There is something so exuberant about Tad Carpenter’s work. When you see it, it feels like everything is going to be okay. Perhaps it’s his Kansas City roots or maybe it’s just his obvious love for the art and artistry of children’s picture books. Either way, we’re simply lucky to have his bold, joyful work on Poketo. Meet Tad Carpenter!

Tell me a bit about yourself without using the words illustrator, artist, designer.
I am a very disciplined person and love being active. I work out everyday and love that feeling. If it is running, weights, biking whatever I love to be active.

I am all about my family. I am an only child so I am very close with my mother and father. I also have the best wife in the world. Those 3 people mean a great deal to me.

I collect a lot of vintage goods like vintage advertising memorabilia, vintage toys, mid-century books and furniture, old globes and signage. I just love to dig and collect.

What words describe you best?
Disciplined, optimistic, softy, dreamer, glasses, structured.

Your work is full of bold colors and happy monsters. Could you share a few of your illustration inspirations?
I love color. I really try to work that is fun, whimsical and full of optimism. Growing up my favorite thing in the world was picture books. I feel so lucky to be working on my own books now. When I work I think back to some of how Bill Pete‘s drawings made me feel. Or Maurice Sendak, and try to captre a similr sentament.

When I was 5 or 6 years old I met Maurice Sendak and that always stuck with me. His ability to tell a story with made up creatures is amazing and something I try to do as well. Using a fictitious character makes it easy to get your own point across. All preconceived notions that a person or animal has are lost.

I think I slept with my signed Sendak doll for a month after I met him.

You have a diverse career working in illustration. What’s the biggest challenge you face at work?
Time management. When you run your own company you have to do it all. Take out the trash, write proposals, invoice and actually design and illustrate.

You really have to be able to multitask in a major way. But I would not change anything and am a bit of a control freak so having my hands in several things at once is fine with me.

What’s your philosophy on work?
If you don’t love it, don’t do it. Plain and simple.

What has been your favorite project so far?
That is so so hard to say.

I have been branding a restaurant out of Atlanta called Yeah! Burger which I am very proud of. Actually several of the restaurant brands I have created come to mind. I really love branding on that scale.

I am working on several children’s books right now that I am ecstatic about.
Also several smaller projects like the Zion snowboard line, my Holiday Homies and personal holiday cards each year…not sure I can ever pick one. I would say whatever piece is the newest tends to be one of my favorite.

You’ve always lived in Kansas City. Could you tell us a little bit more about Kansas City and share some of the reasons why it is home?
I actually live in Kansas City, Missouri. I love this city, I actually really love the Mid-West in general. Sometimes I feel like Kansas City is secret. A place that people have not tapped into yet.

What I love about Kansas City is pretty simple. Yes, it is obvious the Mid-West is a much lower cost of living than the coast. But, what is amazing about Kansas City is the high level of art and design. A city where Walt Disney lived and created what would eventually be Mickey Mouse, a school like the Kansas City Art Institute that had teachers and students like Robert Rauchenberg, Thomas Hart Benton and John Stuart Curry.

And most important for KC is this is the birth place of the greeting card and Hallmark Cards. Hallmark is still world head quartered here employing hundreds of artist, copywriters, designers, stylist and photographers from all over the world. Because of Hallmark alone a smaller city like Kansas City is loaded with talent.

Tell us a bit about your wallet design for Poketo.
It’s pretty simple. Sailing and boating is an amazingly fun hobby and something that seems like a great get away. This past summer it was so, so hot and all I wanted to do was just get away from the heat. In my mind the idea of a night boat ride under the moon and stars sounded like the perfect remedy for the awful Mid-West heat wave. The closest I came to that night boat ride was this wallet. And that’s just fine.

What do you wish you had the nerve to do?
Become a boxer, skydive or pick up and move to Europe for half the year. Any of those sound so fun to me and totally outside what tend to do.

Did we mention Tad also designed the blue version of the Artful Flyer?

What’s next for Tad Carpenter?
I mentioned several children’s books I am working on. So excited for those. I have a holiday based book I wrote and illustrated , a 4-book board book series I also wrote and illustrated a poetry book all releasing in 2012. I really hope people will like these. Have been so fun to work on.

