller when revisited in adulthood. As a kid, the end of the story signaled bedtime and the beginning of a fitful night’s sleep while old Saint Nick worked his magic. It’s not that we were anxious for the story to end, but we knew the ending signaled the coming of the Christmas morning extravaganza.

Betsy and Jason on Christmas morning, 1972

As an adult, I find myself wishing the tale were a page or two longer, so I could learn a tiny bit more about Mr. ‘Coon, Mr. ‘Possum, the Old Black Crow, and their faithful and fun-loving friend, Mr. Dog. I’d use the extra time to linger over my father’s voice as he reads, pausing in all the right places and landing the all-too-familiar punch lines with quiet joy. I’d steal glances at the faces of the assembled family and friends, taking them all in and watching their pleasure in being present in a special time and place and moment. I’d add these images and feelings to the other Christmas scenes that play in my head like a flickering movie reel, living images of family and friends and pets, many still present and many no longer with us.

I wish I could tell you more about the story and its meaning to my family, but I can’t, because I haven’t time. All I can say is that the story and the ritual of its reading have meant a great deal to my family over the years, decades, and generations. Long after we’ve outgrown the bicycles, lost the tweezers from our Swiss Army knives, and dropped off the funky sweaters at the Goodwill, what remains are the people, the pets, the foods and smells, the places and times and rituals, all of which help make each Christmas something to remember.

Long before The Slanket, we enjoyed these sleeping bag-like robes, decked with B.Kliban's iconic sneaker-wearing cat—very convenient for staying even warmer near the fire, but not as enduring as Mr. Dog's Christmas, or all the wonderful memories of Christmases past.

It dawned on me recently: this month marks my 1st year anniversary as a publisher. It still feels strange to call myself that, though it’s undeniable that I have 1) produced a book, 2) sold that book, and now have even 3) reprinted that book with the intention of selling more of them. I’m pretty sure that’s what a publisher does. I may still be settling into my new title, but I'm truly happy and grateful to be here—headed into another Christmas season as Mr. Dog's publisher.  

In January 2014, shortly after I began working on Mr. Dog, I joined a mastermind group with five other entrepreneurial women. At our first meeting, we made sticky note nametags, stating one big goal for the year.

When I embarked on this adventure with my family, I wanted above all else to produce a book that honored our generations-long love affair with Paine’s Christmas story. When I finally held our book in my hands, it was wildly gratifying to see something that had once been all in my head and my heart materialize in the form of a beautiful object. Honestly, that satisfaction could have been enough.

Eleven months later, in November 2014, I was overjoyed to stand in front of my group, don my nametag from our very first meeting, and show off that book. I published a book!

But of course, there was always something more that inspired me. It was the conviction that Paine’s story deserves a much wider audience. I’ve always believed that it’s a timeless tale and that there are probably a lot more folks out there who would not only enjoy it, but perhaps even embrace it as we have.

So when we sold through our first print run last year, I was overjoyed. And when I read the kind messages from so many of you, telling us how much you loved it, how your kids were asking you to read it over and over again, I felt home. It was as if my family had suddenly expanded. That, too, could have been a satisfying place to end the story. It would have been lovely to simply rest on those laurels—happy to have introduced Mr. Dog to 2000 more readers and to know that you were out there, enjoying the story with us.

But I believe there's power in our collective enthusiasm—for Paine’s classic tale, Adam’s glorious illustrations, the love of reading good stories to one another, the joy of family traditions and heirlooms passed from one generation to the next—power that can guide our book into the homes of many more like us and keep this wonderful story alive for decades to come. So here I am, at the threshold of another December, books back in stock, eager to see who joins our Hollow Tree tribe this year.

As we head into my favorite time of the year, I wanted to take a moment to thank you—for being part of our extended Mr. Dog Family, for cheering me on and, especially, for sharing your love of Mr. Dog's Christmas with your own family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!

Greetings, Readers!

Today I’m delighted to share an interview between our publisher, Betsy, and our book’s designer, Cynthia Wigginton. As you’ll learn, Cynthia’s creative talents aren’t limited to graphic design. She’s also an incredibly accomplished musician with some amazing stories from her rock and roll* life. Enjoy!

