We’re sharing with you today the first ever Cozy Classics concept shot from early 2010: Ishmael from Moby Dick. As you can see, a lot has changed since then.
The single words appear opposite the illustration now, instead of superimposed on top. We thought we would be relying heavily on suggestive 2-D backgrounds, such as maps, old etchings and other public domain illustrations, but we’re now building realistic 3-D sets to place our felted figures in (except for the first pages of each book, which incorporate the famous first line of each classics, and, of course, outdoor location shots). The photography has definitely gotten a lot better. We thought each book would have about 20 words, until we realized that we would have to delve into subplots with 20 words, instead of concentrating on the main narrative arc. And the series was pitched as Abridged Classics for Babies back in the day (the series title is much snappier now!). From the initial concept to where we are today, we’ve come a long way, baby!