Chizhikov illustrations for fairy tales. Biography
Genus. in 1935. People's Artist of Russia. Graduated from the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. "Living classic" of domestic book graphics. One of my favorite children's illustrators. The author of the "Olympic" Mishka, as well as a huge number of drawings for the works of K. Chukovsky, A. Barto, N. Nosov, Yu. Druzhkov, E. Uspensky and others.
After graduating from Moscow secondary school No. 103 in 1953, he entered the Moscow Polygraphic Institute, the art department of which he graduated in 1958.
In 1952, as a high school student, he began working for the Housing Worker newspaper, where he got his first experience as a cartoonist.
Since 1955 he has been working in the magazine "Crocodile", since 1956 - in "Funny Pictures", since 1958 - in "Murzilka", since 1959 - in "Around the World".
He also worked in "Evening Moscow", "Pionerskaya Pravda", "Young Naturalist", "Young Guard", "Spark", "Pioneer", "Nedelya" and other periodicals.
Since 1960, he has been illustrating books in the publishing houses "Kid", "Children's Literature", "Fiction", etc.
Member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation since 1960.
Member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation since 1968.
Member of the editorial board of the magazine "Murzilka" since 1965.
Holder of the Honorary Diploma named after H.K. Russian children's book (1997).
Winner of the All-Russian competition "The Art of the Book" (1989, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1997), the reader's choice contest "Golden Key" (1996), the annual professional award for the highest achievements in the genre of satire and humor - "Golden Ostap" (1997).
Chairman of the jury of the children's drawing competition "Tick-tock", held by the TV company "Mir" (TV channel of the Russian Federation) since 1994.
Diplomas and awards
artist V.A. Chizhikov
Diploma of the III degree of the All-Union competition "The Art of the Book" for illustrations for the book by L. Geraskina "In the country of unlearned lessons", publishing house "Soviet Russia", 1966.
Diploma of the 1st degree of the All-Russian and 2nd degree of the All-Union competition "The Art of the Book" for illustrations for the book by G. Tsyferov "Tales", publishing house "Kid", 1969.
Diploma of the II degree of the All-Union competition "The Art of the Book" for illustrations for the book by L. Yakhnin "The Square of Cardboard Clocks", publishing house "Kid", 1971.
Crocodile Magazine Award for Best Drawing of the Year, 1970.
Diploma of the 1st All-Russian Exhibition of Children's Books and Book Graphics, 1965.
Diploma of the II All-Russian exhibition of children's books and book graphics, 1971.
Diploma of the International Cartoon Exhibition in Skopje (Yugoslavia).
Diploma and commemorative medal of the International Caricature Exhibition in Gabrovo, 1975.
Diploma and commemorative medal of the International Caricature Exhibition in Gabrovo, 1977.
Diploma of the 1st degree of the All-Russian and II All-Union competitions "The Art of the Book" for illustrations for the book by K. Chukovsky "Doctor Aibolit", publishing house "Kid", 1977.
Diploma of the Academy of Arts of the USSR, silver medal, prize of the Czechoslovak magazine "Rogach" for the drawing "To be or not to be?" at the International Exhibition "Satire in the Struggle for Peace", Moscow, 1977.
First prize at the book exhibition of the Joint Committee of Graphic Artists, Moscow, 1977.
Diploma of the II degree of the All-Russian and All-Union competitions "The Art of the Book" for illustrations for the book by D. Bisset "Forgotten Birthday", publishing house "Children's Literature", 1978.
Order "Golden Children's Sun" of the German magazine "Bummi", 1979.
Honorary Diploma. G.Kh. Andersen for illustrations to the book by K. Chukovsky "Aibolit", 1980.
Government award - Order of the Badge of Honor, badge of honor of the Olympic Committee, Diploma of the USSR Academy of Arts for creating the image of the mascot of the Moscow Olympic Games - the bear cub "Misha", 1980.
Assignment of the title "Honored Artist of the Russian Federation", 1981.
Second prize and medal at the International Cartoon Competition "Hurrah! Culture.", Moscow, 1990.
Diploma of the 1st degree of the All-Russian competition "The Art of the Book" for illustrations for the book by V. Chizhikov "Petya and Potap", publishing house "Angstrem", 1993.
