Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

What a treat to share the work of another one of my critique partners, author/illustrator Julie Rowan-Zoch! I am endlessly fascinated by the illustration process and always enjoy learning how it plays out. Julie is SO skilled at characterization, and the extra nods to other illustrators and books adds a secret layer for observant children’s book aficionados!

GIVEAWAY! Be sure to leave a comment below for a chance to win a copy of this truly creative book!

Congrats to Patricia Nozell, the winner of GHOST TOWN IN THE MOUNTAINS by Lynn Becker!

Creating a Distinct Cast of Characters

by Julie Rowan-Zoch

Characters are my absolute favorite thing to draw. I like to start with paper and pencil. I find it easier to jump from shape to shape while looking for the best parts from which to construct a new “companion”. The chemistry between us has to feel right if we are going to spend several months – or years – together!

When working from another author’s manuscript I am introduced to an existing character, with their own voice, and my imagination is invited to give them their look. It’s not always clear in my mind until my hands are given a chance to show me what they think too!

With DEBUG THIS BOOK I had the great fortune to meet a whole cast of characters! My priority is to give each one a distinct shape that would help convey their personality to the reader. Their facial features, coloring, hair, clothing, and overall palette are vehicles of information that amplify their individuality. And each one must be distinct from the background, no matter how that might change. That’s harder than it sounds!

I like to source reference photos for faces and postures; sometimes one could feel a bit like Dr. Frankenstein, taking bits from many sources to create a new…life! In DEBUG I wanted Cody’s looks to set him apart from main characters in existing picture books because this kid may well have more stories to tell! I was also acquainted with the author, Omar Abed, and I wanted to borrow something from his features too, and was inspired by the dark red color of his beard. Cody’s bright red vest makes him easy for readers to find on every page.

The next three characters were inspired by other sources: I hope readers can tell I used myself as inspiration for the Handywoman – and I had hoped she would inspire me to be more handy in return (air conditioner repaired this week – check!). The Exterminator was inspired by the Michelin Man and the Pillsbury Doughboy: leaving their actual shape ambiguous while blending bouncy humor with limited mobility. The Farmer came to me immediately because we have a famous “Worm Man” in my Colorado town who has sold composting worms delivered in his Wormbulance! He also donated a squirm of worms to our garden club when my kids attended elementary school (thanks, John!). His very own big mustache came in handy for the character as well as his bucket of worms! His hat is a nod to a picture book classic illustrated by Fritz Siegel – can anyone guess the title?

The Programmer was originally inspired by a very strong, real-life creative whose music I had recently been listening to: the opera singer Leontyne Price. But I needed a younger woman, someone who could be a bit closer to Cody in age, old enough to have some work experience and young enough for readers to believe her display of a range of emotions. The bubble braids were pure fun but also lent her a unique look. Her green-motherboard inspired blouse is a nod to another favorite illustrator, but for his real life passion for shirts designed with fabric straight from his picture books, Paul O. Zelinsky! And her name – she HAD to wear a name tag! – came from asking my son’s developer friends for a real life nickname for programmers: Dev, short for developer.

Last but certainly not least, the culprit: Bug! It had to represent a computer bug that isn’t a real bug! It had to feel imaginary, which is why the old-computer-screen-blue lines are not filled, rendering it see-through. And it had to be visible/readable in a tiny size, so the fewer lines the better!

Though most of this information remains with me, it helps me to infuse each one with personal meaning, giving each character something…extra! There are many more such tidbits of information in the book, and I hope young readers notice and ask why I may have added certain details throughout.

🥳 Don’t forget to leave a comment below to get in on the GIVEAWAY—a copy of DEBUG THIS BOOK! (US addresses only, please. Winner announced 8/7/26)

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