Author/Illustrator Interview: Fred Koehler (Ready Chapter 1)

On September 9, 2024September 9, 2024 By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews, Illustrator Interviews

I’ve been running OPB since April 2018, and to date, we’ve only had one repeat interview subject so far—Rob Sanders. It’s time to do another one right now with someone who’s got a lot of new things to talk about. Welcome back to author/illustrator Fred Koehler!

He’s already got a great bio on his website, so instead of trying to reinvent the biographical wheel, I’ll just share it below in full.

Fred Koehler is an artist and storyteller whose real-life misadventures include sunken boats, shark encounters, and hurricanes. Whether free diving in the Gulf of Mexico or backpacking across Africa, Fred’s sense of adventure and awe of nature overflow into his characters’ stories.

Fred is passionate about encouraging young artists, promoting social justice, and conserving our environment. He lives in Florida with his wife, kids, and a rescue dog named Cheerio Mutt-Face McChubbybutt.

Now if you want the basic questions and early-career stuff re: Fred beyond this, visit the other interview.

This one’s going to pick right up with what’s been doing lately, including the very cool Big Project he’s running now. Let’s find out more!

RVC: Since our last chat, you’ve illustrated another cool picture book written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. Tell me about the book!

[cover image]

FK: First of all, RKD is one of my favorite human beings on planet earth. She saw a way to take the spirit of One Day The End, (which won us a Boston Globe Horn Book Honor), and create a new narrative about friendship titled What If, Then We. In this story, a pair of polar bear best friends ask each other ‘what if’ questions that lead them on a super fun adventure of the imagination.

RVC: What’s your favorite illustration in that book?

FK: Back around 2010, I was in a boating accident and probably shouldn’t have made it. But ever since then, sinking ships have sneakily found their way into a lot of my art and stories. (I’m sure Freud would have something to say about this.)

RVC: I’ll bet. WOW!

FK: What If, Then We has not one but TWO sinking ships. Here are two of my favorite spreads: one showing the joy of a new adventure and one showing the moment all hope seems lost for our friends. (Spoiler alert: they come out okay in the end.)

RVC: Your illustrations are known for their vibrant energy and expressive characters. Where do you draw inspiration for your visual style, and how do you approach the process of bringing your characters to life?

FK: I’m proud to say I was inspired by the masters–Leonardo, Michelangelo, Donatello, Rafael. Oh, and don’t forget Splinter, Darkwing Duck, Calvin and Hobbes, and every cell-animated Disney movie from the mid 80s onward. Honestly, I watched a lot of cartoons and read the Sunday comics religiously.

RVC: This probably explains why we get along so well.

FK: In my 20s and 30s, I taught myself to draw. My approach has evolved, but I’ve always seen an illustration as having to help a viewer imagine the answer to two questions: “What led to this moment?” and “What’s going to happen next?”

Here’s an example from What If, Then We. We’ve got a clear conflict between the characters with each of them trying to take the boat in a different direction. We see the beginning of a storm with clouds forming, waves rising, and even the paper boat starting to rip. What led to this moment? We can guess it was some sort of disagreement. What happens next? Turn the page and find out.

RVC: Love it–thanks for sharing the visuals to help explain things. Now, you’re working on more kidlit books for older readers now, is that right? Do you see your career moving more in that realm, or will we continue to see Fred authored and/or illustrated picture books going forward?

FK: Novels were always my first love, and I’m thrilled to be working on several illustrated novels at the moment, including one about a boy with an unsinkable boat (go figure) who is lost at sea. At the end of the day, I’m just a nerd who sees story in everything. I’ll partner with anyone who can help get those stories out into the world, and that includes every medium from picture books to motion pictures.

RVC: What’s your favorite part of making a new picture book?

FK: There’s nothing quite like when a reader ‘gets it.’ The book is done. It’s out in the world. And someone, somewhere, finds deeper meaning than just the words and pictures. Maybe it’s a kid who lives for a specific page turn (like I always did with There’s a Monster at the End of this Book.) Or it could be a parent who felt their heart lighten just a teeny bit after reading How to Cheer Up Dad. I live for those moments where I become part of a reader’s story.