Diploma of the II degree of the All-Russian competition "The Art of the Book" for illustrations for the book by E. Uspensky "Uncle Fyodor, a dog and a cat", Zebra publishing house, 1993.
Laureate of the All-Russian contest of readers' sympathies "Golden Key", 1996.
Annual professional award for the highest achievements in the genre of satire and humor - "Golden Ostap", St. Petersburg, 1997.
All illustrations are taken from the books of the series "Visiting Viktor Chizhikov", published by the Samovar publishing house.
I met Viktor Chizhikov in 1976 at the celebration of the 70th anniversary of Ivan Maksimovich Semyonov, People's Artist of the USSR. I don’t remember whether I myself approached him with a request to sign a book from the “Masters of Soviet Caricature” series, or whether he stopped me when I was returning to my place after “congratulations from young Krasnogorsk artists to Ivan Semyonov,” the acquaintance took place. For me then, Chizhikov was not only a virtuoso draftsman, whose work I looked at with pleasure both in Crocodile and Around the World, but also the author of a wonderful idea of how to get to know your favorite artist and not look like a stupid sticky admirer.
At one time, the pioneer Chizhikov dragged a whole suitcase of his drawings to the Kukryniksy and asked the question: “Will a cartoonist come out of me?” ... In a word, I brought with me ... no, not a suitcase, a folder of my drawings and, as if passing the baton , showed the contents to Viktor Alexandrovich. I don't know what was in Chizhikov's suitcase, but I can imagine what was in my folder. He did not beat me with slippers, but kissed me and gave some practical advice. I still remember them.
To begin with, he forbade me to draw on school sheets in a box. In the most categorical way. "You must learn to respect yourself!" Chizhikov said. - "Myself and my work." And since then I have never shown the drawings made on checkered paper to anyone. Finding drawings of alcoholics in the folder, Chizhikov remarked: "Pay attention when you draw drunkards that no one ever lies belly up. Usually either the head or the legs stick out of the ditch ..."
Later, when I visited his studio in the house of artists on Nizhnyaya Maslovka, he shared with me his creative method. "I never sit somewhere in a subway car with a notebook, I sit down, choose a victim and try to remember all the details of his appearance as accurately as possible. Then I come home and immediately sketch what I see. This is a great memory training, which is very important for an artist! "I never draw anyone from life. Today I was asked to draw a caricature of Gurov, I visited the artistic college, looked closely at Yevgeny Alexandrovich, and then came home and drew him the way I remembered..."
Recently, Viktor Aleksandrovich turned 70 years old. I still can't believe this! What seventy! This is the magnificent young master of the pen, as I have always known him! His illustrations for children's books are among the best, the caricatures are incomparable, one series "Great at the Desks" is worth several volumes of boring historical works, and the Olympic bear, authored by Viktor Aleksandrovich 4 years after we met, is still considered the best Olympic bear. talisman for the entire existence of the Olympic Games in recent history. And, by the way, what am I talking about? Better see for yourself!
Biography
Viktor Chizhikov was born on September 26, 1935 in Moscow.
After graduating from Moscow secondary school No. 103 in 1953, he entered the Moscow Polygraphic Institute, the art department of which he graduated in 1958.
In 1952, while still at school, he began working for the Housing Worker newspaper, where he published his first cartoons.
Since 1955 he has been working in the magazine "Crocodile", since 1956 - in "Funny Pictures", since 1958 - in "Murzilka", since 1959 - in "Around the World".
He also worked in "Evening Moscow", "Pionerskaya Pravda", "Young Naturalist", "Young Guard", "Spark", "Pioneer", "Nedelya" and other periodicals.
Since 1960, he has been illustrating books in the publishing houses "Kid", "Children's Literature", "Fiction", etc.
Member of the Union of Journalists of the Russian Federation since 1960.
Member of the Union of Artists of the Russian Federation since 1968.
Member of the editorial board of the magazine "Murzilka" since 1965.
Holder of the Honorary Diploma named after H.K. Russian children's book (1997).
Laureate of the All-Russian competition "The Art of the Book" (1989, 1990, 1993, 1996, 1997), the reader's choice contest "Golden Key" (1996), the annual professional award for the highest achievements in the genre of satire and humor - "Golden Ostap" (1997).
