Just Can't Get Enough by Matthew Robinson

Having her as a female role model might have given me greater self-belief to become a storyteller. Robinson:It’s sad that I didn’t know about Lotte when I was a young girl. I love that photo! Unlike some other animators, she remained an individual, not a brand.

And this may be controversial for me to mention even, but there’s a hilarious photo of her in her 80s, holding up a cutout, with a big smile and a cigarette dangling from her mouth. She had no business brain she was simply an artist whose work was all-consuming. And despite her obvious talent, she remained impoverished. Lotte was a very colorful character-talented, funny, and eccentric. And storytelling seems to me to be the essence of being human. I was also drawn to Lotte because she was a storyteller. Sometimes artists are really brave, and Lotte and her beloved Carl were especially so. All of them knew that as the Nazi wave grew, they were dancing “around the edge of a volcano,” as one historian said. Those artists were so adventurous and unconventional, and Lotte was part of that movement. I loved learning about the Bauhaus, so-called “degenerate” art, and the German silent movie scene with all its gothic horror glory. I do remember, though, that at art school I was especially enamored of Weimar culture. I’m fantasizing now that she must have whispered to me when I was unaware, “You know, you really should make a book about me, because I am fascinating!” It’s strange, because I usually have a freakishly reliable visual memory. Robinson: I can’t remember when I first heard about Lotte. When and how did you first learn about Lotte, and what made you decide to write and illustrate a picture book about her?

Winters: Yes, definitely! One of the reasons why I wanted to write about Lotte was because there didn’t seem to be enough books about her. Winters:Our Lotte Reiniger picture book biographies are releasing just under a year apart from each other, so I’m curious if we both developed an interest in Lotte’s story around the same time.įiona Robinson: Yes, I feel we may have created the book equivalent of waiting for a bus for hours, then two or three arriving all at once! But the more books about Lotte the better, because she should be known, especially to children interested in animation.

Just Can't Get Enough by Matthew Robinson