RVC: You mentioned the importance of community in your previous interview. How have you continued to nurture your creative community, and what advice do you have for those seeking to build their own?

FK: I’m not gonna lie. Community is no easy thing for introverts. But it’s an absolute necessity. I tend to keep a tight-knit group of creative friends who have the same passion and fire inside of them, even if we’re all in different stages of different journeys. The fire is the important part. I have writing friends that I might not talk to for a year, only to reconnect like it was yesterday because we’ve each been off creating and discovering–then get to simply enjoy the opportunity to swap stories.

RVC: Since we’re talking about community, let’s now talk about the Big Project you’re involved with. What’s Ready Chapter 1?

FK: If you’re a writer (like most everyone reading this), RC1 is the world’s first (and biggest) online critique group where we bring in editors and agents to review our top performing stories. If you’re a publisher, it’s a goldmine of undiscovered writers and brilliant manuscripts backed by community analytics. Together, it becomes a place where writers can swap critiques, level up their work, and find legitimate publishing opportunities.

RVC: What inspired you to create Ready Chapter 1? Was there a specific experience or gap in the market that you wanted to address?

FK: This was a pandemic project that has really blown up. When our in-person writers group had to shut down, we reached out to hundreds of writers to ask them what they needed most and the answer was twofold: Education and Opportunity. Basically, can you help us become better writers? And, oh by the way, can you also help us connect with publishers once our writing is market-ready? That’s the mission behind everything we do.

RVC: How does Ready Chapter 1 differ from other writing communities and platforms available to aspiring authors?

FK: Essentially, we’re like a great big critique group full of strangers. Want to post your work? Give other writers feedback first. Want to get your work in front of an agent or editor? Post enough of your story (about five chapters) so that we can get a good measure of the community reaction. We run a new mini contest every month with a guest agent judging the finalists. We run longer challenges in partnership with publishers seeking new authors.

Publishers love what we’re doing because we’re connecting them with the best of the best writers on our site, along with a report outlining those aggregate community reactions. Throw in some live and recorded classes and you end up with all the best parts of a critique group, a writers conference, and an MFA program where you actually have a shot at achieving your publishing dream.

RVC: While Ready Chapter 1 doesn’t promise representation or publishing deals, how does it help writers increase their chances of success in the competitive publishing world?

FK: Here’s the new normal in publishing: If I’m an editor, I’m so overwhelmed with current projects and new submissions that I’m even ghosting the agents. To break in today, you need a well-polished manuscript along with a strong pitch and a query letter that checks all the boxes. RC1’s superpower is that process of polishing your work. Test your story in the forums. Iterate based on community feedback. Make friends. Win a few contests. Send out a manuscript that’s so good it can’t be ignored.

RVC: What kind of learning tools and resources do you offer to help writers grow in their craft and understand the publishing industry?

FK: Maybe this is revealing a bit of our secret sauce but… we’ve spoken with so many gatekeepers over the years and built a list of the most critical elements of storytelling craft. The stuff that makes the difference between a four-and-a-half star story and a five star bestseller. We built a masterclass series called Total Story Accelerator based on those elements of craft. From concept to query, each class dovetails into the next and gives you every handout and worksheet you’ll need to apply the lessons to each new story you write. (While it’s focused on novels, many of the lessons apply to picture books too. 🙂 )

RVC: How do you select the industry experts who participate in your events and masterclasses?

FK: Because the goal is to see as many of our members as possible get published, we look for agents and editors who are currently open to submissions (or will open a window for our users). But because we’re also feedback driven, we narrow our scope even further to those who have a reputation for giving great advice. I like to think of them as story whisperers who see the seed of what’s brilliant in a manuscript and can give the perfect piece of advice to help an author flourish.

RVC: The Peer Critique Forum seems to be a core component of Ready Chapter 1. How do you ensure the quality and effectiveness of the feedback exchanged within the community?

FK: Culture is a huge component of RC1, the same as with a traditional critique group. We have a flagging system for bad actors, but it honestly isn’t used very often. If folks give us a try and realize they don’t really want to contribute to the growth and development of their fellow writers, they won’t stick around. Our most successful writers are also some of the best at giving critique.

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. What’s your vision for the future of Ready Chapter 1? Are there any new features or services you’re planning to introduce?