Chairman of the jury of the children's drawing competition "Tick-tock", held by the TV company "Mir" (TV channel of the Russian Federation) since 1994.
People's Artist of Russia.
Microautobiography
"Since I was born, they have been asking me:" Chizhik-pyzhik, where have you been? I answer: - I was in kindergarten, I was at school, I was at the Polygraphic Institute, I was at Crocodile, I was at Murzilka, I was at Around the World, I was at Funny Pictures, I was at Detgiz, at "Baby" was. Yes! I almost forgot. I was also on the Fontanka. Twice."
V. Chizhikov
“In the early fifties, a young man appeared on the threshold of our workshop with a large suitcase in his hands. It was a ninth-grade student, Vitya Chizhikov. He opened his suitcase, and we saw that it was full of political cartoons.
Vitya asked: - Will I be a cartoonist?
It was difficult for us then to answer this question, although the dimensions of the suitcase were encouraging.
Now, when he has twenty years of work in the magazine "Crocodile" behind him, we say with confidence: - Yes, the cartoonist turned out! And very good."
Kukryniksy
Perspective with cats
Seriously-frivolous interview with the artist Viktor Chizhikov on the eve of his 70th birthday
Alexander Shchuplov
Honored Artist of Russia Viktor Chizhikov devoted his whole life to children's books. It can be said without exaggeration that his pen and brush illustrated all our literature for children: Marshak and Barto, Chukovsky and Volkov, Zakhoder and Koval, Mikhalkov and Nosov ... And also - Rodari with his "Cipollino"! And also - Uspensky with the already classic characters Uncle Fyodor and Cat Matroskin! And also - the Olympic Bear, which flew away a long time ago into the Luzhniki sky, causing tears and a lump in the throat ... And also - a series of two dozen books by the Samovar publishing house with the inviting title "Visiting Viktor Chizhikov." Our conversation is with a wonderful Russian book artist Viktor Chizhikov.
I love Belarusian artists, says Viktor Chizhikov. - I have a wonderful friend in Minsk Georgy Poplavsky, People's Artist, Academician. He is the head of a family of artists: his wife Natasha is a wonderful illustrator of a children's book, and his daughter Katya is also a very good artist. We met in the House of Creativity in Palanga in 1967. When he is in Moscow, he always comes to see me. He is a very famous master, he illustrated Yakub Kolas and other Belarusian writers. For a series of Indian works he received the Jawaharlal Nehru Prize.
- Do you feel the breath of a new generation in book graphics? To whom will you give the lyre, Viktor Alexandrovich?
I include Vika Fomina, who won the honorary prize "Golden Apple" at the Biennale in Bratislava, among the new generation. There are worthy artists among the very young. At one time on the pages of the magazine "Children's Literature" it was written about some kind of crisis in the "illustrator genre." I never felt it. There have always been many talented artists working. Of course, we need to support them, especially the elderly. For example, Gennady Kalinovsky did a lot for Russian book graphics. He is now about 75 years old, he is sick, little is remembered about him. We, his friends and colleagues, remember him, but we cannot ensure the purchase of his works. And he has very interesting works for The Master and Margarita and Gulliver's Travels. He is especially famous for his illustrations for Alice in Wonderland. I have never seen better illustrations for this book! Another wonderful friend of mine is Evgeny Grigorievich Monin, who recently passed away. An artist of a very high level, a source of pride for our graphics. And there was not a single television program about him. When all the time on the TV screen is devoted to pop music, and illustrators are not given attention, this impoverishes the general culture. After all, illustrators, especially children's books, hold a huge layer of culture: the first steps of a child are associated not so much with text as with pictures. Humor in children's illustrations is very necessary. True, when it comes to serious or tragic things, the illustration should be tragic. But not for the little ones! I remember once, when the Children's Fund was being created, Sergei Vladimirovich Obraztsov and I talked about the age at which children can be frightened, making various horror stories that are now fashionable for them. Obraztsov told me that he did not want to allow anything terrible in his theatrical productions for the smallest. Let the children remain "unafraid" as long as possible. And then, when they grow up, you can gradually introduce both Baba Yaga and the Wolf who meets Little Red Riding Hood into fairy tales ... He explained this by the fact that children in the future will have many reasons for fear. The child's psyche must first mature, strengthen, and then it can be loaded with various horror stories.
