Poetry, But Make It Comics

An Interview with Travis Jonker of 100 Scope Notes

Happy National Poetry Month! To kick off a month of illustrated verse and poetic Words of Wonder here at Incidental Comics, I’m sharing an interview I did with author, illustrator, school librarian, and podcaster Travis Jonker. Read Travis's blog for the School Library Journal, 100 Scope Notes; listen to his podcast, The Yarn; and check out his imaginative picture books—his story THE VERY LAST CASTLE is a favorite in my house.

Okay, over to Travis for our conversation:

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Cartoonist, picture book maker, and once upon a time collaborator Grant Snider has a new book out on March 26th. It’s called Poetry Comics and it’s arriving just in time for National Poetry Month in April. It’s about as engaging a poetry book as I’ve seen and one that will be great to share with kids (who might be inspired to make their own poetry comics after reading).

I asked Grant Snider a few questions about the book . . .

Travis: How did the idea for Poetry Comics come about? 

Grant: I’ve always loved the magic words and pictures can make when they’re combined in unexpected ways. I read the illustrated poetry anthology SING A SONG OF POPCORN as a child and have treasured it ever since. 

Though their work is wildly different, the poems of both Shel Silverstein and Mary Oliver are embedded in my psyche. Combine that with my lifelong love of comics—Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes especially—and poetry comics was a natural creative step.

Fun fact: the outfits of the two characters in POETRY COMICS were inspired by Calvin and Charlie Brown.

Travis: How do you make a poetry comic?

Grant: Sometimes the words arrive first, sometimes the pictures. Often I’ll create both at the same time. 

If you’re interested in creating poetry comics yourself or using them in the classroom, I’ve come up with some exercises to get started:

Travis: What were the challenges of making this book, in comparison to your other work?

Grant: Many of the ideas for POETRY COMICS came to me outdoors. On runs, hikes, and neighborhood walks I carried a notebook to jot ideas and sketches. When I forgot my notebook I’d recite poetry to my phone—often with garbled results!

Sunburns, muddy shoes, insects, and sudden downpours: all hazards of the poet’s job.

Travis: An important question: What are you snacking on these days? 

Grant: A better question: is there anything I’m not snacking on these days? Writing and drawing work up an appetite. And snacking is the best form of procrastination from making poetry comics. 

Travis: Thanks for taking my questions, Grant! Poetry Comics is out now from Chronicle Books and is available worldwide. You can order a copy here.

About Travis Jonker

Travis Jonker is an elementary school librarian in Michigan. He writes reviews (and the occasional article or two) for School Library Journal and is a member of the 2014 Caldecott committee. He is also the author of many wonderful picture books. You can email Travis at scopenotes@gmail.com, or follow him on Twitter: @100scopenotes.