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[[File:Joemathieu2008.jpg|thumb|300px|Joe Mathieu in 2008.]] |
[[File:Joemathieu2008.jpg|thumb|300px|Joe Mathieu in 2008.]] |
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[[File:Joe-mathieu-miss-piggy.jpg|thumb|300px]] |
[[File:Joe-mathieu-miss-piggy.jpg|thumb|300px]] |
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+ | [[File:Joe-monster.jpg|thumb|300px|Mathieu and [[Gorgon Heap]]]] |
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⚫ | '''Joe Mathieu''' is a freelance artist who has provided illustrations for [[:Category:Sesame Street Books|''Sesame Street'' books]] and merchandise since 1972, a year after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design. |
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+ | [[File:SSHospitalBook-Joe.jpg|thumb|300px|Mathieu self-caricatured as Dr. Keats in ''[[A Visit to the Sesame Street Hospital]]''.]] |
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⚫ | '''Joe Mathieu''' (b. January 23, 1949)<ref>http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3071100065.html</ref> is a freelance artist who has provided illustrations for [[:Category:Sesame Street Books|''Sesame Street'' books]] and merchandise since 1972, a year after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design.<ref>[http://www.joemathieu.com/about.htm joemathieu.com]</ref> Mathieu remembers: "I spent the year following graduation building up my portfolio. Then I went to [[New York City]] and I was scared to death. ''Sesame Street'' was just starting and wanted someone young and new to set the style for their books, thatβs how I ended up at [[:Category:Random House|Random House]]. That led to [[Jim Henson]] and the Muppets, and then we really got going, I couldnβt believe how fast."<ref name="norwich">Chiari, Tom. "[http://www.norwichbulletin.com/carousel/x313366568/Illustrator-has-a-passion-for-art Q&A with Joe Mathieu, Sesame Street illustrator]", ''Norwich Bulletin'', Norwich, CT. March 16, 2010.</ref> |
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⚫ | Some notable titles include ''[[Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree]]'', ''[[The Ernie & Bert Book]]'' and ''[[The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover]]'' which was adapted into a [[Five Sesame Street Stories|video storybook]]. He also provided artwork for the adaptation of ''[[Sesame Street]]'' [[ |
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+ | __TOC__ |
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⚫ | Some notable titles include ''[[Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree]]'', ''[[The Ernie & Bert Book]]'' and ''[[The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover]]'', which was adapted into a [[Five Sesame Street Stories|video storybook]]. He also provided artwork for the adaptation of ''[[Sesame Street]]'' [[Episode 1839]] published as ''[[I'll Miss You, Mr. Hooper]]'' and the 1978 special ''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book)|Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]''. |
||
His most extensive contributions have been to ''[[The Sesame Street Dictionary]]'' in 1980, and hundreds of features and covers for ''[[Sesame Street Magazine]]'' over the years. The dictionary features illustrations for 1,300 words over the course of 250 pages. When the book was redistributed in [[Big Bird's Sesame Street Dictionary|volume form]], Mathieu provided additional artwork for that as well. It has been printed in a Dutch translation and was reissued in English in 2004. |
His most extensive contributions have been to ''[[The Sesame Street Dictionary]]'' in 1980, and hundreds of features and covers for ''[[Sesame Street Magazine]]'' over the years. The dictionary features illustrations for 1,300 words over the course of 250 pages. When the book was redistributed in [[Big Bird's Sesame Street Dictionary|volume form]], Mathieu provided additional artwork for that as well. It has been printed in a Dutch translation and was reissued in English in 2004. |
