Credit Where Credit Is Due (Or, don’t fear telling people you didn’t do something.) October 24, 2016 06:00

From Chris: 

Today I want to talk about something that has been on my mind almost from the day I started work at Disney over twenty years ago – well, actually, from before that, all the way back to art class at Foster Elementary School in Arvada, Colorado. And that is the subject of crediting artists fairly. That is, being open to telling people who did what.

I’ll begin with a story. When I was a youngster in the fourth grade, we were all of us making clay pots in art class. Rather than make another clay pot, which we had all done before, I decided to do something different. I made a little blob of a figure, just a head, with a gaping open mouth and lolling tongue on which I placed a big vitamin capsule. It was bold, fun, and colorful. It was pop art and it stood out. It stood out right up until the kid next to me saw mine and made the very same thing that I made only not at all as nice-looking as mine and he got his placed in the case in the school’s lobby and mine wasn’t. He never said a word about where he got such a nifty idea and I’m sure never wondered later about what that all felt like to me as I walked into the front door of the school every day for the rest of the year and saw my fine idea with someone else’s name on it.

That stayed with me.

I’ve had and continue to have the wonderful privilege of working in feature animation. I’ve worked hard to get here – countless hours of storyboarding, pitching, rejection, notes; moments of despair, terror, elation, and pride. At the end of the process, we take press tours. If you like the sound of your own voice, this is your big chance to hear it. In a single day you might talk to a hundred or more reporters in almost as many interviews.

One of the things that I have learned is that many times different reporters are asking very similar questions. Sometimes identical questions. Needless to say, on questions you struggled to answer on your first stop in Denver, you are a whiz at answering by the time you land in Japan. And in many, many cities and many hours in a folding chair, I have noticed something: there is a decided tendency to want to boil a massive collaborative process down into a simple, singular droplet of credit. People will ask how in the world Dean Deblois and I made “How To Train Your Dragon,” or how we made “Lilo & Stitch,” etc. I used to think it was just a question, but as time passed I began to realize that sometimes they were actually wondering how we two did it. That is, just us.

What I learned from my press tours is that even if you do list off particular artists, animators, painters, engineers, producers, and the like that were the true muscle that got a movie made, their names rarely (if ever) make it into print. It’s either too tedious or perceived to be uninteresting, and the people I credited and the stories I told about them tended to vanish. So I made it a point in interviews to spend as much time as needed redirecting credit for particular moments, lines, designs, and story turns to the people that really deserved it. Again, it never really stuck. But that doesn’t mean I stopped doing it. I make it a full-time job.

This all comes to mind because, in this age of the internet, misinformation and the omission of information is widespread. And I came here to talk to not only artists, but to anyone who loves art, literature, film, etc. Recently it became clear that in a preponderance of internet chatter, and even several instances of meeting people in person, a book that I had the privilege to contribute to, “Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist,” has wrongly been credited entirely to me. Not a couple of times, but in many of the posts about it. This isn’t just careless – at best it’s pretty hurtful – but, at worst, it actually changes the history of something that someone else worked hard to create. In the case of “Rescue Sirens,” I neither crafted the world and the story, nor drew the interior illustrations. Those credits belong, respectively, to my wife, Jessica Steele-Sanders, and to artist Genevieve Tsai.




Now, you might think this sort of thing is limited to casual postings on the internet. But it’s not. I was surprised recently to see that an “Art of” book somehow forgot that I worked on a film. And it was a film I actually co-wrote and co-directed. Reading about my non-self was like seeing me fade out of one of those photographs in a movie about a time-travel accident. This still wouldn’t be super-odd except when you consider that the book was actually published by the actual studio that I directed the film for. It is here that I must note that this sort of thing never happened at Disney. To contrast that, Pixar included me in a book about story even though I didn’t work there but was part of a punch-up session for “Toy Story.” They remembered something that happened twenty years ago and followed up with me. That’s class. And that’s what happens when artists look out for one another.