- Foresters say that tamed cubs or deer, when they are released into the wild as adults, feel helpless. And now our grown children are entering the same predatory forest ...
Yes, today everything is not happening the way Obraztsov said. But I try to make my scary characters funny. The same Wolf, for example, who is going to eat Little Red Riding Hood.
- Will he eat it with a smile?
Barmaley in my "Doctor Aibolit" sleeps in bed, and from under the pillow protrudes the magazine "Murzilka" - Barmaley's favorite reading! Here is my method.
- Aren't you afraid that grown-up children will later meet with some Chikatila and will look for where the Murzilka magazine sticks out from him?
And yet I even try to soften the terrible text with drawings. Although life will still put everything in its place. I often meet people who tell me: we grew up on your books, thank you for making us laugh! This sounds like a reward to me. I wanted and want children to have fewer fears. Childhood should be carefree. In general, it seems to me that this is inherent in the Russian people. You have noticed that in the villages mummers go on holidays: the peasants will drink and dress up in women's dresses ...
- To do this, you do not need to go to the village: turn on the TV with some kind of satirical program - solid men in women's dresses!
The abundance of such men on TV scares me. It's not funny anymore. And among the people, mummers are a common thing, they organically fit into the holiday with their carelessness and boldness. It always amused me as a child. Then you grow up - and layers of culture are gradually superimposed on you. You start to understand a little more. A little! But the main leaven is laid in childhood. If you bring up a child in fear, warn all the time: they say, don’t go there, and there too, it’s scary there! - the child will sit dumb in the middle of the room and be afraid of everything. And in life you need people who can stand up for themselves and laugh heartily. We must educate such people.
- Well, no one will be surprised at your cheerful Barmaley - in the end, Viktor Chizhikov made the Olympic Bear fly into his fairy forest. Until now, Mishka keeps flying and flying over our heads, and people keep crying and crying, saying goodbye to him ...
And they cry for a completely natural reason: they managed to fall in love with Mishka. The scene was at the station: one is leaving, the others are seeing him off. We always see people crying at train stations. Why are they crying? Because someone is leaving.
Our Bear, having become an Olympic talisman, first looked into the eyes of the audience: "Here I am! Hospitable, strong, unenvious and independent, I look into your eyes ..." The bear cub fell in love with his gaze. Before him, no Olympic talisman - no one has ever paid attention to it! - I didn’t look into the eyes: neither the Munich dachshund, nor the Canadian beaver ... I don’t remember their eyes at all. But after the Olympic Mishka, the Seoul tiger cub Hodori and the Sarajevo wolf cub Vuchko appeared - they already looked into the eyes of the audience.
- I remember you had the idea to draw a series of "Cats of great people". What condition is she in?
I'll draw it, then disband it. I already have "Savrasov's Cat", "Chaliapin's Cat", "Herostrat's Cat". There is even "Luzhkov's Cat" - he himself is not wearing a cap, but the cap is involved in this process.
- Is there Pushkin's Cat?
No. But there is "Malevich's Cat", there is "Yesenin's Cat": imagine - the cat is drowning. A dog is sitting on the beach. The cat stretches out its paw: "Give me a paw, Jim, for good luck" ... There is "Gogol's Cat" ...
- "Gogol's cat", probably with a long nose?
No, he is standing in a boat in the reeds, game is stuffed in his belt. He aims with a slingshot and says: "A rare bird will fly to the middle of the Dnieper."
- And "Cat Lenin", can you imagine, sitting in Shushenskoye, next to it - Nadezhda Konstantinovna ... And yet - "Putin's Cat" was not drawn? Next to the president's Labrador that's on TV?
No, I don't have these cats. To do this, you need to sit down and think - take this topic seriously. Maybe there will be more. You don't know what will happen here. While I take what lies on the surface. The philosopher Lichtenstein said well: "It is bad to be right in those matters in which the powers that be are wrong." This topic must be approached with caution.
- Probably, he was a smart philosopher, since the principality was named after him ...
Definitely, Doc. And I have so far got 25 cats. This is not enough for a book.
In fact, I've had cats all my life. The cat Chunka lived with us in the village for 14 years. It served as an impetus for the creation of a whole series of drawings about cats. And then he left and didn't come back. They say cats go to die. Our Chunka is like Tolstoy. By the way, Tolstoy's departure will also be in my series about cats. I already have an image.