||
β | As an early illustrator for ''Sesame Street'', Mathieu helped set a precedent for character style. This is evident in the [[Character |
+ | As an early illustrator for ''Sesame Street'', Mathieu helped set a precedent for character style. This is evident in the [[Character style guides|1979 Character Style Guide]], which was put together as a reference point for licensors on how the ''Sesame Street'' Muppets should be rendered. Around 2004, Mathieu made the transition from his traditional reflective art, to a digital medium. Most of his work for ''Sesame Street'' books after this time has been digitally rendered at some point in the creation process. |
He has also illustrated other ''Sesame Street'' merchandise, such as the lyrics posters for ''[[Sing Yourself Silly!]]'' and ''[[Monster Hits]]'', ''[[Sesame Street Live]]'' program booklets, and a [[Sesame Street plates (Gorham)|1983 collectible Christmas plate]] made by Gorham. |
He has also illustrated other ''Sesame Street'' merchandise, such as the lyrics posters for ''[[Sing Yourself Silly!]]'' and ''[[Monster Hits]]'', ''[[Sesame Street Live]]'' program booklets, and a [[Sesame Street plates (Gorham)|1983 collectible Christmas plate]] made by Gorham. |
||
β | Other children's books have included ''The Eye Book'' |
+ | Other children's books have included the 1999 reissue of ''The Eye Book'' and the 2000 reissue of ''The Tooth Book'' by [[Theodor Geisel]] under the pen name Theo. LeSieg. He also illustrated books based on ''[[The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss]]'': ''[[The King's Beard (book)|The King's Beard]]'' and ''[[The Gink (book)|The Gink]]''. His affection for ''Sesame Street'' is evident in ''[[Busy City]]'', a non-''Sesame Street'' book written by Mathieu featuring a set visit to the CTW production. In ''[[Elmo's Lift-and-Peek Around the Corner Book]]'' from 1996, Mathieu drew [[Baby Natasha]] reading one of his books, ''[[Big Joe's Trailer Truck]]'' from 1974. |
==Quotes== |
==Quotes== |
||
[[Image:Self illustration of Joe Mathieu.jpg|thumb|300px|Self-portrait of Joe Mathieu.]] |
[[Image:Self illustration of Joe Mathieu.jpg|thumb|300px|Self-portrait of Joe Mathieu.]] |
||
β | * "Jim Henson was the art director β he sat down with me and explained to me what he wanted. He gave me free rein to watch the show being taped, which I did a million times. I had carte blanche to visit the Muppet morgue β literally a morgue of old Muppet puppets. I watched how personality was breathed into the puppets by the puppeteers. I used to go to the show tapings, alone for the most part, and sit there and sketch. We didnβt have a color TV, no tape machines. I had to draw in real time." |
+ | * "Jim Henson was the art director β he sat down with me and explained to me what he wanted. He gave me free rein to watch the show being taped, which I did a million times. I had carte blanche to visit the Muppet morgue β literally a morgue of old Muppet puppets. I watched how personality was breathed into the puppets by the puppeteers. I used to go to the show tapings, alone for the most part, and sit there and sketch. We didnβt have a color TV, no tape machines. I had to draw in real time."<ref name="norwich" /> |
β | * "''Big Joeβs Trailer Truck'' was by first big solo thing. Iβm an illustrator and I had an opportunity to write a book. I never wrote a book before, but I guess I was just hot because of my association to ''Sesame Street''. I didnβt have a lot of time to make up a town, so I just drew the town I lived in. I didnβt think everyone would recognize it, but they did. That really took off, it was translated into a dozen languages, which I never dreamed of. That was my big hit. I had so many opportunities to work with great writers. I even did a couple of Dr. Seuss books." |
