Tony DiTerlizzi has experienced a level of success nearly as otherworldly as the creatures that spring from his mind. The imaginative boy from Florida who played Dungeons & Dragons grew up to illustrate and develop "worlds," or detailed scenarios, for the role-playing fantasy game. He went on to illustrate a number of award-winning children’s books before joining forces with friend and author Holly Black to create the wildly popular The Spiderwick Chronicles, now a film produced by Nickelodeon Movies and distributed by Paramount Pictures. His journey began where it continues today—in the realm of childhood fantasy.

"My love of books started early," he says. "I’d see a movie and couldn’t wait to read the book. I remember seeing the animated versions of The Hobbit and Watership Down as a child and watching Gene Wilder as Willy Wonka, then devouring those books, which led to more by the same authors. I read to my 2-year-old daughter Sophia all the time—I hope she catches the habit."

I first had the idea to make a big Audubon-esque field guide when I was 13," Tony says. "So I made up this book in which fictitious scientists illustrated and described mythological creatures, mixed in with some of my own creations." That idea grew into what eventually became The Spiderwick Chronicles, a five-book series that debuted in 2003, and Arthur Spiderwick’s Field Guide to the Fantastical World Around You (ASFG), published in 2005.

The world development work that Tony did early on for Dungeons & Dragons has served him well throughout his career, from the creation of creatures for the incredibly imaginative ASFG to the homey world of Kenny and the Dragon, Tony’s 2008 debut as a chapter book author.

"My work is more than just creating cool characters—it’s about the world they live in, the tools and artifacts. What does the architecture look like? What does this character’s bicycle look like? Some of the detail makes its way into the book and some of it doesn’t, but if you truly understand the character’s world, it makes your job much more enjoyable."

What is the most valuable piece of advice for fledgling authors and illustrators? Tony doesn’t hesitate for a moment with his answer. "What I’ve found to be crucial is something that no one teaches in art school. Learning your craft and creating a good story is certainly half of your challenge, but a big portion of your success has to do with your people skills. They are unbelievably important in working with the team of people responsible for a book: the editor, assistants, designers, marketing, publicity, and salespeople. I was fascinated from the start by all of the aspects of creating a book, and I was able to get to know the people involved in the whole process. I think the fact that I was willing to take the time to get to know these folks helped earn a little more support for my books early on."

People skills helped again as Tony’s creatures were brought to life during the making of the 2008 film The Spiderwick Chronicles. While meeting with the creature designers at Industrial Light and Magic along with co-author Holly Black, Tony offered input only in terms of what inspired his illustrations. Then he stepped back. "Respecting them all as artists was important to me, so I let them do their thing. Who wants to be told exactly how to do their job? It allowed them to be artists in their own right."

What’s it like having your story made into a film? "It sounds so cheesy, but it was better than I imagined. It was dreamlike, walking onto the set of the Spiderwick house. Industrial Light and Magic did the effects with Phil Tippet, who headed animation on The Empire Strikes Back and created the dinosaurs in Jurassic Park. I look back on it now, and I think, did that happen? That happened!"

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