J: You first worked with Neil Gaiman for the poetry book NOW WE ARE SICK.

How did that first come about?

SJ: That was back in the early 1990s. Neil had started work on a macabre poetry collection, but wasn’t sure where to go with it next. He asked me to get involved and together we put together a package with contributions by Terry Pratchett, James Herbert, Ramsey Campbell, Gene Wolfe, Robert Bloch and others.

It’s actually been very successful. NOW WE ARE SICK has gone through three different editions in America, there’s been a French version, and a Greek edition has just been published. It has been great seeing the foreign editions, and our only stipulation with overseas publishers is that it must be illustrated by a local artist.

J: How were you approached to do STARDUST: THE VISUAL COMPANION, and was it a good project to work on?

SJ: STARDUST came about when I was approached by UK publisher Titan Books – who I’ve done a number of film-related books with over the years. They got the rights to do the “making of” volume and asked me if I would be interested. I had read the graphic novel version and Neil’s novel, and thought it would be a good way to stretch myself as a writer, so I said yes.

Of course, as is always the way of these things, principal photography had already wrapped before they even approached me about the project. However, luckily, I had to go down to Pinewood Studios to look at the visuals and I had the foresight to take my tape recorder with me. As it turned out, they were still shooting special effects inserts and so I ended up running around the whole day doing exclusive interviews with those crew members who were still working on the project. That made a big difference to the book.

As always, I got pretty involved with the design of the book, and I loved the way it turned out. Titan did a great job. It’s a shame that the film didn’t do too well upon its initial release, but I firmly believe that in years to come it will be recognised as a perennial favourite, like THE PRINCESS BRIDE or THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
 
J: And did that in turn influence you to work on CORALINE: A VISUAL COMPANION? Were you approached by Neil or the film company?

SJ: Well, it meant that when I was approached to do CORALINE: A VISUAL COMPANION, I kind of knew what it would involve and so it wasn’t quite so daunting.

In fact, I was initially approached by Neil and his agent to see if I was interested. They had apparently liked what I had done with STARDUST and wanted me to do CORALINE. It helped that I was also known to the American publisher, HarperCollins, because the film people had their own idea about who they wanted to do it.

I had originally read Neil’s novel in manuscript form, some time before it was actually published, and I absolutely loved it. So for me it was a no-brainer to do the “making of” book. After some discussion back-and-forth, I was finally given the job.

J: How long were you given to complete the book?

SJ: As usual with these kinds of books, they always think about doing them far too late into the production process. The good thing about CORALINE the movie was, because it was being shot in stop-motion animation, it had a long shooting schedule. Even so, I had already missed the pre-production process and the actors doing their voice recordings.

Initially I was given around three months from start until delivery date. That meant that I had to do all the research, interviewing and writing in that time. It helped that Neil was due in town a few weeks after I got the job, and so we scheduled a long interview session that formed the core of the book. And the production company and distributor were initially extremely helpful, sending me hours of interview transcripts and DVDs of behind-the-scenes material from Portland, Oregon.

J: Is it true that the book nearly never saw the light of day?

SJ: I’m not sure about that, but I know we had to fight very hard to get the book published. I had almost completed my first draft when a new production executive came on board and told the publisher that they weren’t going to do the book after all! They didn’t think they would be able to give it the attention it deserved when the film was still shooting. It took a lot to convince them that the book would be an important marketing tool, and it wouldn’t be a good idea to cancel it at that stage. Thankfully, Neil and director Henry Selick also got involved and, in the end, we were allowed to carry on with it. What that basically meant was that instead of working on it for three months, I actually ended up working on it for the best part of seven months!

J: Has the translation from book to film been a good one for CORALINE?

SJ: Oh, I think so. From the rough footage I’ve seen it looks fantastic. And the reviews have been brilliant – it’s already being hailed as one of the best films of the year so far and a potential children’s classic.