+ | * "''Big Joeβs Trailer Truck'' was by first big solo thing. Iβm an illustrator and I had an opportunity to write a book. I never wrote a book before, but I guess I was just hot because of my association to ''Sesame Street''. I didnβt have a lot of time to make up a town, so I just drew the town I lived in. I didnβt think everyone would recognize it, but they did. That really took off, it was translated into a dozen languages, which I never dreamed of. That was my big hit. I had so many opportunities to work with great writers. I even did a couple of Dr. Seuss books."<ref name="norwich" /> |
β | * "I fought [digital illustration] every inch of the way. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone β I couldnβt even send an e-mail. I tried everything I could to trick people, but the fact of the matter is, if itβs on paper, the young art directors didnβt want to see it. Theyβd never seen paper art before. They wanted to do changes on finished art, which for years was sacred. You had to make changes in the sketch phase. There was no way an illustrator could compete without working in digital. The rules had changed dramatically overnight. It became harder to find good paper and paints. Paints I used since the β60s, (and) the companies, went out of business. I had completely embraced digital work, I never wanted to see a bowl and brush again. I never wanted to go back to all those limitations." |
+ | * "I fought [digital illustration] every inch of the way. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone β I couldnβt even send an e-mail. I tried everything I could to trick people, but the fact of the matter is, if itβs on paper, the young art directors didnβt want to see it. Theyβd never seen paper art before. They wanted to do changes on finished art, which for years was sacred. You had to make changes in the sketch phase. There was no way an illustrator could compete without working in digital. The rules had changed dramatically overnight. It became harder to find good paper and paints. Paints I used since the β60s, (and) the companies, went out of business. I had completely embraced digital work, I never wanted to see a bowl and brush again. I never wanted to go back to all those limitations."<ref name="norwich" /> |
β | * "I have to be ready to do either one [traditional or digital art]. Itβs a different look, for certain things the traditional way is more appropriate. You can do a really beautiful book traditionally for a few that can afford it. But the mass market is there for kids like we started catering to with Sesame Street. I can still do my very best work digitally, and the book can be treated more casually. I like doing both. In the end, traditional style has a certain depth, softness, subtlety thatβs not quite in the digital world." |
+ | * "I have to be ready to do either one [traditional or digital art]. Itβs a different look, for certain things the traditional way is more appropriate. You can do a really beautiful book traditionally for a few that can afford it. But the mass market is there for kids like we started catering to with Sesame Street. I can still do my very best work digitally, and the book can be treated more casually. I like doing both. In the end, traditional style has a certain depth, softness, subtlety thatβs not quite in the digital world."<ref name="norwich" /> |
β | * "My name is pronounced either the American way or the French way... My father, who was in the 5th Marine division on Iwo Jima, would only allow the American version. I like either, but although my family always uses the American pronunciation, I always quietly preferred the French. I will normally use the American unless I am in France or Canada. Please yourself on this one." |
