to various UK publishers, and this was one of them. So I think when they saw my work on that, they decided I'd be suited to this text. I actually don't know who wrote it, I was never told, and I've never seen it published since (not under this title at least), so if anyone has any information in that regard I'd be curious? It was quite a fun story, so it'd be a shame if it was canned.My concepts started with the three main characters, a Lion...
A Gnu...
The feedback to these was they weren't cute enough. They thought they were too stylised, and not soft enough in their features (again, had they researched my body of work...). So I went about 'cutifying' them further...
I don't think I'd gone quite this cute in my work up to this point. My wife (who is barometer for everything I do) thought they were adorable, but alas, again, they weren't cute enough. I wanted to secure this job, as I was desperate for work, so I gave it one more shot...
It still wasn't right. I honestly couldn't work out what they were after, but it became clear they were wanting a style that was not my own. The characters were starting to look like plush toys by the end, and this is as far from my established style as I was willing (and able) to go.
It was a mutual parting in the end. Subsequently, barely a week later, Meadowside Books caught me on the rebound and contracted WHO FLUNG DUNG?, which has been my biggest success so far. I shall discuss this book in a later post...
'Noah's Ocean Commotion' wasn't a complete waste, I managed to recycle my initial Gnu design into Who Flung Dung?...
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