- Interestingly, you first study nature, enter the image of a cat? True, you don’t have a mustache to move them, a ponytail too ...
That's right, I'm getting into character.
- What would you wish the readers of your books?
Good prospects. Artists at the institute always study such a subject - "Perspective". I wish readers of Russia and Belarus to see a clear perspective in my life.
- And what do you wish the artist Viktor Chizhikov on his seventieth birthday?
The same prospects! Of course, I don't have big prospects anymore. But I would wish myself a clear perspective for five years!
- Well, on behalf of the readers, we will multiply this figure by five and another five ...
Illustrations by Viktor Chizhikov for books by Sergei Mikhalkov
“Who is Sergei Mikhalkov, I learned in kindergarten.
- Well, you stubborn Thomas! - Our teacher did not get tired of repeating. We got used to this nickname, but about its origin
found out later when she read us a poem about stubborn Thomas. Yes, the first thing I remembered was not "Uncle Styopa", not "What do you have?"
or "My friend and I", but "Foma". You can’t swim: there are a lot of alligators, but Thomas stubbornly dives into the water. The words “No one swims on a dangerous river” made me feel terrible horror. In kindergarten, we sculpted a lot from clay. The lessons were excellent. We were seated at a huge wooden table, each was given a lump of clay and an oilcloth apron. You could sip whatever you wanted. I remember I sculpted a crocodile with a wide open mouth. Then he rolled up a clay ball and carefully placed it in the crocodile's mouth. Then he took a pencil and twice lightly poked it into the still damp ball, which turned out to be eyes. Then he poked the pencil hard again - it turned out to be a screaming, round mouth. This craft was my first illustration for the works of Mikhalkov.
Most recently in St. Petersburg, I attended a meeting of Sergei Vladimirovich Mikhalkov with young readers. In the hall sat the same kindergartners as I once was. Mikhalkov read the first line of the poem, and the audience of two thousand continued the text in unison.
Knowing means loving.
The summer of 1972 turned out to be hot and smoky - the forests near Moscow were burning. We then rented a dacha in Ruza. I sat at my desk and, inhaling the smoke of the forest, drew pictures for Mikhalkov's book "Poems of Friends" (from Y. Tuvim). With this book, the Malysh publishing house decided to celebrate the sixtieth birthday of Sergei Vladimirovich.
I drew and thought: "Wow, sixty years! How many! Just some kind of horror!"
And now, when he himself is already sixty, it seems that not so much. Yes nonsense! Think sixty!"
Viktor Chizhikov
S. Mikhalkov "Feast of Disobedience"
S. Mikhalkov "Stubborn kid"
S. Mikhalkov "How the bear found the pipe"
S. Mikhalkov "One-Eyed Thrush"
S. Mikhalkov "Dream with continuation"
For a long time I have wanted to collect books and pictures by Viktor Chizhikov. Something, of course, remained inaccessible to me, but I collected what was posted on various Internet sites. These are scanned books, and just pictures from different books. I bought a lot of books for myself, if you have a strong desire to see some, I will try to scan it!
To begin with, let's get acquainted with Viktor Aleksandrovich and his drawings from the wonderful posts of the participants of the LiveJournal
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Scan of the book "I want the moon!" Eleanor Farjohn
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Viktor Chizhikov. Illustrations for "Alya, Klyaksich and the letter A"
I. Tokmakova
http://community.livejournal.com/old_crocodile/15887.html
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"Winnie the Pooh" by Viktor Chizhikov
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And now some scanned books to download and enjoy!
VIKTOR CHIZHIKOV. OUR TO YOU WITH A BRUSH
(I scanned myself)
Irina Tokmakova. "Alya, klyaksich and the letter" A "
Download Yandex Disk
Size 5, 82 MB
DJVU format
Sergei Mikhalkov "Dream with continuation"
Download Yandex Disk
Size 1, 54 MB
DJVU format
(From the site http://www.childhoodbooks.ru/)
KUZMIN Lev - Good afternoon
Download Yandex Disk
Size 4, 18 MB
DJVU format
(From the Site http://www.childhoodbooks.ru/)
Geraskina L - In the country of unlearned lessons - 1
Download Yandex Disk
Size 3, 45 MB
DJVU format
ANDERSEN - Flint and Steel
Download
Biography
Viktor Alexandrovich Chizhikov(1935) is an artist and illustrator whose bright, cheerful illustrations are familiar to almost everyone.
