William Joyce hasn’t found a medium he can’t master. From film to television to books, he’s racked up the awards. But his foundation lies on robots. From the film Robots to Rolie Polie Olie to Moonbot Studios, we weren’t surprised when his self-portrait took the form of a metal man.
April Hall: You sketched this self-portrait for another project. What was it for? Robots seem to be central to your aesthetic and career. What is it about bots that is so attractive? (And I say this as the mother of a 5-year-old boy, so as an observer, I get that they’re a big deal.)
William Joyce: It was for the film Robots, for which I was the producer and production designer. Ya know, the idea of a robot is just cool and deeply appealing to a kid. A mechanical friend, that can seem less physically destructible and emotionally more vulnerable than yourself, has a powerful allure.
AH: Obviously, you are an illustrator and an author. Does one come before the other? The images or the words? Or does the overall story come to you and you fill in the details?
WJ: It’s always different. An image will trigger a story or a story will trigger an image. Sometimes both. But they all tend to have some relation to what I’m going through at the time, though I seldom realize that until later.
AH: You’ve had a busy few years. What is the thing that stands out to you when you look back at, say, the last five years?
WJ: Writing my first novels. Getting back into publishing after a long dry spell. Collaborating with young artists at Moonbot. Directing my first film. Winning an Oscar was a big smile. I felt like I was in a story I’d have never been brave enough to write.
AH: As a student, what teacher made the most impact on you and how?
WJ: I was lucky. I had some wonderful teachers. Many of them weren’t “teachers” but they taught me a lot. My sisters. Cousins. Friends. Miss Dora, my bus driver.
AH: Finally, is there a question that you’ve never been asked in an interview? That is, something you’ve wanted to share, but have never had the opportunity?
WJ: As a child, I was convinced that I had flown as a baby. And I always wanted one of those flying monkeys from The Wizard of Oz as a pet.
See William Joyce at the ILA 2015 Conference in St. Louis, MO, when he speaks at the Author Luncheon Saturday, July 18. The luncheon is an add-on to conference registration and tickets are $65.
April Hall is editor of Literacy Daily. A journalist for about 20 years, she has specialized in education, writing and editing for newspapers, websites, and magazines.