An Interview with Drew Aquilina: Green Pieces

7.18.10 - Michael F. Shaughnessy - In preparing the Green Pieces marketing plan, my publicist researched all environmental and other book contests, festivals, etc. The Green Book Festival seemed to be the perfect fit for my cartoon compilation and my first such competition.

Michael F. Shaughnessy

Eastern New Mexico University

Portales, New Mexico

1)    Drew, you won the 2010 Green Book Festival Honorable Mention for Graphic Novels. How did this come about?

In preparing the Green Pieces marketing plan, my publicist researched all environmental and other book contests, festivals, etc. The Green Book Festival seemed to be the perfect fit for my cartoon compilation and my first such competition.  I was unsure as to whether my title would qualify, as at the time we were just at the electronic pdf Advance Review Copy (ARC) stage.  I decided to give it a try in any event.  I was honored and pleasantly surprised to learn my book had earned Honorable Mention, despite lacking the Foreword (subsequently written by renowned Cartoonist Brian Walker, Hi and Lois) and any endorsement copy.  I look forward to additional upcoming Book Festivals (New England Book Festival – November 2010; London Book Festival – December 2010; and, DIY Book Festival – January 2011) where Green Pieces will compete in the Comics/Graphic Novels, Children’s Books and Wild Card categories.

2)    Where did your book begin?

As a child growing up in New Milford, Connecticut, I was captivated by a movie starring forest animals examining their day-to-day struggle to survive, not to mention battling a forest fire. His early interest and first thoughts about cartoons and cartooning were, of course, fueled by watching The Wonderful World of Disney. 

I did not draw my first cartoon until college, when I was a student at Delaware Valley College in Pennsylvania. Sharing a dorm room with a turtle named Iggman, or Iggy, and three lizards, the pets were a source of inspiration for stories. I soon added cartoon tales of the pets in letters home, and out of that arose a holiday feature: “The Christmas Igglet,” in which Iggy, dressed as Santa Claus, delivered toys to his lizard friends. One year later, a full-fledged cartoonist was born.  My first cartoon strip originated as Iggman on Campus in 1987 after I transferred to the University of Massachusetts Amherst. That strip was published for three semesters in The Collegian, the UMass student paper. After graduating, the strip Green Pieces© was born and the strip was copyrighted and ran as a daily and weekly feature in three Connecticut newspapers.

Green pieces^©:  Green From the Pond Up would not be a reality but for my wife Lisa.  She inspired me to draw when drawing wasn’t a priority.  Her love of cartoons  is a joy.  Her unending belief in me and support of my passion keeps me focused.  Experiencing her beautiful smiles resulting from reading my material inspired me to start producing a daily feature again.  I will always remember the day several years ago when I was moving the numerous flat files housing my original Bristol board cartoons and sketches.  “You should publish these in a book because [something about being talented and funny – I stopped listening],” Lisa stated matter-of-factly.   Fast forward what now seems like an eternity and here we are.  Amazingly enough, despite her exhaustive edits and revisions, cleansing of millions of the ‘infamous’ errant pixels and my long nights toiling at the drafting table, we are still very happily married.

3)    Now tell us a bit about Iggy and Radic . What are they like ?

·     Iggy: Cleverly yet cautiously approaching the world surrounding him, Iggman seeks the simple pleasures of life. Iggy, (as his friends call him) has a unique perspective on his environment. As a turtle, his species’ longevity promotes wisdom.  It is Iggy’s naiveté, however, that gives away his true age.  His shell, the seemingly magical carapace that follows Iggy everywhere, is the center of attention.  The shell serves as Iggy’s sanctuary as well as his burden. Unusual for turtles, Iggy also battles bouts of claustrophobia. He tempers his affliction by frequently giving the outside of his shell a good coat of wax.  Iggy is our lovable turtle whose claustrophobic fears are encased by the paradox of living in a shell. His obsession for waxing his shell creates moments of laughter as he attempts to contrive a life “outside” the security of the “shell“.

