Brian
Selznick
New covers for Harry Potter
I always loved the phenomenon of Harry Potter, especially as a former independent bookseller. I loved seeing the parties at midnight when the books were released, and, like all people who were interested in children’s books, I appreciated how much the success of the Harry Potter books brought attention and respect to the entire industry. But it wasn’t until 2015 that I finally read the books and when I did, I fell in love hard. I became a huge fan — I cried most when Dobby died — and am a proud Hufflepuff.
Halloween is a monumentally eventful holiday in the Potter series, so why shouldn’t Selznick have gotten his call to work on the series on that very holiday? Immediately during the pitch, the acclaimed illustrator and author saw his vision: a single piece of art that would spread across all seven covers.
All I know is that on Halloween of 2017 I got a mysterious email from my friends at Scholastic asking me to give them a call about something important. I was a bit overwhelmed at first by the request but, as a fan, I couldn’t have been happier and more excited.
I had an image [in my head] of doing all seven covers as a single story that, when you line them up, tell the entire tale of Harry from the time of his birth until the epilogue 18 years later. I knew I wanted something to tie together all seven of the covers, so I just started drawing lines — swirling, swooping lines that would tie them all together — and then I looked at it and I was like, ‘That looks like a snake! Oh my God, that’s perfect!’ So the snake represents evil, it comes in and out of all seven covers, and ultimately is there on the seventh cover, where you see the head of this snake for the first time, vanquished.
While I was talking on the phone with Scholastic, I had a vision of what I wanted the covers to be. I knew I wanted them to be black and white and I wanted all seven covers to line up so they create a single image that incorporates the entire story of Harry Potter. I was told I had two weeks to submit sketches, and if they were approved I’d have until March 1, 2018 to complete the artwork. I submitted sketches in one week, soon got the approval, revised for a few months and then actually handed in the final work on March 1, 2018.
When I did my first sketch, I drew some curving lines in an effort to see how the seven covers could be connected. I realized that the lines looked like a snake, which made me think of Nagini. One of the themes I’d wanted to explore in my covers was the battle between good and evil, and I knew that if I used the snake throughout all seven covers it would be a perfect way to illustrate that idea.
Arthur Levine:Twenty years ago we introduced American readers to J.K. Rowling’s ‘Harry Potter’ series, and for this anniversary moment we want to celebrate just how vital and relevant her storytelling is still today. The wonder of Brian Selznick’s new cover interpretations is that he makes us see these beloved characters as if we’re just meeting them – and indeed we hope a new generation does exactly that.
Whether the established visuals of the film had any sort of influence — welcome or not — on their work. The answer, in short, and surprisingly, is no. Selznick cited Kibuishi’s bold reinvention for Harry’s 15th anniversary as license to eschew the visuals that came before:
The work that Kazu did on his 15th anniversary gave permission for a new way to look at Harry. When those came out, I remember being struck by the fact that it was instantly identifiable as the world of Harry Potter, but in a way that I had never seen before. That, in so many ways, said to me [that] it’s possible to have other visions of it. Going to [Universal’s] Harry Potter world and seeing the movies, the work is so profoundly beautiful and complete, so when it was time for me to sit down, I tried to put all of that aside and go back to J.K. Rowling’s words, and what’s there in the language is there in the drawings.
A less literal stroke of luck for Selznick: The illustrator began drawing his first Sorcerer’s Stone cover at the same time that he began listening to Jim Dale’s audiobook recording; thirteen 13-hour days later, he said:
I had gotten to the Battle of Hogwarts in the seventh book exactly as I was drawing Harry and Voldemort on the final cover.
The black and white theme adds mystery, he says, asking something of the readers (as well as the huge amounts of detail!).
Well, I’d be lying if I said I never worried about living up to the expectations of the fans, but then I remembered I was a fan too, and I was drawing something I loved and believed in, so it got easier from there. Challenges included figuring out how to draw the figures on the final cover so I could sum up the series without giving anything away for readers who will be new to the books.
I knew this project came with so much responsibility to the stories, as well as to the readers. I revisited the books and was especially moved by the relationships between the characters in J.K. Rowling’s magical world, so I wanted these covers to reflect that.
One of the most challenging and rewarding aspects of the process was drawing seven independent covers that would stand on their own, while making sure that they also lined up to create one single satisfying image. It took dozens and dozens of sketches to get it right, and I am thrilled to share my great love for the books with these new illustrations.
Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone
Selznick revealed that he too laced loads of Easter eggs into his covers. Harry’s glasses, he noted, were inspired by glasses Selznick wore as an extra in the film adaptation of his book Wonderstruck.
Also, it’s really hard drawing Harry’s round glasses in different perspectives (seeing them from different angles) so that they look round and not like weird ovals.
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
His interpretation of Aragog is directly based on a Louise Bourgeois sculpture
His favourite character, he said, is Dobby (“Oh, not Dobby!” Jim protested – he’s not much of a fan, apparently!).
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Hooded funerary figures in the graveyard film of the movie Hugo inspired Selznick’s Dementors.
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
His Fleur Delacour is based on Hollywood screen legend Veronica Lake.
It was also hard to draw the labyrinth for the Tri-Wizarding games, and figuring out how many buttons might be on the cloaks. J.K. Rowling never is specific about how the cloaks are put on and taken off, and a friend directed me to entire websites debating the issue and comparing the cloaks in the books to the ones in the movies. In the end, I managed to draw the cloaks in ways that avoid the issue completely!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Dolores Umbridge, being the “most horrifying villain,” inspired Selznick to “find someone to pose as the most hated figure in the series. So I asked my husband.”
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
Dumbledore’s face is a mirror of Michelangelo’s sculpture of Moses, “which seemed appropriate,” he said,
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
Hogwarts Express steaming toward a new school year with the next generation on board.