Radio Interview: Shaun Tan

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Stone Radio Interview: Shaun Tan

Asked about favorite illustrations

The Land of the Giants took a lot of time to make look like suction and Tan was pleased with the result

No favorite picture, but the most difficult ones like as in characters interacting or odd angled objects pleases him

the tree showing time passing was a good device that pleased Tan

Prior to The Arrival, did not have a great knowledge of comics

Tan also did a lot of research on the work of Scott McCloud

looked at a lot of silent comics-- especially Manga

Influenced by Raymond Briggs', The Snowman

Air Ship

On-going theme in Tan's books

Tan's work often gives a nod to Australian art

One major influencing artist is Tom Roberts

Bird

Letter box is a bird type item in itself/balloon mail

Food

Sharing a meal with strangers infers compassions despite probable language barriers

Food is a metaphor for fitting in

gives character an optimistic experience, as in real life when the help of others is often how this occurs

make friendships with food

Origami/folk art

Pigeon= symbol of separation

Tan's own father was very good at origami

a favorite childhood book was one of origami, and the pigeon was in that book, which influenced Tan

a small idiosyncratic feature that makes this everyman more personal and connects him to his family

Vast v. Close

Influence: Zoom and Re-Zoom, books: everything is connected--philosophical

Long pullbacks to give a film-type experience

the book started out as a series of vast landscapes, so to get into the shoes of the character, needed to get close up

started out as landscape painter

Tales from the Suitcase

4 main reasons for leaving: choice, for educational reasons, to escape prejudice, and refugee situations

Human's relation with animals

Tadpole character

Buildings

Fascist, idealized but warped, movie film-like, as in Nosferatu

Secondary Stories

Subtopic

influenced from film and comics

Land of Giants

Vacuuming

Migrant Story, Romanian Woman: Communism sucking life out of birds, 1 eyed prohibition, warped ideal

wordless

no words: move more slowly, interpret more deeply

words can hurry you along and demand more attention

Photo Album

worn, well loved

slipped to us from alternate past

color choice

warm colors, high emotion