+ | * "My name is pronounced either the American way or the French way... My father, who was in the 5th Marine division on Iwo Jima, would only allow the American version. I like either, but although my family always uses the American pronunciation, I always quietly preferred the French. I will normally use the American unless I am in France or Canada. Please yourself on this one."<ref>[[User:tclark1428|Clark, Thomas D.]] Email interview with Joe Mathieu, December 1, 2009.</ref> |
==Books== |
==Books== |
||
''* indicates co-illustrator'' |
''* indicates co-illustrator'' |
||
β | <gallery |
+ | <gallery spacing="small" widths="200"> |
Image:Gordonstorybook.JPG|''[[Gordon of Sesame Street Storybook]]''*<br>1972|link=Gordon of Sesame Street Storybook |
Image:Gordonstorybook.JPG|''[[Gordon of Sesame Street Storybook]]''*<br>1972|link=Gordon of Sesame Street Storybook |
||
Image:123storybook.JPG|''[[The Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook]]''*<br>1973|link=The Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook |
Image:123storybook.JPG|''[[The Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook]]''*<br>1973|link=The Sesame Street 1, 2, 3 Storybook |
||
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Image:Excitingsupergrover.jpg|''[[The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover]]''<br>1978|link=The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover |
Image:Excitingsupergrover.jpg|''[[The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover]]''<br>1978|link=The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover |
||
Image:Book.sslib01.jpg|''[[The Sesame Street Library]]'' (series)*<br>1978|link=The Sesame Street Library |
Image:Book.sslib01.jpg|''[[The Sesame Street Library]]'' (series)*<br>1978|link=The Sesame Street Library |
||
β | Image: |
+ | Image:Ernies work of art.jpg|''[[Ernie's Work of Art]]''<br>1979|link=Ernie's Work of Art |
Image:Book.ssdictionary.jpg|''[[The Sesame Street Dictionary]]''<br>1980|link=The Sesame Street Dictionary |
Image:Book.ssdictionary.jpg|''[[The Sesame Street Dictionary]]''<br>1980|link=The Sesame Street Dictionary |
||
Image:Book.xmasevess.jpg|''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book)|Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]''<br>1981|link=Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book) |
Image:Book.xmasevess.jpg|''[[Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book)|Christmas Eve on Sesame Street]]''<br>1981|link=Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (book) |
||
Line 85: | Line 88: | ||
Image:Book.groverbaddream.jpg|''[[Grover's Bad Dream]]''<br>1990|link=Grover's Bad Dream |
Image:Book.groverbaddream.jpg|''[[Grover's Bad Dream]]''<br>1990|link=Grover's Bad Dream |
||
Image:SesameStreetPetParade.jpg|''[[The Sesame Street Pet Parade]]''<br>1990|link=The Sesame Street Pet Parade |
Image:SesameStreetPetParade.jpg|''[[The Sesame Street Pet Parade]]''<br>1990|link=The Sesame Street Pet Parade |
||
+ | Image:Sesame123CountingBook.jpg|''[[Sesame Street 123|123: A Counting Book from 1 to 100]]''<br>1991|link=Sesame Street 123 |
||
Image:Book.bigbirdviolin.jpg|''[[Big Bird Plays the Violin]]''<br>1991|link=Big Bird Plays the Violin |
Image:Book.bigbirdviolin.jpg|''[[Big Bird Plays the Violin]]''<br>1991|link=Big Bird Plays the Violin |
||
Image:Book.birdwatchingwithbert.jpg|''[[Bird Watching with Bert]]''<br>1991|link=Bird Watching with Bert |
Image:Book.birdwatchingwithbert.jpg|''[[Bird Watching with Bert]]''<br>1991|link=Bird Watching with Bert |
||
β | Image:Book.howtoget.jpg|''[[How to Get to Sesame Street]]''<br>1991|link=How to Get to Sesame Street |
+ | Image:Book.howtoget.jpg|''[[How to Get to Sesame Street (book)|How to Get to Sesame Street]]''<br>1991|link=How to Get to Sesame Street (book) |