·     Radic the dragonfly: Radic epitomizes the word “bug.” Making his rounds at the pond and through nature, Radic stirs up trouble wherever he flies. This pesky but loveable cad is the self-proclaimed “best friend” of Iggy. It is unknown whether Radic truly seeks Iggy’s friendship or simply covets Iggy’s warm, comfy-cozy shell on which to land and sleep.  Radic is the “bug” whose only purpose is to stir up Iggy’s comfortable world, always seeking out to land on Iggy’s shell as a resort spot for his pleasure.  Iggy could not exist outside of this relationship and their banter is adorably portrayed.

4) How does Roc the Raccoon fit into this mix?

·         Roc is the rambling raccoon found in the midst of the garbage, scavenging through human spots (e.g. restaurants bins & garbage) for tantalizing morsels to eat. His “food alcoholic” disease makes him a character known for his wisdom where he spurts reality into the animal world life.  Roc is your friendly neighborhood raccoon. Endearing and charming to a fault, he possesses an uncanny ability to recognize the reality of most situations.  As the local rogue, Roc gets through life by living out of dumpsters and trash cans and picking up odd jobs from Cabby.  Roc reminds the reader of the uncle that families don’t talk about much.  When he is not sleeping off a night of heavy rubbish rummaging, Roc can be a very good friend and fun companion.

·         Although I wasn’t asked, I don’t want to forget Cabby the bullfrog. This techno-frog’s DNA was altered by pollution during the critical tadpole stage. As a result, his brain developed instead of his legs.  Cabby’s genius lies in the scientific realm with heavy emphasis on computers and physics. While normally focused on his scientific pursuit, from time to time Cabby will indulge in less lofty aspirations to help get his wetland friends in and out of trouble.

Cabby the bullfrog is Iggy’s psychiatrist. He attempts to psycho analyze the deep set fears associated with the “shell” and his perspective on the moment is hilarious.

5) What are the basic points that you are trying to make with this book and these cartoons?

Our environment is a serious subject with the threat of global warming, melting polar ice caps and holes in the ozone hanging over us. Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up, however, takes a light-hearted look at nature around us.  Best of all, Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up is a delightful read for any age group. Grown-ups will be reminded of what they were told by their parents – to respect nature – and young readers will learn, through the eyes of the four main characters, why it’s important to respect nature.

This book is a great way to educate the public, especially children, about the importance of protecting nature rather than harming it.  The characters are lovable and hilarious, and you really start to sympathize with their lights after a while.  But rather than preaching, I attempt to spread my message with humor.

6) At no time in history, have we been faced with such a tragic environmental disaster. How will children be impacted? What lessons have we learned?

I think that children will learn that being a good steward of the planet means not only caring for and protecting wildlife but also protecting us from ourselves.  This oil spill (and the human-caused environmental catastrophes) is an excellent example of how when adults get too complacent with the tasks and responsibilities assigned to them – they tend to forget the big picture and the responsibility they have to the health, safety and welfare of the planet.  The bigger lesson learned is reacting to a mistake and/or disaster with a sense of urgency, fix the problem first and ask questions later.  Playing the blame game without correcting the problem first sets a bad example.  Learning to admit your mistakes and taking responsibility for those mistakes is a critical lesson to teach our young people.  Nature has a way of forgiving us for our mistakes, but that doesn’t mean we can abuse that forgiveness.

7) I hate to bring up the Exxon Valdez, but as they say--those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it...Your thoughts?

Same as above.  However, it is important to remember that the Exxon Valdez event was more human error and not simply negligence and lack of regulations as we are learning befell the Deepwater Horizon catastrophe.  The fact that Prince William Sound was/is such a remote location, accessible only by helicopter, plane and boat, made government and industry response efforts difficult and severely taxed existing plans for response.

With the fact that a disaster of that magnitude and scale is so quickly forgotten or dismissed is disconcerting as a matter to save a business.  Major corporations don’t want nature disasters celebrated or remembered.  Corporations vie for good publicity and they have a tendency to lower the veil of forgetfulness.  The environmental media also has a responsibility to keep these events fresh in the minds of all people so that perhaps one day history will not repeat.

I hope my cartoon can eventually do that … help people remember events such as the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon.  Green pieces, with Cabby, has a scientific component that allows the strip to analyze, critique and explore the issues of engineering and exploration, thereby keeping these events in the forefront in the minds of my readers. 

