I was lucky enough to get a chance to chat with famed Argentinian author-illustrator Joaquín Camp about Aldo: Ghost Dog. Chances are you've encountered one of Joaquín's books this year (I've covered several on this site!) so it's fun timing that our chat about his process surrounds a ghostly furry friend! Enjoy!!
About the book:
Aldo is a ghost! With this newfound identity, Aldo can now steal food in the park unseen, has learned to fly, and is happy ... almost all the time. There are some things, however, that he finds hard to let go of, like a secret love, which was indeed very special. Will they ever meet again?
Let's talk Joaquín Camp!
LTPB: Where did the idea for Aldo: Ghost Dog come from? As you got to know Aldo and developed his story, how did your illustrations evolve?
JC: The idea for Aldo started with my desire to win a picture book contest in Spain, organized by the publisher A Buen Paso and the Biblioteca Insular de Gran Canaria. I had about eight months to create a book for the contest, and I set a clear goal: not to draw anything until the story was almost complete.
As an experienced illustrator, I had only recently begun writing my own stories. I often compare it to tennis players, who have one arm much stronger than the other. Through writing, I wanted to create a solid narrative before adding illustrations. And, until that was resolved, I wasn’t going to draw anything; my illustrator hands were tied.
I noticed that as an illustrator, I often used illustrations to cover up my structural and narrative weaknesses. I would compare this to building a house; beautifully painted walls are useless if the structure isn’t strong.
Going back to the book and its process, I usually have a notebook where I write down random words (tree, house, cat, etc.) and then connect these unrelated words to see if they spark any ideas. In this exercise, I connected two words that resonated with me: ghost dog.
From there, I started asking myself questions: Who are this ghost dog’s friends? Does it have an owner? How did it become a ghost dog? These questions helped shape the story.
Initially, Aldo was going to be a literal ghost dog. The idea was to start the book with an accident that turned him into a ghost, and his friends in the park were also ghosts. The sheet idea appeared at the last moment and became essential to organize the whole book. It’s interesting how an idea that appears at the last moment can change the entire atmosphere of a book. Although Aldo was no longer going to be a literal ghost, much of what was in that first draft remained in the final book; in some way, nothing is lost, everything is transformed.
JC: The idea for Aldo started with my desire to win a picture book contest in Spain, organized by the publisher A Buen Paso and the Biblioteca Insular de Gran Canaria. I had about eight months to create a book for the contest, and I set a clear goal: not to draw anything until the story was almost complete.
I noticed that as an illustrator, I often used illustrations to cover up my structural and narrative weaknesses. I would compare this to building a house; beautifully painted walls are useless if the structure isn’t strong.
Going back to the book and its process, I usually have a notebook where I write down random words (tree, house, cat, etc.) and then connect these unrelated words to see if they spark any ideas. In this exercise, I connected two words that resonated with me: ghost dog.
Initially, Aldo was going to be a literal ghost dog. The idea was to start the book with an accident that turned him into a ghost, and his friends in the park were also ghosts. The sheet idea appeared at the last moment and became essential to organize the whole book. It’s interesting how an idea that appears at the last moment can change the entire atmosphere of a book. Although Aldo was no longer going to be a literal ghost, much of what was in that first draft remained in the final book; in some way, nothing is lost, everything is transformed.
Aldo’s story has something very powerful in the way it is told, because he sees the world around him in his own way. If we think about his dramatic situation, because he believes he is a ghost and therefore we might think he is dead, yet he handles this situation in a very cheerful and light-hearted way, which I find very moving and tender. It reminds me characters like Chaplin, where the same thing happens; he lives through famines or dictatorships but still goes against the grain of the scenarios and manages to bring a touch of light through humor. That contrast interests me a lot in my books.
Finally, the ending had to be carefully crafted. This is one of the most complex parts of the making of a book. You can have the best book in the world in your hands, but if the ending is not good, everything falls apart like a house of cards. I will be honest with you, I would love to tell you more about the ending and how it was made, but by contract, I am strictly prohibited from doing so, no joke. But if you want to find out the ending, you’ll have to read the book!
LTPB: What differences have you found between creating a book solo and illustrating someone else’s text? Do you have a preference?
JC: It’s a very interesting question. I think that when one writes their own stories, it’s like making a custom suit, with the fit and fabric you like. On the other hand, when I illustrate someone else’s text, it’s like being offered a suit; sometimes those suits fit me well, and other times not so much.
Working alone is very interesting; it’s like having a relationship between Joaquin the writer and Joaquin the illustrator. Both can critique each other freely.
I believe that the relationship between text and image must be very well balanced. Sometimes the text needs to stand out, and other times the illustration needs to shine, or many times both need to shout very loudly at the same time. Finding that balance on each page is crucial.
In this sense, I think it’s important to work with writers who are open to changes and to be willing to make changes yourself. Because in the end, we must focus on the most important thing: creating a good story, that is clear and entertaining for the reader.
LTPB: What did you find most difficult in creating this book? What did you find most rewarding?
JC: The hardest part was not drawing for most of the process. But I think it was a very interesting path because it forced me to work on my weaknesses. It was a tough but very honest process.
The most rewarding part was seeing the finished book and knowing it was well-rounded. Aldo has the particularity of being a book with a very tight narrative structure. I remember the satisfaction I felt when I finished it and knew that it was a good book. Another great satisfaction was that Aldo won the Canarias contest, which allowed me to publish the book in Spain, and also rewarding to my bank account.
LTPB: What did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Is this your preferred medium? How does your process change from book to book?
JC: This book had the peculiarity that the illustrations were done very quickly because, I gave more priority to the writing and the script. However, I think that by doing the illustrations so quickly, it gave them a freshness and charm that suited very well with the personality of the book. I believe it was the right technique for this book.
In this case, I used acrylic which is a technique I almost never use because I liked the clumsy and charming strokes it produced, which matched Aldo’s personality.
I usually use analog techniques for several reasons: one very simple reason is that spending a lot of time in front of a screen gives me a headache. But also, I like the mistakes that come with drawing by hand, the excitement of being able to draw on paper and see what happens. I have nothing against digital techniques, and I think they are fantastic, but the possibility of being able to change, shrink, cut, enlarge until everything is perfect overwhelms me a lot. I prefer to go directly to paper and see what happens.
LTPB: What are you working on now? Anything you can show us?
JC: Yes, I’m currently working on a book titled My Great-Great-Great-Grandmother, which will be released in a few months. The story follows a boy whose family tells him that there is a treasure buried in their garden. When he digs it up, he discovers that the “treasure” is his great-great-great-grandmother’s skeleton. Together, they embark on countless adventures. While it might sound a bit eerie, the relationship between the boy and his great-great-great-grandmother is the most tender thing I have written.
JC: Without a doubt, my first choice would be Tomi Ungerer. His ability to handle dark moments with humor is masterful, making him perfect for capturing both the beautiful and difficult moments of my life. He has a great ability to talk about complex topics, but by using humor as a Trojan horse he can talk about everything with total honesty. If he were unavailable, I would reach out to the Provensens. If they were also busy (because all these people should have a lot of work), I would call André François. Lastly, I would try Maurice Sendak, though he would probably be the busiest of all.
A big WOOF WOOF to Joaquín for talking to me! Aldo: Ghost Dog published earlier this month from Tapioca Stories!
Special thanks to Joaquín and Tapioca for use of these images!
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