Brand Interview – Robert Neubecker, Author and Illustrator

Brand Interview – Robert Neubecker, Author and Illustrator

Robert Neubecker Portrait

How long has your company been in business? Please tell us a bit about your company, its mission, goals…
I’ve been making illustrations for print and now web applications for thirty-five years. I work for Slate.com, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal as well as firms like Charles Schwab, Fair Health and Astellas Pharma.  In addition, I’ve been authoring and illustrating books for children for the last ten.

An excerpt from Robert’s Blog, so interesting!

“…In those days I had an unheated loft on Fifth Avenue. It had seventeen windows with great views of lower Manhattan. I could count forty wooden water tanks from my southeast window. It was punk rock days and I was well acquainted with every nightclub in Lower Manhattan.

In the eighties, I moved to a loft in Tribecca and began to work for magazines. I also rented the second floor of a charming 1810 house in Sag Harbor across from the elementary school. The most magical sound in the world is children’s voices at recess. I learned to surf. It changed my life. I loved it instantly… >>More

PRINT Beast Interview Robert Neubecker

Do you donate to charities? Tell us about that also and why.
I generally donate original art to school charity auctions, and I’ve done a pretty complete brand identity campaign for my daughter’s charter school, pro bono.

How did you know what typeface (font) would be right for your company wordmark or logo? If your logo has an illustration, describe why that art was the right thing, animal, place, object, etc.
All my art is illustration- I generally go with a serif face, Bookman, Bodoni, New York, because they have a more elegant, literary feel.

Slate dot com website Robert Neubecker

How did you decide on the right color palette to fit your company look and feel?
As an illustrator, this doesn’t apply. The color palette to any given illustration matches the mood of the idea that I’m getting across, be it a serious editorial issue for The New York Times or the wonderfully healing effects of a new drug for a pharmaceutical company.

How did you decide which type of designer to work with, or did you design your own identity and web presence?
I work with several different professional web outlets designed specifically for illustrators. Some are Illoz.com & Drawger.com, invitation only sites for top professionals, or I-spot.com and Workbook.com, which are open to all by subscription, and cast a wide net.

In what order did you present your company to the world? Did you start with marketing and products, or website, blog and social media?
Website.

What Little Boys Are Made Of - Robert Neubecker

How long after the launch of your company did you start pitching in social media?
Um. I don’t consider traditional web presence, including to-the-trade blogs like Drawger.com, social media. I put pictures of my kids and dogs on Facebook for my friends.

Did you do research or study any software, take webinars, teleclasses, before approaching any area of your marketing or web presence?
No.

Wow! Ocean! by Robert Neubecker

Do you advertise locally in newspapers and/or nationally in magazines? Are they effective?
There are to-the-trade print and web directories for people like me. I use them, and they work.

Do you advertise online using Google, Facebook or on other company sites? Are they effective?
Doesn’t apply to me directly. I’m a professional design and illustration service to media and don’t deal directly with the public. My book publishers do, however, and they market on all those platforms.

Did you know anything about different types of papers, when you wanted to print your marketing materials?
My publisher’s department.

Have you ever used “green” technology in printing, using FSC certified papers or recycled paper and if not, how likely are you at trying this on a next project?
I just make the pictures!

Ohio Medical Interview by Robert Neubecker

If you sell products, are they produced in the USA or abroad?
Newspapers and magazines, here. Books, abroad.

Is there anything you haven’t yet tackled, but will want to do soon?
Do more animation.

Robert Neubecker working in his studio

To learn more about Robert Neubecker, his books and illustration, visit the links below:

Website: Neubecker.com
Website: Neubeckerbooks.com
Blog: http://www.drawger.com/neubecker/
Robert on Amazon

 

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