Behind The Scenes
Welcome behind the scenes of Carl and Teddy's world!
Here is where the magic really happens. On this page you can get an insight about how Carl and Teddy came alive, how the characters were created and developed overtime, what influences the destinations of the duo.
How did I think of writing a children's book?
Well, I was on my lunch break after reading a story to a little girl. While eating my lunch, I thought "I must have read every single children's book on the planet". I thought that if other can write it, perhaps I could too. So I did. I started googling to see the framework of a children's book, started thinking of possible characters and the storyline.
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So why did I choose a cat as the protagonist?
Well, I think, as pure as children are, so are animals. I believe that children have a special connection when interacting with an animal, so I wanted to carry that over into this children's book series by assuring a special bond between the main character and the reader. So I had to think of an animal that would be brave enough to travel independently, cute enough to fascinate all readers, and charming enough to get through every situation. Additionally, narrowing down the choices to animals in our immediate environment; cats and dogs are humans' best friends! Considering all the personality traits I just mentioned, Carl the cat just made sense.
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Sketches of Carl and Teddy before adding color,
just adorable
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How did I find Orhan?
As I had concrete ideas and imaginations about the world of Carl and Teddy, I wanted it to be perfect. I had looked extensively for an illustrator for my series, sorting through tons of requests from skilled artists all around the world but their illustrations were never as I really wanted them. So one day, I randomly came across Orhan Ates, an illustrator from Turkey. I followed him on his professional Instagram page for about a year before I decided to ask for his availability and interest. Im glad I found a patient, so talented artist who brings my ideas to life.
Fun Fact
In each story, little friends of Carl and Teddy appear, whom I named after the children of my friends to make it more personal, lovely, and unique.
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Carl in his early stages when developing the characters with vectors for better visualization in 2021
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"The illustrations are amazing"
Yes, thanks to Orhan Ates!
Orhan was born in 1981 in Malatya, Turkey. He graduated from Inonu University Primary School Teaching and is a graduate student of Graphic Design Department. His interest in drawing since his childhood years turned from a hobby to an amateur cartoonist in 2017. He participated in many national and international cartoon competitions and received awards from these competitions and was selected for albums. Since 2019, he has started illustrating children's books for various publishing houses and making drawings for digital platforms and animations. He continues to work as an illustrator and teacher in Bursa.
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From sketch to the final result of a lovely scene in
"Don't give up, Carl"