Image:Elmowantsabath.jpg|''[[Elmo Wants a Bath]]''<br>1992|link=Elmo Wants a Bath |
Image:Elmowantsabath.jpg|''[[Elmo Wants a Bath]]''<br>1992|link=Elmo Wants a Bath |
||
Image:Popgoesthesanta.jpg|''[[Pop Goes the Santa!]]''<br>1992|link=Pop Goes the Santa! |
Image:Popgoesthesanta.jpg|''[[Pop Goes the Santa!]]''<br>1992|link=Pop Goes the Santa! |
||
Line 114: | Line 118: | ||
Image:Ifyourehappy.jpg|''[[If You're Happy and You Know It... Clap Your Paws!]]''<br>2001|link=If You're Happy and You Know It... Clap Your Paws! |
Image:Ifyourehappy.jpg|''[[If You're Happy and You Know It... Clap Your Paws!]]''<br>2001|link=If You're Happy and You Know It... Clap Your Paws! |
||
Image:Broughttoyyou.jpg|''[[Brought to You by... Sesame Street!]]''*<br>2004|link=Brought to You by... Sesame Street! |
Image:Broughttoyyou.jpg|''[[Brought to You by... Sesame Street!]]''*<br>2004|link=Brought to You by... Sesame Street! |
||
β | CountwithMeSesameStreet.jpg|''[[Count with Me (2004 book)|Count with Me]]''<br>2004|link=Count with Me (2004 book) |
+ | CountwithMeSesameStreet.jpg|''[[Count with Me (2004 book)|Count with Me]]''<br>2004|link=Count with Me (2004 book) |
Image:FirstSesameStreetLibrary.jpg|''[[First Sesame Street Library]]''*<br>2004|link=First Sesame Street Library |
Image:FirstSesameStreetLibrary.jpg|''[[First Sesame Street Library]]''*<br>2004|link=First Sesame Street Library |
||
GoodNight.jpg|''[[Good Night]]''<br>2004|link=Good Night |
GoodNight.jpg|''[[Good Night]]''<br>2004|link=Good Night |
||
Line 137: | Line 141: | ||
Image:Plantatreeforme.jpg|''[[Plant a Tree for Me!]]''<br>2010|link=Plant a Tree for Me! |
Image:Plantatreeforme.jpg|''[[Plant a Tree for Me!]]''<br>2010|link=Plant a Tree for Me! |
||
Image:Grouchesaregreen.jpg|''[[Grouches Are Green]]''<br>2011|link=Grouches Are Green |
Image:Grouchesaregreen.jpg|''[[Grouches Are Green]]''<br>2011|link=Grouches Are Green |
||
β | Get moving with elmo!.jpg|''[[Get Moving with Elmo!]]''<br>2012 |
+ | Get moving with elmo!.jpg|''[[Get Moving with Elmo!]]''<br>2012|link=Get Moving with Elmo! |
β | Image:Ismyfacered.jpg|''[[Is My Face Red! |
+ | Image:Ismyfacered.jpg|''[[Is My Face Red!]]''<br>2012|link=Is My Face Red! |
+ | guesswhoeasterelmo.jpg|''[[Guess Who, Easter Elmo!]]''<br>2015|link=Guess Who, Easter Elmo! |
||
+ | SesameJustOneYou.jpg|''[[Just One You!]]''<br>2015|link=Just One You! |
||
+ | Book-SunnyDay.jpg|''[[Sunny Day: A Celebration of Sesame Street]]''*<br>2019|link=Sunny Day: A Celebration of Sesame Street |
||
</gallery> |
</gallery> |
||
==Merchandise== |
==Merchandise== |
||
β | <gallery |
+ | <gallery spacing="small" widths="200"> |
β | Image: |
+ | Image:Ssmag.198609.jpg|''[[Sesame Street Magazine]]''<br>1970s through 2000s |
+ | Image:SesameMathieuPuzzle.JPG|''Sesame Street'' puzzle<br>c. 1970s |
||
Image:Woodblocksposter.jpg|[[Sesame Street Wood Blocks]] poster<br>1975 |
Image:Woodblocksposter.jpg|[[Sesame Street Wood Blocks]] poster<br>1975 |
||
Image:Countcbook.jpg|''[[Sesame Street coloring books|The Count's Coloring Book]]''<br>(coloring book)<br>1976 |
Image:Countcbook.jpg|''[[Sesame Street coloring books|The Count's Coloring Book]]''<br>(coloring book)<br>1976 |
||
β | + | Joe Mathieu American Blocks.jpg|[[Sesame Street American Bricks]]<br>1977 |
|
Image:Cbook.whoswho.jpg|''[[Who's Who on Sesame Street]]''<br>(coloring book)<br>1977 |
Image:Cbook.whoswho.jpg|''[[Who's Who on Sesame Street]]''<br>(coloring book)<br>1977 |
||
+ | Demand marketing dishes plates cups 6.jpg|[[Sesame Street dinnerware (Demand Marketing)|Sesame Street dinnerware]]<br>1977 |
||
+ | Demand marketing 1977 tray.jpg|[[Sesame Street TV tray]]<br>1977 |
||
Image:Album.ss-storytime.jpg|''[[Sesame Street Story Time]]'' (album)<br>1978 |
Image:Album.ss-storytime.jpg|''[[Sesame Street Story Time]]'' (album)<br>1978 |
