When Marcus Cutler was a kid he liked to practice drawing by copying superhero comics. People would ask him what he was going to do for a real job when he grew up. He told them that he hadn’t decided, but he would either be the third baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays or an astronaut. Well, he was absolutely terrible at baseball, and never quite learned how to pilot a space shuttle. He kept drawing though, and with all that practice he ended up being pretty good at it. So now he does that for a job!
We caught up with Marcus Cutler to ask him about his career journey, his trademark humour, and what he enjoys about visiting young readers in schools.
You grew up with ambitions of being a comic book artist or animator. What drew you towards illustrating for children?
Well, when I was a kid all I knew was that I wanted to draw for a living—it’s what I’ve always been good at and loved. Everything I consumed at the time was cartoons and comics, so I don’t think I even realised you could get paid for drawing other things. When the time came, I applied to animation school but didn’t get in. Which I think is fortunate—I don’t have the patience for that kind of work, ditto for comic books!
I ended up working in-house designing gift bags, which meant drawing lots of snowmen and birthday cakes. That’s when I discovered that I was best suited to making art that’s cute and silly. Then, once I became a dad and started reading tons of kid’s books—that’s when I really knew what I should be doing. I totally fell in love with them. I think the need for simplicity, and the dynamic between the art and the text can be magical. It’s actually not too dissimilar from comic books that way.
I think the best part of picture books is the interactions it generates between the child and the reader. There’s a performance aspect to it, which is really unique.
Your picture books, such as the recent I Do Not Eat Children and upcoming The Crayon Stub, are rich with humour. Where does your sense of humour come from?
I’m so thankful that people find my books funny—it’s such a relief! My parents are English, and so I definitely inherited that dry sense of humour from them. Whenever I visit England, I always feel totally at home with the people there.
In general, I’ve always been a bit of a comedy nerd. I grew up loving the classics like Laurel & Hardy and Monty Python, and watched just about every sitcom that was on TV when I was a kid. It didn’t matter how good or bad it was, or even if it was acceptable kid-viewing. There’s a lot of Three’s Company jokes that thankfully went way over my head! And I’ve always liked watching stand-up comedy. Back in the day it was Caroline’s Comedy Hour, and now there are so many stand-up specials available on streaming, it’s really amazing!
This past year, I was actually invited to give a talk at CANSCAIP’s Publishing Your Imagination conference on the theme of humour in kid’s books. It was such a wonderful excuse to take a deep dive into jokes and comedy, and learn more about the techniques that make humour work.
Writing and drawing silly stuff just feels natural to me. It’s the earnest, emotional content that I feel I need to work on!
In collaboration with Inhabit Media, Indigenous educators, and storytellers, you've illustrated a number of traditional Inuit stories. What has been your experience bringing these age-old stores to the picture book form?
I find folk tales and legends so interesting—they’re otherworldly, but grounded at the same time. And they’re some of the most creative stories you’ll find, The Owl And Two Rabbits, The Walrus And The Caribou, and The Raven Boy, are some great examples of that. It’s an honour to be trusted with these stories, and I for sure feel a responsibility to get it right, while also hopefully bringing some of my own creativity to the books.
Inhabit’s been really good at providing great reference photos which is so helpful, and I’ll do a lot of my own research as well. I’ve really come to appreciate what a special and unique place Northern Canada is. I’m positive that I don’t do it justice, but I’ve always been proud of the results.
You’ve called school visits one of the best parts of your job. What do you enjoy about meeting and teaching students?
I'm really looking forward to this spring when I'll be touring as part of the Canadian Children's Book Week. It's going to be such a great adventure! Writing and illustrating is pretty solitary work, and I spend so much of my time alone in the studio, so it’s always a treat getting to visit libraries and classrooms. Talking to, and reading to the students, and getting their reactions in real-time is invaluable, and a great creative boost!
And I think interacting with kids is important—and not just because I’m doing market research. It’s just really fun! Kids are a wonderful audience, so open and honest. Every visit is unique. I think everybody should be subjected to the delightful little weirdos on a regular basis—it’s good for your mental health.
It works out well for me too, because I get to get in and get out in a few hours–before the exhaustion hits. I admire how teachers can do it every single day, I think I would get overwhelmed. It’s kind of like being a grandparent, you get the fun of riling them up, and then let someone else handle the hyper mess afterwards!
But my real hope is to encourage them to follow their passions, and let them know that failure is always part of the process. My main message is always that if you love something, and stick with it, great things can happen.
Marcus Cutler will be touring as part of Canadian Children's Book Week 2025. Keep up to date with his latest projects by following @marcuscutlerillo on Instagram.
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Written by Spencer Miller