FK: Okay. I’ll say it here publicly for the first time. Every indication is pointing us toward the creation of a new kind of marketplace for stories. Imagine if, as a writer, all you had to do was write something brilliant, get it vetted by our community, and then have it offered for licensing deals to publishers hungry for new content? It would be a win/win for content creators and content buyers. We’re looking for the right partner to help us bring this concept to fruition and we’re getting closer and closer to finding them.

Oh yeah, and we also want to do a podcast where we get permission from the authors to read the best Chapter 1’s on our entire site. Because who wouldn’t want to listen to chapter 1 of a new book every week? 🙂

RVC: Okay, Fred. It’s time for the LIGHTNING ROUND. Zip-zappy questions followed by zippity-zoom answers please. Ready?

FK: Yes. No. Maybe. Crap! Okay, just go!

RVC: Favorite way to procrastinate when you should be working on a project?

FK: Currently–online searches for a mint condition Honda Element to turn into an overland adventure mobile.

RVC: The most ridiculous thing you’ve ever done in the name of research for a book?

FK: I took two broomsticks and the rain cover for a tent to see if I could sail my kayak on the open ocean. Oh wait, there’s a video.

RVC: If you could only use three colors for the rest of your career, what would they be?

FK: Black, yellow, and red.

RVC: Five words that go hand-in-hand with a “good” story?

FK: Unexpected. Poetic. Haunting. “Fart joke.”

RVC: What’s the one thing you wish you could change about the publishing industry?

FK: Creating a meritocracy where anyone with talent and grit can succeed. PS–workin’ on it.

RVC: One word to describe the ideal Ready Chapter 1 member?

FK: Unsinkable.

RVC: Thanks so much, Fred. Best of luck to you and Ready Chapter 1!

Picture Book Review: A Little Called Pauline by Gertrude Stein

On June 1, 2020June 1, 2020 By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews1 Comment

A Little Called Pauline
Author: Gertrude Stein
Illustrator: Bianca Stone
Penny Candy Books
14 April 2020
64 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Big-time Gertrude Stein fan at Only Picture Books) and Florida-based author/illustrator Fred Koehler.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Let me preface this review by saying that dozens of picture book hardcovers, softcovers, e‑versions, ARCs, and F&Gs arrive at OPB each month, and it’s hard to deny that more than a few have a sense of sameness to them. That’s not to say quality stories don’t land on my desk each month–some are quite strong! A few are even great. But it’s accurate to note that much of what I see follows traditional paths in how they story creators convey story. I say all this by way of explaining that when a picture book comes along that avoids well-trod paths, it stands out.

Enter A Little Called Pauline by the late-great Gertrude Stein, who first published this as a poem in her amazing 1914 book Tender Buttons. The poem isn’t some candy-coated version of poetry for kids with June-moon-spoon rhymes and surface-only clarity. And this new book is a vibrant, fresh take on a poem that might seem a bit disjointed in both logic and language.

Witness: “Bidding a wedding, widening received treading, little leading mention nothing.”

Or the lines that immediately follow the above: “Cough out cough out in the leather and really feather it is not for.”

Yet there IS a story here, thanks to the work of illustrator Bianca Stone, whose ink and wash sketches pair with Stein’s words to create a story about a girl who dearly wants a fancy, expensive crown for her birthday that’s more than the family can afford. The girl throws a tantrum, and has a Where the Wild Things Are imaginative trip out to sea in a little boat where she then has strange experiences that end up not quite being all she hoped for. In both stories, it’s Mom who provides an apt, tender moment to bring these tumultuous excursions to a satisfying close.

I applaud the inclusion of the Illustrator’s Afterword which discusses the storyness of this poem, and the poemness of this story, as well as Stone’s personal connection to the original “A Little Called Pauline.” The Afterword also invites readers to join in the visual interpretative fun via what Stone calls “Poetry Comics.”

Leave it to Stone–a poet-artist–to trust the power of poetry for its ability to reach young readers. Stone explains: “Poetry is not a mysterious riddle you must figure out. It is a continuous adventure with your own mind, and there are no wrong answers in how you interact with it. All it asks is that you do.”

And that’s what this welcome adaptation of a century-old poem does. It asks–insists, really–for interaction and response that few readers can deny.

