Interview with John Rodriguez, BIPOC Scholarship Awardee and Featured Illustrator

In this third of our series on our BIPOC scholarship awardees, we meet John Rodriguez—an exciting illustrator and multimedia artist. In addition to his interview, John delights our imagination by sharing a few exciting, action-packed illustrations that promise to grab his young readers’ attention! Marvel and enjoy, everyone!

 

Isabel Estrada O’Hagin

SCBWI-MI Outreach Coordinator

 

 

1.    How has the SCBWI membership been useful to you? 

Being a member of SCBWI has enabled me to expand my network of relationships with authors and other illustrators in the state of Michigan. The newsletters have been very informative and there have been opportunities for me to learn about how other professionals are trying to grow their business.  

 

2.    We’d like to get to know you! Tell us about your past creative work in the area of children’s literature or related areas of interest or expertise. You can also tell us about your studio or workspace.

I am working on growing as an illustrator of children’s literature. My recent interest started to develop after having children and spending time helping them to grow their imaginations. One of my children began to show interest in storytelling. So, we began to work on sketches toward a book production. After working with him on this project, I realized that I had a lot to learn in this growing industry. 

It is important to me to work on projects that showcase Black children. For a short time, I worked on putting together comic strips and illustrations featuring a young Black boy. This helped to further the conversation about what life can be like for Black boys. It is fun and filled with love and family.

 

I primarily work at home. I use a variety of media to create my pieces. This includes traditional mediums such as watercolor, acrylics, and oil paints. Most recently, much of my work has been on my iPad using the Procreate app with an Apple Pencil. Using this tool allows me to produce work at a faster pace and doesn’t have any significant prep time or clean-up. You still have to be able to illustrate and understand color theory to produce artwork. It allows me to work anywhere I enjoy.

3.    What in your childhood or youth piqued your interest in writing or illustrating? What were some of the major influences that led you to this road? 

 Drawing was always accessible. Since paper and pencils were readily available, it was an easy way to engage in something productive while waiting for time to pass or keeping myself occupied when being a noisy child wasn’t an option. I was very much inspired by early 80s cartoons such as Thundercats, Transformers, He-Man, Teenage-Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the like. I wanted to be able to draw these characters and tell my own stories. I am happy to say that I still engage with cartoons and continue to enjoy animation and the visual arts. 

 

4.    Please share anything about your current projects or what’s ahead in your creative work. We’d love to hear about it! 

I am currently working on a project with the Ann Arbor District Library where I am creating a visual piece that represents Michigan culture. Most recently, I designed the artwork for Ann Arbor’s 2022 Juneteenth Celebration.  Since I am a multimedia artist, I do a variety of work including photography and video production, as well as illustration. 

Other samples of my work can be found at:

johnrod.myportfolio.com

Instagram: @bruinprophet

Facebook: @jrartsite 

John Rodriguez is a marketing and communications professional at the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor. John holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). John is of Afro-Caribbean descent, having been born in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is a husband and father of two young boys. His work as a visual artist explores the dynamics of culture and emotions through portraiture and storytelling that build community awareness and challenge stereotypical narratives.

BIPOC Scholarship

This scholarship awards a one-year membership to SCBWI for new members who identify as BIPOC kidlit creators.

Qualifications: Must be a Michigan resident, at least 18 years of age, who identifies as BIPOC and is a writer and/or illustrator of children’s literature.

Award: A one-year membership to SCBWI.

Applications Accepted: September 1st – October 1st (via a link that will be posted here).   Awardees will be notified on or before Oct. 15th.

To donate to this scholarship, click or tap HERE.

Black Men Read by John Rodriguez

Kayden and I sit behind our computer and read to an unseen audience the colorful words of One Day in the Eucalyptus, the Eucalyptus Tree (by Daniel Bernstrom, ill. by Brendan Wenzel, HarperCollins, 2016). That day, 7 year-old Kayden does most of the reading while I support him with color commentary and questions about his thoughts on the characters and situations. We are bonding over our love of clever stories. In this case, we are also fulfilling the mission of supporting Black Men Read (BMR) where we read books and stories from across the African diaspora by highlighting literature from Black authors or books with illustrations featuring Black and Brown characters. 

In the United States where Black Americans make up 14% of the population and Black males represent 2% of the teaching community, experiencing Black men in teaching and leadership roles is a rarity, which is a disservice for all communities. The BMR impact is not only limited to  Black children, but instead aims to inspire, entertain, and educate all children who wish to participate at our reading sessions. BMR normalizes the contributions of Black writers and illustrators when young readers join us at the local recreation centers, parks, or by video on Facebook (@BMRKIDSCLUB). 

Everyday that I read to my sons, I help them to develop self-appreciation by being an example  of a Black man who recognizes the value of the literary experience. This expands their imaginations about who they might one day become and how they actively perceive their own worth. As they experience representation through the characters, they now write their own creative stories where the primary characters look and think as they do. Through the efforts of BMR, I and other Black men are able to continue that type of impact for our entire community of young readers.

John Rodriguez is a multimedia creator and illustrator. Professionally, John serves as the Marketing and Communications Lead with the Office of Academic and Multicultural Initiatives (OAMI) at the University of Michigan. John's goal is to tell stories to build community awareness and challenge stereotypical narratives that can be harmful. He is a member of the SCBWI-MI Equity & Inclusion Team.