||
β | + | File:Sesame Street Lamp-X3.jpg|[[Sesame Street lamps (American Family)|Sesame Street lamp shade]]<br/>1979 |
|
Image:SESAME STREET LIVE MYSTERY COVER.JPG|''[[The Case of the Missing Rara Avis]]''<br>(program)<br>1980 |
Image:SESAME STREET LIVE MYSTERY COVER.JPG|''[[The Case of the Missing Rara Avis]]''<br>(program)<br>1980 |
||
Image:SESAME STREET LIVE AMATEUR COVER.JPG|''[[Big Bird's Super Spectacular Totally Amateur Show]]''<br>(program)<br>1981 |
Image:SESAME STREET LIVE AMATEUR COVER.JPG|''[[Big Bird's Super Spectacular Totally Amateur Show]]''<br>(program)<br>1981 |
||
Image:Sesameplate1983.jpg|[[Sesame Street Gorham Plates]]<br>1983 |
Image:Sesameplate1983.jpg|[[Sesame Street Gorham Plates]]<br>1983 |
||
Image:Sesamegame1.jpg|''[[Sesame Street (game)|Sesame Street]]'' game<br>1985 |
Image:Sesamegame1.jpg|''[[Sesame Street (game)|Sesame Street]]'' game<br>1985 |
||
+ | Wendys Follow that Bird.jpg|[[Follow That Bird Wendy's Kids Meal]]<br>1985 |
||
+ | Sesame-RubnPlay-spread-Mathieu.jpg|[[Sesame Street Rub n' Play Transfer Sets]]<br>1986 |
||
Image:Newwhoswho.jpg|''[[Who's Who on Sesame Street|The New Who's Who on Sesame Street]]'' *<br>(coloring book)<br>1989 |
Image:Newwhoswho.jpg|''[[Who's Who on Sesame Street|The New Who's Who on Sesame Street]]'' *<br>(coloring book)<br>1989 |
||
Image:Monsterhitsposter.jpg|''[[Monster Hits!]]'' song-lyric poster<br>1990 |
Image:Monsterhitsposter.jpg|''[[Monster Hits!]]'' song-lyric poster<br>1990 |
||
Line 163: | Line 175: | ||
Image:Getsettolearn1995creativewonderscdromfrontcover.jpg|''[[Get Set to Learn]]''<br>(CD-ROM game)<br>1995 |
Image:Getsettolearn1995creativewonderscdromfrontcover.jpg|''[[Get Set to Learn]]''<br>(CD-ROM game)<br>1995 |
||
Image:LetsMakeAWord.jpg|''[[Let's Make a Word!]]''<br>(CD-ROM game)<br>1995 |
Image:LetsMakeAWord.jpg|''[[Let's Make a Word!]]''<br>(CD-ROM game)<br>1995 |
||
β | Image: |
+ | Image:Numbers1998reissue.jpg|''[[Numbers (CD-ROM)|Numbers]]''<br>(CD-ROM game)<br>1995 |
Image:123 imagine program.jpg|''[[1-2-3 Imagine!]]''<br>(program)<br>1996 |
Image:123 imagine program.jpg|''[[1-2-3 Imagine!]]''<br>(program)<br>1996 |
||
Image:Elmo's preschool original version.jpg|''[[Elmo's Preschool]]''<br>(CD-ROM game)<br>1996 |
Image:Elmo's preschool original version.jpg|''[[Elmo's Preschool]]''<br>(CD-ROM game)<br>1996 |
||
Line 180: | Line 192: | ||
==External links== |
==External links== |
||
* [http://www.joemathieu.com/ Official site] |
* [http://www.joemathieu.com/ Official site] |
||
β | * [ |
+ | * [https://www.norwichbulletin.com/article/20100316/NEWS/303169912 Norwich Bulletin Q&A] |
+ | * [http://www.toughpigs.com/joe-mathieu/ ToughPigs.com Q&A] |
||
⚫ | |||
+ | * [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGLJ9-g_BI8 2019 WGBH interview] |
||
+ | |||
+ | __NOWYSIWYG__ |
||
+ | {{DEFAULTSORT:Mathieu, Joe}} |
||
⚫ |
Revision as of 15:27, 27 May 2020
Joe Mathieu (b. January 23, 1949)[1] is a freelance artist who has provided illustrations for Sesame Street books and merchandise since 1972, a year after graduating from the Rhode Island School of Design.[2] Mathieu remembers: "I spent the year following graduation building up my portfolio. Then I went to New York City and I was scared to death. Sesame Street was just starting and wanted someone young and new to set the style for their books, thatβs how I ended up at Random House. That led to Jim Henson and the Muppets, and then we really got going, I couldnβt believe how fast."[3]
Some notable titles include Cookie Monster and the Cookie Tree, The Ernie & Bert Book and The Exciting Adventures of Super Grover, which was adapted into a video storybook. He also provided artwork for the adaptation of Sesame Street Episode 1839 published as I'll Miss You, Mr. Hooper and the 1978 special Christmas Eve on Sesame Street.