Very early on I decided that the “making of” book would not just be about the CORALINE movie. I wanted to broaden the appeal of the book to a much wider readership, so I broke it down into three parts that not only included the film, but also the genesis of Neil’s novel and the various other media adaptations of the material. That not only made it more interesting for me, as a writer, but hopefully for the reader as well.

It also goes to show just how good a book Neil’s original novel is – it lends itself to adaptation as a graphic novel, a stage musical, a puppet show and other, wildly diverse, interpretations.

J: How much access were you given to the director and the voice talents?

SJ: Sadly, not as much as I would have liked. As I said, most of the actors had done their bits long before I was asked to do the book. That’s why the material the film company sent me was so important.

I would have loved to have visited the production facilities in Portland once the first draft had been completed but, given the book being put on hiatus and the fact that nobody could agree who would pay for me to fly out there, it never happened.

That said, I ended up interviewing quite a number of people via e-mail or phone, so in the end it didn’t make a big difference to the content. I even went over my allotted word limit! Everybody I spoke to was very helpful.

I think the most surreal moment was when I had to telephone actor Ian McShane in his hotel suite in New York from London. He was a delight to talk to, and Neil and Henry were also a big help during the later stages of the writing.

J: The book is truly stunning - were you given final say of what pictures went in?

SJ: Not really. Because these kind of books are done months ahead of the actual release of the film, you are usually limited to what visual material the film company is willing to let you have – and they absolutely hate letting you have anything that far in advance in case anything leaks out! So it’s always a battle to get the best material you can. Of course, the first day the film opens to the public, any secrets or surprises are revealed. But they never seem to see it that way.

We eventually got quite a lot of visual material from the movie – in a big way thanks to Neil and Henry, I believe – and I sorted out the graphics from the other CORALINE adaptations. Dave McKean was a life-saver in that department – he very kindly allowed us to use his paintings and illustrations from the novel, and I think that they look fantastic in the book and give it a whole other level of elegance.

I did suggest which visuals should go where to accompany the text, and I ended up writing all the picture captions but, as with any book like this, it is ultimately put together my committee and hoards of film and publicity executives tinkered with my prose throughout the process. The final look of the book was essentially down to two designers employed by HarperCollins, with input from me.

J: Is there scope to work with Neil again on future film tie-ins?

SJ: I certainly hope so, but that is really up to Neil, his agent and whatever publisher they are working with. I definitely enjoy working on these kinds of projects – so long as the subject matter appeals to me, and I am allowed to do something a little bit different from a simple “puff” piece.

J: What do you think of the book? Is it how you envisioned when you first
started out?

SJ: I think the book looks wonderful. However, I think if I had been doing it with the British publisher, Titan Books again, we probably would have made it a bit more “funky” and included more diverse visual material.

One of my favourite sections of the book is where I trace the history of stop-motion animation from the birth of cinema to Henry Selick in around 1,000 words. It was a little writing test I set myself. I would have loved to have illustrated that with historical material, but the American designers rejected all the visuals I sent them.

They were a little more conservative than I would perhaps have been, but all books – like movies – are made up of compromises and, in the end, I’m very, very happy with the finished product.

J: Has Neil commented on the book?

SJ: I have heard from Neil, Henry Selick, and other contributors to the book, and they all seem to like it. Which is always nice. Especially when a project was as complicated and time-consuming as this one was.

J: How immersed are you when taking on a project of this magnitude? Do you have any life until it's done?

SJ: It is very hard work. Because you only have such a short time to do everything, you pretty much have to devote all your time to it. That’s why you really need to be working on something that you enjoy.

I already loved CORALINE the novel, I work well with Neil, and I’m a great fan of Henry Selick’s work, so for me it was a very enjoyable project – despite all the problems.

I hope that the readers – whether they are Neil fans or just fans of the movie – find the book entertaining and also learn something about the creative process from it. That’s what it is all about – whether you’re interested in how books are written and published, how movies are made and released, or how a project finds its way into other kinds of adaptations, I hope this book gives you an insight into all these creative endeavours.

Of course, at the end of the day, it is still a picture book. But, as with any project I undertake, I hope that it is ultimately that and a whole lot more.