4.5 out of 5 pencils

–Fred’s Review of the Illustration–

Anytime an artist successfully pushes boundaries within a genre, they’re creating new spaces for other artists to experiment and play. In A Little Called Pauline, two bodies of art are separated by over a hundred years and yet somehow they sing in a weird and satisfying harmony.

Yes, I credit this book with having two artists. Gertrude Stein wrote the words in her 1914 poetry collection Tender Buttons. At first blush, they’re so strange that you wonder if it’s a bad translation. But the more you look at lines and say them out loud, the more sense they make. The words make art all by themselves, almost as if they’re a magic spell and by reading them you’re falling under its influence.

Then along comes Bianca Stone, who addresses the text as if she understood exactly what Stein was meaning to say all along. Around the nonsense, she wraps a parent/child narrative that’s equally intriguing. I love the ink and watercolor style that draws the eye to important details. It’s fun to go back through and see what you missed the first time.

If you skip the words all together, you’ll understand the story. But when you add in the poem, you end up with something oddly wonderful that seems perfectly appropriate, and potentially a healing force, for the strange world we live in today.

I can’t wait to see what Bianca Stone comes up with next.

4 out of 5 crayons

Fred Koehler is an artist and storyteller whose real-life misadventures include sunken boats, covert border crossings, and fighting off robbers in the dead of night. Whether free diving in the Gulf of Mexico or backpacking across Africa, Fred’s sense of adventure and awe of nature overflow into his characters’ stories.

Author/Illustrator Interview: Fred Koehler

On June 10, 2019June 6, 2019 By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews, Illustrator Interviews4 Comments

See the source image

This month’s Author/Illustrator Interview is with Fred Koehler, who first got on my radar at the 2017 SCBWI regional conference in Miami. I was sitting in the back row for the Heidi Stemple and Jane Yolen Picture Book Intensive, and this quiet, red-haired dude slipped into the chair behind me as the event started, and he ended up doodling/drawing/sketching the entire time. During one of the breaks, I finally asked him who he was and what kind of work he’d done, if any.

Fred kind of shrugged and said he’d done “a few things” and “had another thing coming out,” but didn’t give any indication that he was talking about his illustration work on “things” like One Day, the End and This Book Is Not About Dragons, as well as his own author/illustrated books How to Cheer Up Dad and Super Jumbo.

Way to slow play it, Fred.

Just in case you don’t yet have the full 411 on the fun coolness that is Fred, here are Five Fredtastically Freddifying Facts to help you out. Only one fact is an “alternate fact,” meaning 100% completely fakeroo-false. (If you can’t tell which one’s the fabricated falsehood, I’ll dish that answer in the finale of this interview.)

1—He’s got a dog named Cheerio Mutt-face McChubbybutt.
2—There’s an official Penguin Kids promo video for How to Cheer Up Dad where Fred gets hit in the face with Silly String and then a whipped cream pie.
3—Fred broke the Guinness World Record for having the largest traveling children’s book.
4—Fred bet me I couldn’t work 13+ words that begin with F in a single short bio-style paragraph.
5— Fred’s real-life misadventures include sunken boats, shark encounters, and a hurricane.

Need a bit more to REALLY feel like you know Fred? Here’s a KidLit TV video where he shows you how to draw a puppy!

With that, we’re ready. We’re set. It’s time to Fred it on!

Website: https://www.ilikefred.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/superfredd
Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/superfredd
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fred_koehler_/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7135838.Fred_Koehler

RVC: Let’s begin with the place where so much begins for you—Mitchell’s Coffee House. What’s the dealio?

FK: For me, every work space has a vibe and a specific energy. That energy might be emotional, psychic, kinetic (or it might all be in my head). Since I started going to Mitchell’s in college, it’s always been “home turf,” where good vibes flow and I can even go back behind the counter and refill my coffee if it’s busy.

RVC: You’re also pretty darn active in social media in a way that people seem to dig. What’s your seems-to-be-working philosophy?

FK: My formula is simple: Be open about my failures. Joke about them and learn from them in real time. I don’t go for perfect because my life is generally a mess. Perfect isn’t authentic or believable.