I should add that when someone does something for the first time, I think it’s especially important to get the story straight, and to do it right away. It was Jessica who invented “Rescue Sirens.” She first imagined the world, then created and wrote the mythology and the characters. After that, she outlined a strong story and wrote it. This is where I came in as a second writer. She and I wrote “Rescue Sirens” in tandem, just as Dean Deblois and I wrote “Lilo & Stitch” together. As for the interior illustrations, Genevieve Tsai created those based on a world that Jess saw very clearly and was able to transmit to Genevieve and myself. (And since I’m giving credit here, I must also note that my drawings on the front and back cover were colored by Edgar Delgado, while the Ocean Drive skyline was drawn by Teresa Martinez.) So if “Rescue Sirens” is anyone’s book, it is Jess’s book, indeed.

I seldom get on a soapbox, especially on the internet. But I’m not here to scold anyone; rather, I’m here to assure all of us who create things, and love things that someone else created, that it’s worth all our whiles to take the time and energy to credit people where it is due.

I’ve worked in cultures at Disney and Pixar where collaboration is celebrated. If you are young, just starting out, and something you did is getting attention, I can assure you that you can credit anyone that partnered with you till you’re blue in the face and it won’t detract a bit from your own accomplishment. It will do quite the opposite. We recently met with James Cameron at DreamWorks and one of the things I was impressed by was the sheer number of names he spilled as he discussed everything from camera rigs to animation to software development. He not only knew what everyone did, he spent a lot of time letting us know who did what.

As filmmakers and artists, we owe it to each other to get the story straight. If there are two or three or more writers’ names, don’t boil it down to one. The real story of how things like movies and books are made is far more interesting when the collaborations are revealed and individual talents celebrated. I have been quite fortunate to have worked with people who were confident in their own talents and never hesitated to throw credit and attention my way. Directors like Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff took the time to mention my contributions on “The Lion King” and made sure the illustrations in the “Art of” book were credited properly – that helped me immensely as I went forward.

Books, interviews, and articles become a history. We owe it to each other to not leave people behind.

Dylan Bonner draws the Rescue Sirens September 12, 2016 15:20

From Jess:

I first ran across Dylan Bonner's work on Tumblr probably a year or two ago, and I loved what I saw: his use of shapes and colors is masterful; his illustrations are full of life and joy. They make you smile just to look at them!

Dylan's artwork has been featured on Buzzfeed ("This Man Had His Girlfriend Turned Into Disney Princesses For Valentines") and  E! News ("Alternate Reality: Disney Princesses Swap Lives and Wardrobes!"; "See Disney Characters Getting Into the Holiday Spirit in Your Favorite Christmas Movies"), and with good reason: Dylan's work, to me, brings to mind Disney Legend Mary Blair, a character designer and concept artist whose work is timeless in its appeal.

This past spring, while Chris and I were preparing the paperback reprint of "Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist," I saw one of Dylan's recent mermaid drawings, and, feeling sassier than usual, I decided to contact him to see if he'd be interested in taking a commission to draw one of our Rescue Sirens.

Fortunately for us, Dylan agreed, and we were so delighted with his drawing of Echo that we asked him to draw the rest of the girls and a group shot!

(Click to enlarge.)

Aren't they gorgeous? We're in love!

You can follow Dylan's wonderful artwork on Instagram, Tumblr, and deviantART; you can also purchase prints and other merchandise in his Society6 store.

Rescue Sirens x Siren Bath & Body giveaway on Instagram August 16, 2016 10:17

From Jess: 

I don't consider myself super girly (that's where Echo and Kelby get their tomboyishness, in fact), but I have a serious weakness for perfumes, especially tropical scents. I hoard them like a dragon hoards treasure; I love the way a scent can evoke a memory or help create a new one, and there's something really satisfying about seeing a line of bottles arranged carefully on a shelf. I went through a big bath and body mall chain phase in college, but today I prefer to buy from independent fragrance creators that I find online.