Ideally, it would be wonderful to obtain an environmental organization or Green corporation sponsor/endorsement so my message can be more broadly disseminated.

8) Do you have a web site where people can visit Iggy, Roc, Radic and all of their cohorts?

Yes.  The cartoon website is http://www.greenpiecescartoons.com.  By the end of the month (July), visitors will be able to sign up to receive a daily Green pieces cartoon delivered to their email address.

The book site is http://www.greenpiecesbooks.com

9) I feel sorry for all of the pelicans, fish, turtles and other affected by the oil leak. Have you been writing or cartooning about the BP Oil Spill?

 Yes.  The tragedy in the Gulf Coast has stirred many emotions within my cartoon mindset.  I have entered the attached editorial cartoon in the Homer Davenport Days Cartoon Contest in Silverton, Oregon for this coming August.  I am also writing a series of strips regarding sea turtles and their plight.  It is challenging being humorous yet respectfully of the animals and nature I dearly love.

10) What questions have I neglected to ask ?

A.  The cartoon strip and book seem like such a wonderful resource for school-age children, yet adults may also find it humorous. For whom is the comic strip and hence the book written?

The strip was written mainly for adults in the Danbury News-Times daily features page.  Nature has a way of being able to approach adults and kids at the same time, but in different ways.  Nature is the common denominator. What kids may find funny about a squirrel may also tickle you as an adult.  It is that ability for all ages to enjoy that makes this Strip attractive to such a broad audience.

B.  Water is the lifeline of all things in nature. Is that why you made the pond the focal point or home of Green Pieces: Green From the Pond Up?

Where water meets the land has always been the basis of life on this planet.  Having the strip taking place at a Wetland only reinforces the importance of this important ecosystem component.  If we can make more people appreciate the value of a pond and all its inhabitants, it may be easier to protect those places and save them for future generations.

C.  Was nature a big part of your childhood? Did you play outside a lot?

Yes.  Video games came out when I was in middle school years.  We lived with woods surrounding our house.  This gave me ample opportunity to play outdoors and explore while developing an appreciation of nature and its idiosyncrasies.  Hence, I am a Registered Landscape Architect.

D.  You touch on some hilarious subjects (squirrel love and the cartoon character nudity lawsuit) but also some serious subjects (animals involved in science and physics). Do you feel the book strikes a balance in the subject matter you chose?

Yes.  The strip tilts one way or the other depending upon my mood. I like to find hilarity in science and science in hilarity.

E.  Death is a big part of nature (the whole food chain thing), yet it’s not a prevailing theme. What’s the reason behind that?

It is true that death is critical to nature.  And while death is not a prevailing theme in the material I have selected for my first compilation, that theme certainly will make a stronger presence as the strip continues.  Additionally, there is not a lot of laughter in death, except of course when we are discussing my mother-in-law.

F.  Humans are conspicuously missing from the comic strip. Is that intentional?

Absolutely intentional. Have you ever tried to draw one and compete successfully with all the other human drawn cartoons in the marketplace? As the Strip develops, humans may be incorporated more into the fabric of the Pond’s storylines.

G.  Cabby is the only animal friend with a physical deformity (he was altered by pollution at the tadpole stage). He’s also very bright. Were you trying to make a point about how everyone is special in their own way?

Absolutely. Some of the world’s most gifted people have special needs.  Cabby is a product of his environment, one for which humans are directly responsible. That is pollution. His alteration from typical bullfrog to gifted scientist and mathematician was a result of the mismanagement of a natural resource.  Unless he is in a full sprint, it is difficult for him to get around.  Picture yourself trying to walk in scuba fins with legs that are the same length as your flippers!  Cabby built his hover craft as an appropriate solution to his mobility problems.  This resolution is a classic example of Cabby’s ability solve complex problems with simple ideas.

H.  Will there be a sequel in which Iggy finds a mate? 

Book two is well on its way off the drawing board.  As a head’s up exclusive, Iggy will have a romantic interlude with a Louis Vuitton clutch.  It should be quite the adventure.