RVC: One of the constants in your path to success seems to have been SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). Share how that organization played a part in your own journey.

FK: I prefer to be a lone wolf, but I’m slowly realizing that you have to have community. For the publishing world, there’s no better community than SCBWI. Loads of like-minded people, great instruction, and specific opportunities to connect with publishing dealmakers.

RVC: Any tips on how SCBWI can help launch the careers for other authors, illustrators, and author/illustrators?

FK: I recommend showing up to make friends, not deals. Then you start to see it as a lifelong journey, not some prize you’re racing to win. You can find peace with where you’re at, and still keep the fire lit to get where you want to be.

RVC: Let’s pin this down. You’ve done illustrating. You’ve done author-illustrating. So, do you consider yourself to be a words-first or pictures-first story creator?

FK: I sold my first two books as author/illustrator. But before that, I wrote some really terrible stuff including a novel-that-must-not-be-named-and-will-never-be-published. Most stories play out in my head like a movie, complete with narrative voiceover and camera direction. I can choose to write down what the narrator is saying, sketch out what the camera is seeing, or even dive into the head of one of the characters and describe the story through their perspectives and biases.

All of that, in a nutshell, is my superpower.

RVC: One of the benefits of being an illustrator is that you can justify a lot of trips for photographic/visual reference. (Okay, writers do this too!) When you illustrated Matt Forrest Esenwine’s picture book, Flashlight Night, you went a bit overboard with the research. What did you do to prepare you to illustrate that book?

FK: Well, the manuscript called for castles and waterfalls, old ships and foreign shores. So, I did what any illustrator would do and hopped a flight to Manchester so I could bum up and down the UK for a few weeks and find photographic reference for all of these illustrations. I did it all the cheap–youth hostels and public transit.

I had just about every adventure that the characters had in the book. Made friends. Got lost. Even bled a bit. I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

RVC: You’re fortunate enough to call kidlit queen Jane Yolen a friend and a mentor. What are some of the most important lessons that she’s given you, explicitly or implicitly?

FK: Jane is famous for all sorts of great advice for writers. My favorite is about luck. She figures that luck makes its own path through the ether, wandering where it will to bless the heads and hearts (and wallets) of mortals at its own whimsy. But she also figures that there are things we can do as creatives to invite luck in, to nudge ourselves toward its path. Hard work is at the top of that list. If you’ve got a house in order and a bag packed when luck knocks on your door, you’ll be ready to join it on an adventure.

RVC: Since we’re talking about relationships with writers—what’s the best part about being married to another writer? (For those who don’t know, his wife is YA novelist Sarah McGuire, author of the terrific books Valiant and The Flight of Swans.)

FK: This is kind of deep, but one amazing thing about Sarah is being able to know her through the books she reads and writes. When she tells me how the Chronicles of Narnia sent her racing through her home, opening cabinets and closets trying to find an entrance, I know that we share a sense of the numinous. Or if I read a scene she wrote about, let’s say, betrayal, I could feel how deeply that knife cuts for her. An honest writer lays bare their soul on the page, warts and all. Who else gets to read and fall in love with another person’s soul? We’re a lucky pair.

RVC: Speaking of novels—talk a bit about how you moved your kidlit career from purely picture books to including a middle grade novel like Garbage Island (The Nearly Always Perilous Adventures of Archibald Shrew).

FK: Story came to me most naturally through words, so novels were my first love. I was just awful at writing them. But the format of a picture books honed my ability to tell a story succinctly and to add depth and meaning in the negative space. So, when I sat down to pen a novel after working on numerous picture books, I had a new sense of vision for what it could be.

Writing coach Joyce Sweeney taught me a lot about novel craft. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the Writer360 Breakout Novel Intensive as the training that filled in additional gaps in my novelist toolkit. And to bring everything full circle, that proactive work nudged me into the path of luck in the form of a publisher excited about whatever I came up with next. And when luck came knocking, I was ready.

RVC: Let’s look forward. You’re under contract to write The Sailing City (Boyds Mills Press, 2020), which is the sequel to Garbage Island. Can you share a little bit about that new book?

FK: The second novel was harder than the debut, and it’s still in first pass editorial so it’s hard to really even say. I half expect to get a letter saying, “Dear Fred, This sequel is an exceptional way to waste months of everyone’s time and 60,000 words.” But I’ll let you know.