One of my favorites is Siren Bath & Body, a company that I discovered on Etsy this past March. I've been hooked ever since -- obviously, the shop's name and the theme are right up my alley, but it's more than just cute names and appealing packaging: the products themselves are awesome, and the owner, Jessi, is a woman after my own sea-loving heart. She's also friendly, professional, and REALLY good at what she does, which is why I love ordering from Siren Bath & Body.


I moved to California from Florida four and a half years ago, and every day I miss the warm ocean water and hot summer nights of my home state. Siren Bath & Body's summer collection -- including the scents I'm holding in the photo above: Tahitian Tiare, Wild Gardenia, Island Grapefruit (one of my favorites), and Aruba Coconut -- brings back sun-drenched memories and helps me cope when the thermometer dips below seventy-five degrees (brr!).

Why am I sharing this? Well, not only do I believe in supporting and promoting small businesses, but Jessi and I have also come up with a sweet-smelling Instagram giveaway to celebrate the paperback reprint of "Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist"!

I asked Jessi if she could help me come up with five perfume oils inspired by the main characters in "Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist," and she did a phenomenal job taking my descriptions and turning them into amazing, unique scents. Nim is a tropical paradise in a bottle: a little floral, a little fruity, a little salty, and oh-so-summery; Kelby is warm and sweet with a bit of spiciness; Echo is crisp, no-frills ocean spray; Pippa is fueled by sugar and coffee; and Maris is cool and sophisticated, a refreshing bubbly drink on a hot summer day. The process of choosing just the right scent for each girl was so much fun, and the final products are mer-mazing. I can’t thank Jessi enough -- and her awesome Siren Bath & Body team, too!


Just look at that fintastic package design! I'm crazy about how these turned out.

You can win a set of all five scents, one of Siren Bath & Body's addictive Mermaid Kisses lip balm, and a signed paperback copy of the book by entering the giveaway. Follow both @sirensoap and @rescuesirens on Instagram, then tag a friend in Siren Bath & Body's post. (Each friend you tag per comment is a bonus entry, too.) The winner will be announced this Saturday, August 20th!

To see more of Siren Bath & Body's wonderful products, visit their website and their Etsy, and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.

UPDATE: Siren Bath & Body announced the giveaway winner, and the lucky entrant was Instagram user @shred_mel_shred!


Mel received a signed copy of "Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist" along with a Mermaid Kisses lip balm and the five exclusive "Rescue Sirens"-inspired perfumes, a picture of which she posted when they arrived:


Thanks to everyone who entered, and thanks once again to Siren Bath & Body for collaborating with us on this giveaway!

SDCC 2016 highlights August 8, 2016 12:42

From Jess: 

"It's the most won-der-ful tiiiiime of the year!" If you visited our booth at San Diego Comic-Con, you might be surprised to find me singing Christmas carols in July, but this convention really does mark the most wonderful time of the year for us.

SDCC is an equal parts exhausting and exhilarating four and a half days spent in our 10'x10' booth on the San Diego Convention Center's exhibit floor, debuting new products and spending time with some of the most creative people on the planet. It was at SDCC last year that we introduced the world to "Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist," and some of the most thrilling moments of SDCC 2016 involved people who bought the book twelve months ago dropping by to say hello and show their appreciation for our lifeguard mermaids. We thought we'd share a few of those with you!

The first of those people is Becki Santana, who swung by on Preview Night to show us her beautiful Kelby Cortez cosplay. Becki dressed as Kelby in her human form, rocking her lifeguard gear and even her spot-on perfect reading glasses. Wow! We love talking to Becki, who's smart and funny and so kind, and she brought Kelby to life in a very real way. She posted two sets of gorgeous in-character photos on her Tumblr that you can take a look at here and here. Naturally, we also asked to take some pictures with her!