Your faithful friend,

* Betsy had to tell me what “rock and roll” meant, but she assured me that you’ll understand.

Designer and musician, Cynthia Wigginton, photo © Bart Nagel

Betsy: What were your favorite books as a little girl? Are there any in particular that have inspired your interest in book design?

Cynthia: I've always been an avid reader, so this is a tough question! I admire the work of so many authors, illustrators, and book designers. In terms of illustrated picture books that I was fascinated with as a child, three come to mind. The first would be Richard Scarry's Busy, Busy World. I would spend hours poring over the elaborate spreads while looking for his cast of familiar characters as they appeared around the globe.

The second would be Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. His illustration in its loose hand is so evocative, emotional, and distinctive. Recently, I was surprised to learn that Bemelmans was not French, but an Austria-Hungary born American writer and illustrator. Also, the heroine, Madeline, is meant to be American rather than French. What an odd thing! I'll have to go back and read the original book again from that perspective.

The third would be a book that I no doubt filched from my older brother, How to Care For Your Monster by Norman Bridwell. In this case, it was mostly the writing that caught my attention and the idea that monsters might need caring for. It's a liberating idea for a child who gets scared in the dark. The illustrations are great, too, in a Scooby-Doo sort of way.

How did you get started as a book designer? What do you most enjoy about the process?

The work that I've created as a graphic designer has been more diverse than with most graphic designers, I think. I don't consider myself exclusively a book designer even though Adam and I've recently completed our tenth children's book together (Are We There Yet? | Chronicle Books | Spring 2016).

After graduating from UC Davis, I landed in London to work for a fashion photographer. At that point in time, I thought that I wanted to be a professional photographer. But quickly, I realized that I was more interested in fusing imagery with written word in the form of design. After returning to the States and a short stint in advertising, I landed a job working at a music merchandising company where I spent seven years designing all forms of music collateral.

My silkscreened poster from that period for the band Oasis appears in the book, The Art of Modern Rock (Chronicle Books | Spring 2005). You might also be familiar with my Bob Marley image from the same period. As I was on payroll, I didn't retain the copyright to the design and it was licensed off. You can probably buy it on a coffee mug in a shop near you. I see it everywhere now.

Cynthia Wigginton's poster for Oasis

Cynthia Wigginton's iconic Bob Marley image

From my rock merchandising job, I moved on to magazine design. It was at Red Herring magazine as an Associate Art Director where I started fine-tuning my typographic skills. From there, it was an easy jump to book design. Adam and I worked on our first book together, My Friend Chicken, which Adam also wrote (Chronicle Books | Spring 1999).

What I like most about design is seeing all of the elements come together in such a crystalline way. The end result becomes its own entity and acquires its own personality. Perhaps I'm a bit of an animist.

What was your design inspiration for Mr. Dog? Tell us about how you and Adam collaborated to bring the book to life so beautifully.

Interior spreads from Mr. Dog's Christmas featuring a number of Cynthia's wonderful design details, from the faux bois patterning to the use of Victorian era frames, letter forms, decorative flourishes, and even the aged look of the paper. The design strikes the perfect balance between Victorian style and a more contemporary sensibility.

Adam is a very flexible illustrator who can work with many mediums in a variety of styles. With so many options available, it can be a studied task to decide what might be the best approach for any given project. In the case of Mr. Dog, I found myself particularly drawn (pun intended!) to Adam’s sketched renditions of the characters and encouraged him to render the final illustrations with the same crowquill and ink technique. It's such a natural fit for a story that was originally published during the Victorian era.

In general, ours is a fairly organic process. My studio is across the hall from Adam's. We often call back and forth and ask each other for opinions, thoughts, and ideas. The illustration is, of course, all Adam's. I do my best to make sure that things come together in a way that makes sense for the project at hand with supporting typography, layout, and graphics; for example, adding the faux bois texture to some of the pages in Mr. Dog was an idea of mine. It makes sense as, after all, much of the story takes place at the Hollow Tree Inn. And you, Betsy, deserve full credit for the cloth cover concept for Mr. Dog, along with shepherding the book to final production. You did such a great job.

What are some of your other favorite book projects with Adam? With other illustrators?