His most extensive contributions have been to The Sesame Street Dictionary in 1980, and hundreds of features and covers for Sesame Street Magazine over the years. The dictionary features illustrations for 1,300 words over the course of 250 pages. When the book was redistributed in volume form, Mathieu provided additional artwork for that as well. It has been printed in a Dutch translation and was reissued in English in 2004.
As an early illustrator for Sesame Street, Mathieu helped set a precedent for character style. This is evident in the 1979 Character Style Guide, which was put together as a reference point for licensors on how the Sesame Street Muppets should be rendered. Around 2004, Mathieu made the transition from his traditional reflective art, to a digital medium. Most of his work for Sesame Street books after this time has been digitally rendered at some point in the creation process.
He has also illustrated other Sesame Street merchandise, such as the lyrics posters for Sing Yourself Silly! and Monster Hits, Sesame Street Live program booklets, and a 1983 collectible Christmas plate made by Gorham.
Other children's books have included the 1999 reissue of The Eye Book and the 2000 reissue of The Tooth Book by Theodor Geisel under the pen name Theo. LeSieg. He also illustrated books based on The Wubbulous World of Dr. Seuss: The King's Beard and The Gink. His affection for Sesame Street is evident in Busy City, a non-Sesame Street book written by Mathieu featuring a set visit to the CTW production. In Elmo's Lift-and-Peek Around the Corner Book from 1996, Mathieu drew Baby Natasha reading one of his books, Big Joe's Trailer Truck from 1974.
Quotes
- "Jim Henson was the art director β he sat down with me and explained to me what he wanted. He gave me free rein to watch the show being taped, which I did a million times. I had carte blanche to visit the Muppet morgue β literally a morgue of old Muppet puppets. I watched how personality was breathed into the puppets by the puppeteers. I used to go to the show tapings, alone for the most part, and sit there and sketch. We didnβt have a color TV, no tape machines. I had to draw in real time."[3]
- "Big Joeβs Trailer Truck was by first big solo thing. Iβm an illustrator and I had an opportunity to write a book. I never wrote a book before, but I guess I was just hot because of my association to Sesame Street. I didnβt have a lot of time to make up a town, so I just drew the town I lived in. I didnβt think everyone would recognize it, but they did. That really took off, it was translated into a dozen languages, which I never dreamed of. That was my big hit. I had so many opportunities to work with great writers. I even did a couple of Dr. Seuss books."[3]
- "I fought [digital illustration] every inch of the way. Talk about getting out of your comfort zone β I couldnβt even send an e-mail. I tried everything I could to trick people, but the fact of the matter is, if itβs on paper, the young art directors didnβt want to see it. Theyβd never seen paper art before. They wanted to do changes on finished art, which for years was sacred. You had to make changes in the sketch phase. There was no way an illustrator could compete without working in digital. The rules had changed dramatically overnight. It became harder to find good paper and paints. Paints I used since the β60s, (and) the companies, went out of business. I had completely embraced digital work, I never wanted to see a bowl and brush again. I never wanted to go back to all those limitations."[3]
- "I have to be ready to do either one [traditional or digital art]. Itβs a different look, for certain things the traditional way is more appropriate. You can do a really beautiful book traditionally for a few that can afford it. But the mass market is there for kids like we started catering to with Sesame Street. I can still do my very best work digitally, and the book can be treated more casually. I like doing both. In the end, traditional style has a certain depth, softness, subtlety thatβs not quite in the digital world."[3]
- "My name is pronounced either the American way or the French way... My father, who was in the 5th Marine division on Iwo Jima, would only allow the American version. I like either, but although my family always uses the American pronunciation, I always quietly preferred the French. I will normally use the American unless I am in France or Canada. Please yourself on this one."[4]
Books
* indicates co-illustrator
Merchandise
Sources
- β http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3071100065.html
- β joemathieu.com
- β 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Chiari, Tom. "Q&A with Joe Mathieu, Sesame Street illustrator", Norwich Bulletin, Norwich, CT. March 16, 2010.
- β Clark, Thomas D. Email interview with Joe Mathieu, December 1, 2009.