Dan Santat is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book All the Hulk Feels, which focuses on the Marvel character The Incredible Hulk. Santat's many other books include A First Time for Everything. He lives in Southern California.
Q: How did you come to create All the Hulk Feels?
A: This was a story that I came up with about 10 years ago. I never thought I would ever get to tell this story because I never thought I would ever get an opportunity to work with Marvel.
It started out as a casual joke among friends about the little things we all would get upset about and we would joke about things that would get us so mad that it could turn us into the Hulk. Things like someone cutting you off on the road while driving, a restaurant getting your order wrong, maybe a bird pooping on your head, etc.
I also thought about the fact that Bruce Banner and the Hulk never actually meet in person though they inhabit the same body and I wondered how they could possibly communicate with each other if they chose to.
So I loosely outlined a story about Hulk and Bruce Banner exchanging letters with one another because Bruce Banner had anger issues about little tiny things and I kept the idea in the back of my mind for years, joking with friends that it would be the story I would write if I ever had the opportunity.
Abrams/Marvel offered me this opportunity and I hopped at the chance!
Q: When dealing with an icon like the Hulk, what did you want to bring to the story?
A: I wanted to do something different from the usual misunderstood monster trope. I wanted to make a story that was more lighthearted and fun and try to explore the funnier aspects of anger, because some folks can get very upset about some absurd things.
If folks took a moment to think about what it was that was making them upset I think they would find that they would realize that it’s usually over very trivial things.
Q: What inspired the style of your illustrations for this book?
A: The style is done in two forms to depict their personalities. When you see the pages that show Bruce Banner, the art is very clean and polished, the panels have straight edges, the handwriting is written in all caps done very cleanly, and the shading and highlights are rendered with precision.
With Hulk, it’s done is a very childish way. The art feels like it has been done crudely in color pencil. The borders are rough and jagged. The type is crudely handwritten like a child.
Q: What do you think are some of the most common perceptions and misconceptions about the Incredible Hulk?
A: Whenever I would read stories about the Hulk he always seemed to be characterized with the same brush. He was an angry uncontrollable monster. A man child who was questionably the worst side of Bruce Banner.
The detail that I feel most people fail to see is that Hulk isn’t what triggers the anger, it’s Bruce’s anger that turns him into the Hulk and Hulk is then thrust into these situations where his strength and anger are an asset.
I wanted to show Hulk’s sensitive side. It is Hulk who is a prisoner to Bruce. Hulk is someone who only appears once triggered by Bruce and is someone who ONLY gets to feel rage but wishes he could feel other emotions.
The injustice of his situation is that the moment he stopes feeling angry then he morphs back into Bruce Banner. Hulk decides to stand up for himself and through a series of letters he reminds Bruce of this privilege that he has.
It’s not that Bruce’s feelings aren’t valid, but to easily be triggered by little things is a misuse of an emotion that can be so harmful and destructive to the people around them. This story is an opportunity for Hulk to be the voice of reason.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m illustrating a chapter book series written by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver called Detective Duck, as well as illustrating a middle grade series written by Lisa Yee called The Misfits, and there’s a series of "Pick Your Own Path" picture books that I’m illustrating that have been written by Laurel Snyder called Endlessly Ever After.
In terms of my own authored projects I’m continuing a four-book story arc of my graphic novel series called Sidekicks, as well as starting a six-book graphic novel series called A Fishboy Named Sashimi. I’m also illustrating a few other picture books from various authors.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I’m very tired.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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