Now this series is incredibly popular, but for some reason the first books, which appeared ten years ago, did not take off. They came out with illustrations by the amazing artist Igor Oleinikov. Usachev plus Oleinikov plus cats - success, it would seem, is guaranteed for this project, but no... The book sold poorly, almost no one knew about “Katboy”, and then Oleinikov himself suggested that Usachev change the illustrator. Can you imagine what a move?! The famous artist suspected that the problem was in his pictures, and gave such selfless advice! How could you come up with such a thing?
Be that as it may, the writer followed the recommendation, and the new editions were illustrated by “cat specialist” Nikolai Vorontsov, also known as Uncle Kolya Vorontsov. And here success came: colorful cats won the hearts of children and adults. Oleynikov said that “Kolya did better.” And Uncle Kolya himself is pleased with the work: “The cats turned out good,” he says. “Tasty, meaty!”
Nikolai Vorontsov spent his childhood in western Ukraine, so another name by which he is known in literary circles is Mikola. In his youth he moved to Leningrad and became a student there at the Institute of Precision Mechanics, there was no talk of any drawing. I wasn’t interested, I didn’t intend to, I didn’t show any talent, but at the age of 22 I accidentally got into a cartoonist’s exhibition - and disappeared! He never turned out to be a real engineer, but first became an engineer-caricaturist, then a cartoonist, and then an illustrator. In addition to Usachev, he also illustrated Uspensky, Oster, and Kharms. And he also writes his own books - he wrote a whole series about the cat Pompon, which is why he is considered an expert on cats. Now he lives in St. Petersburg and seems to be becoming more and more popular.Well, for those who read the post to the end, a bonus: “The Last Catboy” is actually not the last. Two more parts are planned.
Chest in a vest, tail like a pipe - this is the glorious "Catboy"!
leave a comment