HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 07-16 Maplewood illustrator recreates classic fables MAPLEWOOD REVIEW111ustratoi/Cornerstone
continued from page 1
AL
Stories saves narratives near extinction
cable, well, stories r
that kids can relate to :their,
own lives:"
Ideas keep coming
Cornerstone* Stories 'cur
rently offers 20.fables in'Eng
fish, Spanish- and Chinese
p
but Ochs hopes .to expand
that selection this year.
"It's hard to sayright now
how quickly we'll. be able to
add (new stories); but I'd like..
to be at 50 maybe by year`';
end," Ochs says.
. ` lias.�''
Wilke` -adds th at he;
plenty of ideas for new' sto-
ries when, the company calls
for them. For ` now however,
he is content to work on .his
own projects.
Writingand illustrate
Cornerstone Stories is., a new
challenge for Wilke, but, this
isn't the first time his work.-'
'
Wake s creative start
y iu-
y q i
Wilke s interest in illustra-
tion began when he was a ii
kid.a
I
I wanted to- be; a comic_
„
strip artist, he says:,
He .sent his comics to ..z=•,{ .
.
newspaper syndicates; but »w ;.�.
=4
t. dal,
none of them made it to the
$.fir a rti.
That's what inspired
Ka Iin.Creason/Review
l
Maplewood illustrator Mike Wilke'exhibits comics from his
,presses.
him to get in touch;` with,
a, °.-,Q
,�
gook Watermelon Bones: The Se uel.
.., , ,; `,�
his local paper. Though he.,
�A
was ho in to dra -.stor
-hoping w y a$ <<
t
,u
,
line comics for the. �:' - F�' ��•
Maldi"llus''trart:orv.$
� oo
w
didn't miss a � -. �" ;, � .. �
beat to sa that � .�� � � ,>�,,:,�. .�< � u.,
0.
�:F
� .
he could draw political o F a
p car-
-
-
��.- �
{/`/�/. e (��\ lass�w -��
�'�� �.�1�s
�S s: tl
toons when the editor ask.,, ;, r
,
ed - �.
him, '.even though he'd never
w�����ll
t
/
drawn one before in'his.-life..
JUL 2Q� ..
Kayhn Creason
Now, nearly-.fourrdecadesa�
�.
- . Review staff
later,', he's Still g' ti x
drawin his.
. -. .
distinctive one -panel car
Political cartoonist Mike Wilke; 58, has been drawing.. for
toons,. He has even: won -
most of.his life, but he's never don ea thin ike this. F r
??Y g o
;the' past year, Ti]Pi1ke has been illustrating fables for chit-
Creason/Review
statevride awards for them, Kayliri Creason/Bevis
Mike,Wilke,`writer and illustrator for Cornerstone Stories, says his favorite fable he's done is "The
one from the M nne,so,ta ,_gearded
Fool" a story about a man who decides to burn part of his beard off after reading that all
Wilke is a- featured artist for Cornerstone Stories', a
men with long beards'are fools. "1 did relate to it;' Wilke laughs.
a cartoon that. ran in the
newlylaunched social business that allows people to cre-
p p
ate personalized storybooks from a selection of illustrated
Review.
a lot'of beautiful consisten- under -represented and low-. four stories that I included
He says recreating fables.ls It's
fables.
cies. just a really beauti- income students prepare in rn grandson's book
very different. p p Y g were
"Our mission is to preserve, :promote and pass on these
"It's a different process '> fol project." for. college. In 2011, he and applicable to things we'had
p graphic designer Patricia discussed in some way or
"I've
_stories- these fables that,are neglected, and'to�hel
g p build
N.
cross-cultural. understanding and awareness," says
he says. got to rethink:.- �
Cornerstone Stories story Hayes Kaufman developed another in the recent past,"
a lot of what I want to puf in
nerstone Stories,founder Jeff Ochs, a,resident of St. Pauls
Cornerstone Stories i the ME
there. s a NSA award-winning. says Lynn Holly; who pur-
self -described "social busi- educational ams Snake Oil. chased a book for h -
It often an exhaustn g er grand
East Side.
Wilke. a'Maplewood resident,: started collaborating with'
s g tress," one that exists to -When Ochs,, with* help son for his fifth birthday,
effort: he. storyboards the' p y
make a social impact and a from Kaufman,; started devel- She says that while the
Cornerstone Stories about- a year ago after a friend intro-
y g
doted his work to Ochs.
� work,: consults..ith' the.pub- - -
licher and then revises his profit. oping Cornerstone Stories in fables may be available in the
Now, Wilke has written and illustrated half a dozen
Right now, thousands 2012, he :was inspired by a public domain,.the ability to
, work; again and again until it
of fables and parables from need he. saw in his own fain- personalize the books makes
fables for Cornerstone Stories more than an other artist `
Y
for the company. Wilke finds ins iration from a varlet
p Y
is just right,
around the world are dis- ily. Cornerstone Stories unique
I erase a lot, he laughs."
of old tales, from Aesop's fables to Greek' stories to Indian
appearing from our collet- Cornerstone'Stories came and. valuable. Not only do
Fable -writing; is also. a . "the website out of a ` "personal desire customers
five .memor.y, p get to select the
parables.
"I never thought about doing a children's `book " he
much longer process,. -each explains. "Because these for my wife and I to have a four stories they want to
story is 8-10 panels .instead
says, "until (Cornerstone Stories). came up."
of`�the one -panel political stories belong .to the public, way to take ownership of the include in their child's book,
most companies do not invest books we would put in front but they can also pexsonal-
punchlines he usually writes .
for the paper. in them. The result is' that of our daughter." Ochs says, ize the cover and the page in
But the end result is worth.much of the world's wisdom adding they wondered what each story on which the les-
it -for Wilke and Ochs both, is trapped in library archives kind of value system they son is written out with the
"It's my take on the world and never illustrated." wanted to raise their kids child's: name.
of fables (and) I enjoy that," Ochs, who launched Cor- with. Cornerstone Stories pro -
Wilke says. nerstone Stories in 2013, is Each of the fables offered vide "a very nice, high . dual=
"Every artist' kind of gets known for pioneering busi- by Cornerstone . Stories illus- ity, personalized book of sto-
to take their own style, their nesses that make an impact. trates a moral lesson, some- ries ' that parents, grandpar-
own vision to the . story,�' In 2003, he founded Break- thing which Cornerstone Sto- encs and children can share
Ochs adds. "You end up with through St. Paul (now Break- ries' customers appreciate. and learn from,". Holly adds.
a diverse set of styles in the through Twin Cities), a "I love stories that pro- "Their value is in being able
same catalog, and yet there's summer program that: helps vide a moral, and I think the to select a number. of appli-
has been published in book
form.
Twenty-five years ago, he
self -published an , anthol
ogy of cartoons in 'his book; '
"`Watermelon Bones: ' Part -
One." Three months ago; he'
wrote the sequel.
His cartoons cover 'a hodge-.
podge of topics-; from the dat.=
ing scene to Scrabble t6:116k
ting and driving., .
The ideas "just kind ,of
come to he says.
He is currently working, on
part three of "Watermelon
Bones." so hopefully readers
won't have to wait;5.years
between books this time.
Wilke will' 'be sell,irig
"Watermelon Bones" parts
one and two at the 'North'
St.; _Paul History Cruze Car.
,Shows on Friday nights
throughout the summer.
To read Wilke's fables on,
Cornerstone Stories, or;,to
purchase a book from -.Cor-
nerstone Stories, visit www: ` .
cornerstonestories.com..
Kaolin Creason can, be
reached at staffw,riter@
lillieneras.com or at 651:-748-
7825. ,