RVC: You’ve been warned. I’ve been warned. All the elephants in Fred’s picture books have been warned. But here we all are—it’s time for THE SPEED ROUND! Fast Qs and equally fast As, please!

FK: Bring it!

RVC: Tater tots or French fries?

FK: Tots.

RVC: Best Saturday afternoon activity: fishing, writing, or drawing?

FK: I’m a fisherman first, artist second.

RVC: Coolest Harry Potter spell that doesn’t yet exist?

FK: Abra-ka-dinner.

RVC: The #1 picture book writer you’d LOVE to illustrate for?

FK: I don’t care who wrote it. Just send me a manuscript that’s equally brilliant, unusual, and impossible.

RVC: Best compliment by a child reader?

FK: I got a letter recently from a reader who loved Garbage Island, and subsequently started picking up trash in his neighborhood so it wouldn’t end up in the ocean. Does it get any better than that?

RVC: Three words that sum up your relationship with kidlit.

FK: Let’s stick with “brilliant, unusual, and impossible.”

RVC: Thanks so much, Fred! Much appreciated!

**For those of you who needed to cheat to figure out which of the Fred Facts is false, it’s #4. The over-the-top F business is all me. Blame OPB.

Picture Book Review: Mixed: A World of Colour

On June 4, 2018June 28, 2018 By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

Mixed: A World of Colour
Author: Arree Chung
Illustrator: Arree Chung
Henry Holt and Co.
3 July 2018
40 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Top Tamale at Only Picture Books) and Florida-based author/illustrator Fred Koehler.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Arree Chung’s new picture book, Mixed, feels tailor-made for the discordant world of today. Three colors–Blues, Reds, and Yellows–all live together in relative peace and harmony, until one day, Reds quite suddenly declare that they’re the best. The Yellows respond: “No! We’re the BEST because we’re the brightest!” (The Blues? They’re “too cool” to even point out what is obvious to them–Blues are best!)

As a result, the colors segregate themselves to color-specific parts of the city. Then one day, a Yellow befriends a Blue. Before long, a new color emerges (Spoiler: Yellow + Blue = Green) and the world is full of new, exciting possibilities that create a sense of togetherness and belonging.

This sweet tale teaches readers about basic colors and how they mix to create new colors. But it also shares a non-didactic message of tolerance, understanding, and valuing differences that young people–and adults–can’t hear enough.

The simple, declarative sentences are potent and appropriate. Equally valuable, they’re of a level that most kids will be able to say aloud as the story is read and re-read. That participatory element is an important part of internalizing this powerful message.

This book is so charming and spot on that I’ll even overlook the bonus “u” in the title word “colors,” which I acknowledge is the standard spelling in pretty much every English-speaking country EXCEPT America. (If you have an issue with that, blame Noah Webster! I do!)

4.75 out of 5 pencils

–Fred’s Review of the Illustration–

Picture book artists often feel like we need to fill our pages with loads of detail to successfully tell a story. Just look at any book I’ve illustrated! 😂

The real magic happens when an artist becomes so good at their craft that they can tell MORE story with LESS detail. Some contemporary geniuses at this include folks like Greg Pizzoli, Debbie Ohi, Hervé Tullet, Oliver Jeffers, and, may I submit, Arree Chung.

Mixed isn’t just a hope-filled parable about the beauty of inter-chroma coupling. It’s an absolute masterclass in visual storytelling. I mean, how many variations can you have on a simple, colored dot anthropomorphized to have human(ish) qualities? Apparently dozens and dozens. The beauty of Chung’s work is in the consistent, fun, unexpected details that give life and personality to each of his characters.

As the story builds, so do the visual details, matching pace with the tension in the words. Then, unexpected things happen. And as you reach the penultimate scenes, you’ll be crying multicolored prisms of joy.

Aside from the visuals, my other favorite part is that by using colored dots as stand-ins for people, Chung has given us room to discuss important issues of race without the need to get defensive or point fingers. I recommend this book for all collections.

5 out of 5 crayons

Between book projects, Fred also runs a highly-sought after design studio, helping brands across the US learn to tell their own stories.