The next day, Chris and I arrived at our booth to find a fin-tastic surprise waiting for us: Sabrina Stein of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, wearing a totally handcrafted Nim costume! Sabrina's cosplays are always a pleasure to see and show an immense attention to detail, but this one takes the cake for sheer ingenuity.

Mermaid costumes present a major challenge when it comes to mobility, but Sabrina solved the tail issue brilliantly by painting a hoop skirt to resemble a rock and then building Nim's tail around her waist (including the dorsal fin on the back!) and down the front of the "rock." When she wanted to walk, Sabrina could simply pick up her foam tail and stroll off. The illusion was so convincing! Even knowing how the costume is constructed, it still looks like Sabrina-as-Nim is seated comfortably in the middle of aisle 4600. We loved it! Her hard work warmed our hearts.


Speaking of hard work, Joanne Garcia of Fierce Fantasy Designs delighted us with a sweet and generous handmade gift: a necklace featuring the tiniest Nim sculpture inside a bottle! Joanne makes and sells bottle necklaces like this in her Etsy store, and we were so touched that she took the time to make one for us! The ability to work in such small scale, and inside a bottle, is incredibly impressive; I may take a video of it later, since photos just don't do it justice. It's so cool that I can carry a miniature Nim around with me wherever I go!


One of the best things about SDCC is getting to reconnect with friends and people whose work we admire, and Chris and I were excited to see Robert Short again after meeting him for the first time at SDCC 2015. Robert's an Academy Award-winning makeup and special effects artist whose work you've seen in "Beetlejuice," "E.T.," and -- if you're a fan of mermaids, which you probably are if you're reading this! -- "Splash," and he's always such a pleasure to talk to. He's full of great stories, and his work on Daryl Hannah's mermaid tail in "Splash" continues to inspire after three decades! You can check out Robert's work at his website, www.robertshortfx.com, which has a bunch of cool photos and videos from all the projects he's been a part of in the past forty years.


There are marvelously creative people wherever you look at SDCC, and we asked three of them if they would draw our Rescue Sirens for our original artwork collection: artist and designer Morghan Gill (upper left), who painted Nim in gouache and iridescent paint; visual development artist, children's book illustrator, and animator Bill Robinson (lower left), our awesome neighbor from across the aisle, who drew Kelby; and comics artist Terry Dodson (right), who also drew Kelby, using Copic markers and Pitt pens.


Let's take a closer look, shall we?

First up: Morghan Gill's gouache painting of Nim. This is something else that I should record as a video! Morghan included iridescent accents in this piece -- golden highlights in Nim's hair, glittery blue scales, and even a silvery sheen on the jellyfish -- that add such a life and sparkle when they catch the light. We're crazy about Morghan's use of shapes and color in her work, and Chris and I were thrilled to score one of her original paintings. Nim and her jellyfish companions look mer-mazing!


Morghan offers sketchbooks, stickers, original paintings like these, and even a soft little plush shark named Pango (you know how much we love sharks, so we bought one of our own!) in her Etsy store; you can also follow her artwork via her Instagram.

Next: Bill Robinson's Kelby sketch! Bill's Flimflammery booth was across the aisle and to the left of ours, so Chris and I sat behind our table and chatted to one another about how appealing Bill's artwork was and how he had such a cute, fun style -- and then Chris suggested that I go over and ask if we might commission a drawing from him. Now, why didn't I think of that? I walked across the aisle and asked Bill if he would draw one of our Rescue Sirens; he very kindly agreed, and, in no time at all, he'd given us a gorgeous underwater scene showing our tiger shark mermaid and some fishy friends. What a beauty!


Bill sells books and prints in his Etsy shop, although it is, as of this writing, closed for vacation because Bill is currently in Iceland with Light Grey Art Lab, teaching character design to other artists in one of the most picturesque places in the world. Stay up to date and see more on his Instagram!