In 1958 he graduated from the Moscow Polygraphic Institute. He worked in the children's magazines "Murzilka", "Funny Pictures", the humorous publication "Crocodile" and in many other periodicals. For many years he has been working as an illustrator for the popular Vokrug Sveta magazine.
Since 1960, he has been illustrating children's books, collaborating with the publishing houses "Kid", "Children's Literature", "Fiction", etc. He is the author of the well-known image of the Olympic bear.
He is the owner of a large number of prizes and awards in the field of children's book graphics and illustrations.
Buy books with illustrations by Viktor Chizhikov
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conversations
"Teacher's newspaper", No. 38 of September 20, 2005
In order to illustrate a children's book, one must preserve one's childhood. There are people who absolutely did not save it, but there are those who cannot be pulled out of this childhood. It is desirable to be a kind person: you often see very evil illustrations. Children's artist must be educated, not make mistakes. Once I saw a donkey with cloven hooves. I have seen an illustration for Nekrasov: a horse carrying a cart of brushwood is harnessed to a sleigh in the most ridiculous way. There is an arc, but no clamp. How the arc rests on the shafts is not clear. Instead of a saddle and harness, some knots. This is not a drawing for children, because the child must immediately understand the design of the object, understand how the horse is harnessed.
"Moskovsky Komsomolets" No. 25402 dated July 16, 2010
Nowhere is it taught to be a children's artist, those who remember well what was interesting to them in childhood become them. When I was at school, I liked to draw illustrations for fairy tales, for myself. By the way, you know, I'm colorblind. I can't distinguish shades of red, brown, green, pink. What color is your sweatshirt? Green? It looks yellow to me. But this does not interfere with drawing, the colors in the paints are simply signed.
Events
28.10.2015
This exhibition is an attempt to tell how an illustrator works, trying to find the most correct image of a character, and how reflections “fall on paper”, and how an image arises and changes, and what happens on the pages of albums and sheets of paper before the illustration is ready and gets into the book.
Now those who did not know will get acquainted with the magnificent creator of visual images, with Viktor Chizhikov, a children's artist. People's Artist of the Russian Federation, author of the image of the bear cub Misha, the mascot of the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. And also the designer of many memorable children's books. And he is also the artist of "Crocodile" And "fun pictures" .
Viktor Chizhikov. My life has passed among caricature and drawing for children
Olga Vikhrova
And for the team of "Evening Moscow" Viktor Alexandrovich is not only a colleague-caricaturist, but also an integral part of the 95-year history of the publication.
For 62 years, the artist's album, as a memory, has kept the first illustration published in Vecherka. Filling up the pages of its historical album, Vechernyaya Moskva also decided to keep on its pages a portrait sketch of Viktor Alexandrovich, respected and loved by generations of editors and readers.
Do you remember your first cartoon in print?
It was published in 1952 in the newspaper "Housing Worker" (ZHR) on the Day of the Soviet Army. On the front page was a huge portrait of Stalin, and on the back - other materials, including my drawing of a tractor, which made its way among the buildings covered with snow. Winter that year was rich in precipitation, and I depicted the Moszhilsnab base in Nagatino. “All the ways to the base were covered with snow. It is very difficult to get to it right away, ”the poet Titov composed the signature.
How did cooperation with ZhR affect the professional development of a children's illustrator?
Oddly enough, it was in this edition of a thick sheet that the person who taught me to think in a caricature much more widely worked. When I came to work at ZhR in the ninth grade, Matvey Prokhorovich Tobinsky was the editor-in-chief there.
“Try to solve the problem not only with the help of people. There are cats, dogs and all sorts of other creatures that inhabit the earth. Try to involve them in your work more often, and then your range as a cartoonist will increase, ”he explained to me.
