Q&A: Joren Cull’s Anthropomorphized Book in ‘I Am Book’ Has a Lesson for Both Kids and Adults
BOOK IS A BRIGHT YELLOW BOOK WITH WIDE EYES AND TORN PAGES — you can find them within author and illustrator Joren Cull’s latest project, I Am Book. A wholesome story about trying to fit in, Cull’s bright illustrations bring the pages to life as we follow Book on an adventure to a brand new school library. It’s a tale as old as time, an allegory for moving to a new place and feeling alone and unwanted. Book tries to change themselves into other types of books to try to fit in: a dictionary, a horror novel, or whatever else they think the neighborhood kids will pick up. In the end, as you can imagine, Book learns to accept themselves just the way they are. Cull sees the message of the book as something we all have to deal with “from kindergarten until the retirement home,” the universal feeling of not fitting in.
For the last 10 years, Cull has been working as an artist. His website is filled with illustrations, animations, and gifs made for brands, publications, and other projects. His style is lively and cartoonish; it evokes nostalgia for popular cartoons you might see on Comedy Central or Fox, such as Futurama, The Simpsons, or South Park.
At its heart, Cull’s work is silly, fun, and playful, much like the story of I Am Book. Cull is always working on a creative project, whether it’s books, movies, or something else entirely, and he isn’t stopping any time soon. He already has a second book titled Lap Cat that’s set to come out with Penguin Workshop next year. Read below as Cull delves into the message of I Am Book, what other art Cull would like to experiment with, and what music inadvertently influenced his latest project.
LUNA: Congrats on your recent release! What was your inspiration for writing I Am Book?
CULL: Aw, thanks so much! The original idea came a long time ago — almost 10 years ago. I think the genesis of it all was the concept of creating a book that doubled as a toy. I thought it would be cool to read a character’s story and then be able to play with the character after, with the story contained within the character. The fun thing about I Am Book is that under the jacket is a replica of the character, Book. This makes the book more than just a book. It becomes a figure/toy that can have its own life after the reading is done.
LUNA: This book is marketed toward kids. What is the message you want to send to children? Do you think adults can get anything from this book as well?
CULL: The message is to be yourself and not something you’re not. No one’s perfect, and everyone has different gauges of what perfection is. I think this is an important message for children and adults. The older I’ve gotten the more I’ve realized there isn’t that much of a difference between the school yard and adult life. Going to a new school and getting bullied versus going to an office and getting bullied happens just the same. Even if you’ve learned these lessons as a child, a reminder is always grounding.
LUNA: What is your favorite illustration from the book?
CULL: I really like the landscape at the end of the book (see below). It is a homage to my hometown of Toronto … an illustration of a special spot from my childhood. I used to drive down this hill every morning on my way to school. It was a great way to see the seasons change, and it remains one of my favorite views of the city.
LUNA: What is an art medium you haven’t worked with much and want to try doing more of?
CULL: I love sculptures, but I haven’t had a chance to immerse myself into that world very much — hopefully one day. I used to make a lot of music, too, and want to get back to that at some point. Maybe bring it back to the kids books and make some kids music! It’s something I think about. I hope I have a chance to work on that more sometime.
LUNA: Since Luna is mostly a music publication, our readers would love to know about your music tastes. What are some artists, albums, or songs you’ve been loving recently?
CULL: Ooh, such a hard question. I’m always listening to new, mostly older music. So much so that it’s to the point where it’s hard to keep track of what I’ve liked (laughs). Lately, I’ve been
appreciating Robert Wyatt, [Hamilton] Bohannon, Cub, and the band Ash. I’ve also been getting into a lot of compilations from the ’90s. There [are] compilation series we have in Canada called Big Shiny Tunes and MuchDance Mix that I have been getting nostalgic for lately. I also really, really love novelty records, so anything silly will do. I listened to Jerry Springer’s and Joe Pesci’s albums this week for the first time. They were cool.
LUNA: Was there any album or artist you were listening to the most while working on I Am Book?
CULL: I began working on this book about a decade ago but returned to the project at the start of COVID. I think I was listening to a lot of Lee Scratch Perry when I was working on it around that time. Also that Julee Cruise album produced by David Lynch. I have memories of listening to Sam Cooke, Sparks, and The Undertones around then. too. Also, Dexys Midnight Runners!
LUNA: I did some digging and found out you’re a huge music fan and you collect records. What are some of your favorite ones that you own? Are there any that you’ve been dying to own?
CULL: (Laughs) Yes, I have many records. Too many! My collection is up to about 5,500 as I’m writing this. I guess the rarest/coolest one to me is my Ween The Live Brain Wedgie! / Wad record. It’s their first EP that was very limitedly released, and I obtained it from the band directly. It has a misprint, which makes it more unique, which is fun. I don’t really have a favorite album of all time or things I’m dying to own. I always hunt for deals and stuff like that. I just listen to what I come across these days for cheap, to see what I think of it. There are lots of rare records I’d love to own. I would never want to pay the price and not be able to enjoy them if I did (laughs).
LUNA: What was the last really great concert that you went to?
CULL: Cheekface! They are one of the only current bands I’ve really gotten into. Their songs are so fun — great lyrics. They have really resonated with me. Their live show sounded great and was very fun as well. The opening band (Yungatita) was a nice discovery from the show. Good stuff all around! I need to work at keeping my ear to the ground a bit more. I used to be more in tune. There is too much out there!
LUNA: Thanks so much for talking to me! Anything else you want to plug?
CULL: Thanks for your time too! Hm, yeah — I’m getting an Instagram started … for the character Book. I’m going to have a giveaway on it soon, if anyone is interested!