And that leads us to Terry Dodson's Copic-and-Pitt sketch of Kelby! We've followed Terry's art for years; if you read comic books, you've doubtlessly seen his distinctive and immediately recognizable work, since he's worked on a ton of titles and properties in the past two-plus decades ("Spider-Man," "The Avengers," "The X-Men," "Wonder Woman," "Superman," "Harley Quinn," "Poison Ivy," and "Star Wars" are just a few). I'm so fond of the way Terry draws women: more realistic than most women in comics, but no less beautiful or appealing. The word that comes to mind when I think of Terry's style is "striking." I always have to stop and take a better look when I spot one of Terry's covers in a comic shop. He's just so original!

Although I'll happily talk your ear off about mermaids or sharks or ocean conservation, I'm super shy when it comes to everything else, and I carry a dread fear of coming off like a total dork in front of people who I look up to... like Terry. However, I very badly wanted to see what one of our Rescue Sirens would look like in his style, so I gathered up my courage and ran over to his booth to ask if he was still taking commissions at SDCC, and, if so, whether he would mind drawing the Rescue Siren of his choice. Terry and his wife -- a great talent in her own right, Rachel Dodson inks Terry's drawings! -- were both incredibly nice and easy to talk to, and I was ecstatic when Terry said that he'd sketch one of our girls.

He chose to draw Kelby, who's had her peaceful swim interrupted by a rather shocking greeting from a jellyfish -- the setting as well as the sense of action and story instantly identifies Terry as a skilled comics artist and leaves me wanting to see what happens next. Chris and I are really honored to add an original Terry Dodson drawing to our art collection, and we look forward to the next opportunity we have to talk to both him and Rachel.


Want to see more of Terry's work? Like Morghan and Bill above, you can follow Terry on his Instagram account, and you can even purchase some of his original comic book pages in his online store.

You can also view larger versions of these (and other illustrations) in our "Guest Artists" gallery, which features "Rescue Sirens" artwork that we've commissioned -- like the above images -- as well as a handful of our favorite fan art pieces. It's just such a kick to see our lifeguard mermaids depicted in other artists' styles!

With San Diego Comic-Con 2016 in the bag, Chris and I are already making plans for SDCC 2017. We want to thank each and every one of you who came by to say hi and talk to us about "Rescue Sirens"; SDCC is a lot of work, but you make it all worth it!

For those of you who can't make it to SDCC (whether due to geography or to the fact that SDCC badges sell out in about seventeen seconds), we have some good news: schedules depending, Chris and I are looking to exhibit at more conventions next year, so you may see us pop up at shows like WonderCon in Anaheim or maybe even an East Coast con! As soon as we know more, we'll let you guys know here on the "Rescue Sirens" website as well as our usual social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Tumblr.

Paperbacks are on sale now! August 1, 2016 12:01

From Jess: 

We've been back from San Diego Comic-Con for a week, and we have so many wonderful things to write about from the convention, but first, some truly fintastic news: the paperback second edition of "Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist" is now available on Amazon!


(While international shipping isn't currently offered, we're looking into the best options for affordable shipping outside the US. Until then, of course, the eBook version of "Rescue Sirens: The Search for the Atavist" is always available, no matter where you live!)

One really cool thing about our orders being fulfilled by Amazon is that our books are eligible for free two-day shipping if you have Amazon Prime, so you can have our mermaid story in your very own hands in two days flat. Now that it's August (when did that happen?), summer is starting to wind down, but you still have plenty of time to pick up this perfect summertime read.

Get your copy here!

As always, we love hearing from you, and we're so appreciative of everyone who has taken the time to leave us a review on Amazon or Goodreads. That means the world to us as authors -- thank you! Your feedback is also incredibly helpful as we work on the next stories in the series, so let us know what you'd like to see more of in future "Rescue Sirens" books. You can also drop us a line at contact@rescuesirens.com.