And Tobinsky also advised to take a closer look at the details of everyday life that catch your eye: for example, which electric bulbs shine on railway platforms, and which ones inside the city. He, as it were, took me and shook me. He was a very interesting person. Even when I worked at Krokodil after 1955, I still looked at it with great pleasure. In general, the first place of work for a journalist, cartoonist or artist forever remains something special and even sacred, as it is "Trip to Life"
Since 1956, you have collaborated with Vecherka. Which of the works for our publication was the most memorable?
I have always collaborated with several publications at the same time, but I still have the first cartoon published in Vechernyaya Moskva. When I published somewhere for the first time, I always cut out an illustration as a keepsake and pasted it into a special album. And it is dedicated to the deputies of the French Parliament, who, at the request of the Americans, made some decision. Tex sounded something like this: “First they were appeased, then they approved, but the people disapproved of this.”
After that, did you still have to work with a political cartoon?
Hardly ever. And this despite the fact that the Kukryniksy were my mentors. My parents were architects, and one of my father's friends, who studied at VKhUTEMAS, agreed that they would look at my work. And here I am - a ninth-grader, I came to the Kukryniksy! With a suitcase of cartoons. And the suitcase was heavy, trophy. Upholstered in camouflage and knocked together from real planks. His father returned with him from the front. It was almost impossible to drag this colossus, but the entire volume of drawings that I wanted to show fit only into it.
The workshop was on the eighth floor of a house on Gorky Street. Opposite the Moscow City Council, where the Moskva bookstore is now located. And so, with bated breath, I show them my drawings... And they saw that I was imitating Boris Efimov, and immediately condemned me sharply. But I, nevertheless, was lucky - at the bottom of the suitcase lay forgotten caricatures of classmates. The Kukryniksy began to look at them with interest, even to pass them on to each other. Then they ask: “Who painted this? You?". I nod, not sure what to expect. And they told me: “That's how you draw! We see that this is absolutely yours, an individual hand. And remember that you are a person. You don't have to imitate anyone."
As I remember now, Kupriyanov looks at me and says: “Well, tell me:“ I am a person! I was embarrassed, of course, and mumbled: “You know, I can’t say that in your presence,” to which he laughingly replied: “Well, we’ll work out this phrase with you,” letting me, a teenager, understand that this is not our last meeting. As a result, we agreed that I would come to them every six months and show them “how things are going in drawing”.
Before that, I had a dilemma: to go to the Institute of Foreign Languages in German, or, after all, to draw somewhere. After their approval, I no longer hesitated - I immediately chose the art department of the Polygraphic Institute.
At what age did you start your career?
While studying at the institute, I already drew cartoons in Moscow News, Izvestia, Nedelya and Pionerskaya Pravda with might and main, and in 1956 I came to Ivan Maksimovich Semenov at Funny Pictures. The editorial office was located on the fourth floor, and Murzilka was on the sixth. Of course, I went there too. And since 1958, he also began to cooperate with them. On the other side of the corridor was the magazine "Around the World", where I was immediately invited to write the column "Motley World" about entertaining facts from different parts of the world. As a result, I stayed at Around the World from 1959 to 2002, and with Murzilka we have our 60th anniversary this year.
How did you cope with such a volume of orders at the same time?
You have no idea how much I worked. In parallel, without ceasing to cooperate with all the above-mentioned publications, since 1960 I began to design children's literature. When I got tired of reading a book, I went to the Crocodile to draw caricatures. Tired of the magazine - went back to the book. At the same time, he also painted in “Health”. In short, whoever ordered, I drew for that. So my range became wider and wider. But, today we can definitely say that my life was spent among caricatures and drawings for children.
Which edition was your favourite?
Despite the huge creative spectrum, I noticed that I feel most comfortable in book illustration. This format allows me to fit whatever I want. Caricature and humorous drawings in newspapers and magazines, most often, plugged empty spaces. For example, when I worked with the magazine "Soviet Union", there were often intricate places - not squares or rectangles, but writhing like snakes. So come up with some kind of cartoon theme, draw something into such a “cunning” space. On the one hand, I was very fond of such puzzles, and on the other hand, the space of a book illustration gives freedom for creativity.
Did you come to the children's theme thanks to "Funny Pictures"?
Yes, before that I only drew cartoons for adults. Although sometimes I worked with the magazine "Physical Culture and Sport", where children became my heroes. For example, kids who watch high jump competitions, where a schoolboy overcomes the bar set at the height of their tops - no more than a meter, and the little ones admire: “Look, he jumps higher than human height.” How are ideas for illustrations for children's publications born? Thinking up something for the author's text - is it hard, painful work or, after all, inspiration?
