Episode 9 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Jonathan Woodward, Illustrator and founder of Zero 2 Illo, which is a blog for aspiring Illustrators that documents Jonathan’s adventures in building his Illustration career.  Together we discuss the resources and topics that he covers on his site, as well as Location Independent, a joint venture with his wife which encourages people to “Live and Work Anywhere You Choose”.

I also announce the entry guidelines for the much-anticipated Wacom Tablet Giveaway, which is just one part of a 3-week series of contests designed to invite EFII listeners to participate in a growing community of artists.

Here are some of the resources mentioned on the show:

Jonathan Woodward’s Portfolio Website
Zero 2 Illo
Location Independent
Living the Creative Dream
1,000 True Fans
Gurney Journey
Today’s Inspiration

Episode 8 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Ninja Mountain, a collective of Illustrators working in the Fantasy and Sci-Fi field.  Together we discuss the origins of Ninja Mountain, the evolution of the podcast side of the mountain, and the controversial question: “Are forums dead?”  We get some exclusive insight into the genesis of their group-format show, via a reading of the coveted Ninja Mountain Scrolls, a previously protected portion of early forum discussions.  The international collective also shares some of the resources that they use on a regular basis to get the job done.

Weigh in on the current state of the online forum by taking part in the poll at IllustrationMundo.com.

Nominate the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast, and your other favorites, for the upcoming Podcast Awards at podcastawards.com.

Here are some of the resources mentioned on the show:

Ninja Mountain
Ninja Mountain Podcast
RPG.net
Gamer’s Haven Podcast
UStream
deviantART
Sidebar Nation Podcast
ArtRage
LinkedIn

Episode 7 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Chris Oatley, inspiring artist, friend, and host of Chris Oatley’s Artcast.  This “after hours” discussion is my part of a crossover between his show and EFII.  You can find the other half here.  Together we go behind the scenes to explore the past, present, and future of his show, as well as the significance of the “human element” that is so prominent in all of his creations.  In addition, I also politely “call him out” and challenge him to expand on some of the themes and ideas that he has previously only hinted at to his listeners.

Want to climb inside Chris Oatley’s brain?  Then you’ll love this in-depth conversation.

Here are links to some of the things mentioned on the show:

ChrisOatley.com
Thomas James Interview on Chris Oatley’s Artcast
Thomas James Interview on the Ninja Mountain Podcast
deviantART

Episode 6 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast features an audio interview with Penny Dullaghan, Illustrator and creator of Illustration Friday, one of the more original Illustration community sites on the internet, where artists submit work based on a weekly theme.  The growing site also features a forum, a blog, and an artist interview section.  Penny and I discuss the future of Illustration Friday, her early days as an aspiring Illustrator, her experiences with contacting her heroes, her approach to acquiring an artist representative, and more.

I also introduce a new segment, read a listener e-mail, and share a promo mp3 sent in by a previous guest.

Here are some of the resources mentioned on the show:

Illustration Friday
Illustration Friday Facebook Page
Penelope Dullaghan’s Illustration Website
How to Work with an Illustrator
How I Became an Illustrator
Self-Assignments
Utopian.net
Altpick
folioplanet
CartoonSmart
Digital-Tutors
Illustration Mundo
The Process Diary

In Episode 5 of the Escape From Illustration Island Podcast, I am joined by Jeff Fisher, Engineer of Creative Identity for Jeff Fisher LogoMotives, to tackle the topic of social networking for Illustrators and other creative professionals.  This audio interview was inspired by a recent article written by Jeff for the October issue of HOW Magazine, in which he highlights the value of using online social media tools to take control of self-promotion and networking with fellow creators.  I met with Jeff for EFII’s first face-to-face discussion to explore the possibilities inherent in these tools, and to ask some of the questions that the article raises.  Jeff helped to illuminate the topic by drawing on his years of experience and sharing a long list of resources that can be found below.

Jeff Fisher Online:

Jeff Fisher LogoMotives Central
LogoMotives
blog-o-Motives
LogoMotives on Facebook
Identity Crisis!
The Savvy Designer’s Guide to Success

Here are some of the resources Jeff mentions on the show:

HOW Magazine
Twitter
biznik
Facebook
LinkedIn
Creative Latitude
design:related
graphics.com
designer ID
Ning
Naymz
startup nation
entrepreneur.com
Business of Design Online (BoDo)
Powell’s Books