I have a soft spot for all ten of the picture books that Adam and I have worked on together. The creation of them generally takes at least a year and sometimes much longer. Their 'stuff' ends up being spread around our house and studios and hung on our walls. They truly become members of the family. And then they leave home and head out into the world. But if choosing favorites is a must, they would be (after Mr. Dog, of course!) The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme (Sterling | 2009) and Mom and Dad Are Palindromes (Chronicle Books | 2006).

Cover for The Monsterologist: a Memoir in Rhyme by Bobbi Katz with illustrations by Adam McCauley and design by Cynthia Wigginton

Award-winning monster stamps endpapers for The Monsterologist: A Memoir in Rhyme by Bobbi Katz / illustrations by Adam McCauley and design by Cynthia Wigginton

The former includes such beautiful writing by Bobbi Katz. The project also presented lots of artistic challenges for both Adam and me. The end paper design won a Gold Medal from the Society of Illustrators and the cover of the book was included in AIGA's 'Top 100' show. The latter, Mom and Dad Are Palindromes by author Mark Shulman, also involved unique artistic and typographic challenges. I love the way that it came together with Mark's farcical wordplay.

Mom and Dad are Palindromes by Mark Shulman with illustrations by Adam McCauley and design by Cynthia Wigginton

Although I'm open to working with other illustrators on book projects, I tend to prefer working with my in-house partner, Adam. I do enjoy working with a variety of illustrators though; for example, on album art with the very talented Christian Northeast out of Toronto, Canada. I've designed two album covers around his amazing work and hope that his schedule allows for further collaboration next year.

In addition to your amazing design talents, you’re a very accomplished musician. You’ve worked with some really cool folks over the years, and now you front your own band as singer/songwriter. Tell us more about all of it!

So yes, I create music in my parallel life. Adam does as well and we play in a band together, Bermuda Triangle Service. That's not to say that music and visual art don't intersect. I've designed the album packaging for all of the Bermuda Triangle Service records. We put out a new record last year entitled Yoo Hoo which is currently doing well on iTunes and Apple Music. Adam and I have also played independently in many bands. In fact, we met at a show where Adam was drumming as part of a band called Little My, which was named after the Tove Jansson character. I was playing violin with Richard Buckner as a member of The Doubters. I started studying classical violin at age seven and have been playing, writing, and making music ever since.

Album packaging for "Yoo Hoo," the latest album from Cynthia's band, Bermuda Triangle Service Illustrator: Christian Northeast Designer: Cynthia Wigginton

To tell all of my rock and roll stories would require many more interviews, but certainly a memorable night was opening for The Pogues at The Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco in 1987. It was with my first band, The Bedlam Rovers, and I was primarily the fiddler. This was perhaps our third show ever, and The Pogues were performing with Joe Strummer of The Clash. It was a rather terrifying night in many ways as we were playing this historic venue, very early in our band's existence, with our heroes. There were also loads of skinheads in the audience and my dad was positioned amongst them for this sold out show. Courtney Love was purported to be in the balcony. Later in the evening, our drummer was ejected from a side door. I'm not sure what happened there as Andrew is the most peaceable of guys. My dad ended up in jail and he is an upstanding citizen. After we left the stage, Joe Strummer told us, 'Nice set, kids.'

Cynthia Wigginton works out of San Francisco, California. She is currently studying web coding at the California College of the Arts under Chris Koehler. Bermuda Triangle Service's latest record, 'Yoo Hoo', can be purchased on iTunes or via CDBaby. Adam and Cynthia's upcoming picture book with author Nina Laden, 'Are We There Yet?', can be pre-ordered via Amazon. And, of course, you can purchase Mr. Dog's Christmas right here! Say hello to Cynthia directly at wig@cynthiawigginton.com

Greetings, Friends!

My oh my, but it's been a long time since I've blogged! To make up for my long absence, I have a wonderful little video interview with our illustrator, Adam McCauley, to share with you. Adam talks about developing the Hollow Tree characters—including yours truly, of course!—and about working with Betsy's family on this independent publishing project.

Enjoy!

P.S. Did you know we're offering FREE SHIPPING* on all orders? It's a great way to stock up now on the Christmas gift that will be enjoyed for generations to come!
*Free shipping ends 11/30/15 at midnight PST.