All the work of an illustrator matures on impressions from the surrounding life. It is necessary to look very carefully at how people dress, what new details have appeared ... Now it seems common that older people carry trolley bags, but some 30 years ago this did not exist yet .. It would seem that humanity invented the wheel two thousand years ago, but for some reason only now I guessed to put this handbag on wheels.
And how does the world of amazing fantasy animals that you portray relate to observation?
Since the illustrator is the director of the future picture or book, he conducts a kind of recruitment of actors or, as it is now called, casting. The Kukryniksy gave me this advice: “Vitya, when you go to the institute in the morning and go down the escalator, and people go upstairs towards you - don’t stare in vain, but try to remember. How women look, how they hold a handbag. When you get home, immediately try to draw everything that you remember: both the type and the manner of standing. And if you reproduce at least three or four faces that you saw on the escalator, consider that the day was not in vain. Since then, I have become in the habit of memorizing the types that come across to me.
And then, when, for example, in "Chippolino" you need to draw Professor Grusha, Signor Tomato, or Limonchikov's soldier, you start choosing actors for your "future performance" from "peeped" real images.
In general, Aminadav Kanevsky from Crocodile was a great master of humanizing animals. I asked him: “Aminadav Moiseevich, how do you do it so well? You have animals arguing in the drawings, and sneezing into a handkerchief ... ". And he said: “Vitya, when you draw, think less about animals, and think more about a person. Then you can do it too."
Do you have favorite characters?
I love drawing cats. Andrey Usachev and I even published such a book - “333 Cats”. When creating it, of course, I also watched people, made sketches from them, and then transferred each hero from the rank of a person to the rank of a cat. But, you know, it often happens the other way around: a person is walking - well, obviously a cat! Simply amazing!
How deeply do you need to feel the author's text? Does it happen that the writer has already formed his own vision of illustrations in his head and needs to work in a specific style, or is he just “over his soul”?
Very rarely. Usually the authors turn to the artist whom they themselves love. Absolute trust was from Uspensky and Mikhalkov. Barto also asked that the book be given to me. In short, trust must be complete, otherwise the illustrator's hands are tied.
And when the artist knows that he can do as he wants, and believes in himself, the illustration becomes more expressive and convincing. The more responsibility you have for the result, the better the pictures. After all, it is we who are responsible for the sale of a children's book.
Do you think there is a future for children's paper books? Or will electronic publications win?
First, the screen deteriorates vision. No parent wants their child to "set eyes" from the cradle. Secondly, children must learn to respond to a picture located on the plane of the sheet. By the way, it is especially convenient to carefully study small details on cardboard. And to arouse a child's interest in the image on this cardboard is the primary task of the illustrator.
Are there any professional secrets to attract the attention of children?
Toddlers are always worried about the struggle between good and evil: if an evil character is chasing a good one, the child wants the latter to run away and hide as soon as possible. Or, on the contrary, when the positive hero pursues the villain in order to punish him, the child begins to actively cheer for the first. The participation of good and evil is the basis of any children's book. But "Kolobok", by the way, is an exception. When the Fox, after all, eats the hero, it is simply terrible for the child. He was rooting, rooting for Kolobok: he, it seems, “left his grandfather and left his grandmother,” but then suddenly it didn’t work out.
There is, of course, another option: conflict-free fairy tales, such as "Turnip". She, in my opinion, is simply brilliant. Everyone groaned, groaned, pulled, pulled, and nothing happened. And then such an insignificant tiny mouse came running and helped to pull out such a big turnip. As Platonov said: “The people are incomplete without me” (laughs).
In order to feel everything as you describe, it is important to remain a child in your soul? How else? Any fairy tale you illustrate must be believed. It is important to do everything convincingly, and this is only possible when you are extremely serious about even the most ridiculous topic. Children, like no one else, feel false. Actually, an illustration is a conversation with a child. When it is good, the conversation turned out, if it is bad, nothing will come of it. And, in general, the interaction of life and fairy tales is a very subtle thing. It is important to reconcile observations with your fiction, not allowing one to take precedence over the other.
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