We’ll be seeing more of you in the bookstores then! Thanks, Tad.

Check out Tad’s wallet at poketo.com.
Find more of Tad at TadCarpenter.com.

Crushing over our tote bags we released at Comic Con last month? Us too. We had lots and lots of input over what exactly should go on those bags, but major props go to Sana Park, our illustrator extraordinaire and erstwhile intern. Her talents really made Dinozilla and Super Nori tote bags come to life.

Sana is an illustration student studying at Art Center College of Design, where she’ll be graduating this fall. We’re totally loving her work, so we decided to chat with Sana to see what lies beneath her unassuming demeanor. Say hello to Sana!

What three words describe you best?
Versatile, open-minded, curious.

What three words describe your style?
Playful, quirky, nostalgic.

When not drawing/illustrating/designing, what would you be doing?
Reading, writing, thinking, gardening, and sometimes hiking with my dogs.

What are three songs you love working to and why?
Jerome and I Follow Rivers by Lykke Li has been on heavy rotation on my playlist recently. Anything by Flying Lotus or CocoRosie is great too. I need to work with music that matches my mood.

Why Art Center?
Being here has taken me to so many new places, experiences, and people. I feel that I’ve grown in so many ways personally and with my work. There are so many great instructors and invaluable resources.

What are your favorite spots/hangouts on campus and why?
Art Center is on a hill and surrounded by nature. I love stepping out to take a breather and admire the view especially at night.

Coolest thing about Art Center?
Other than being located on top of a hill? Its really nice when you catch a glimpse of the wildlife. I’ve seen rabbits, lots of deer, and even a pack of coyotes.

View from the Art Center building by jm3.

What’s your favorite subject? Why?
Painting, because lately I’ve been enjoying working larger and away from paper.

How did you first find Poketo?
I’ve always been familiar with Poketo. However, it wasn’t until my teachers who’ve done wallets for Poketo, Mark Todd and Esther Pearl Watson, mentioned it that I considered the possibility of interning here.

Why intern at Poketo?
You work on fun projects and learn a lot from all the amazingly creative people here at the studio.

Speaking of fun projects, you designed those awesome tote bags for Comic Con. How did you come up with those designs?
I start by simply doodling every single idea I come up with. Drawing a cute superhero character was a no brainer, just add a cape to Angie and Ted’s already adorable dog, Nori! I came up with the Dinozilla drawing next because I wanted to add a design that was more masculine to balance the super cute SuperNori.

What do you think is the number one lesson you learned throughout the process?
I learned not over think things. Being a first time Comic Con goer, I spent time trying to make ‘clever’ drawings that pertained strongly to Comic Con, but in the end, simplicity won. What I can take away from this for my next experience, is to listen to and stay true to myself.

How did you feel seeing the final product with your drawings on it?
It’s very exciting! It’s amazing to see my drawings in production. I think it will be surreal seeing people toting my drawings there.

If you were a Poketo item, what would you be and why?
The crayon ring in blue, so I can doodle anywhere I go!

Awesome!

Find more of Sana at sanapark.com.

No holds barred. That’s Hellen Jo. Her illustrations of brooding young teens with an attitude never get old.

Here’s what she has to say!

Find more of Hellen at helllllen.org.
Check out Hellen’s wallet and zine at poketo.com.

By now, you’ve gotten a load of all the new wallets we have, designed by female comic book artists.

It’s hard to choose which of these ladies make us snort and smile the hardest, so we decide to let you decide by asking each one of them to do an illustrated interview. (Warning: may contain mature content.)

Lisa Hanawalt is an artist, cartoonist and illustrator living in Brooklyn. You’ve probably seen a lot of her many drawings of animals in people clothes, but if you’re more of a girly-girl you could have also chanced by her stuff in Glamour or maybe the New York Times, for intellectuals. Without further ado, let’s have Lisa Hanawalt!

Find more of Lisa on lisahanawalt.com.
Check out Lisa’s Hanawallets and mousepads on poketo.com.

Stay tuned for more illustrated interviews!