Popping Up

with Matthew Reinhart

Phobias and The Pop-Up Book of Nightmares. He then branched out on his own with his first solo book, Animal Popposites.

W hen you crack open a book by author and artist Matthew Reinhart, you never know what crazy critter or fantastical character will jump off the page and into your imagination.

Working with Robert Sabuda (the Prince of

Pop-ups), Reinhart constructed paper special effects in the Encyclopedia Prehistorica series and the Young Naturalist Pop-Up Handbooks of beetles and butterfies. He engineered The Pop-Up Book of

 

“It’s a series of little pop-up flaps with opposite a mechanism to turn the lightsaber on when the animals, one being drawn on the flap’s cover and pop-up opens. I knew it’d be cool to see Luke and the other a pop-up inside,” Reinhart explains. “I tried Vader dueling from across the pages.” to make unconventional creatures rather than the Reinhart is now working on the follow-up series obvious ones — for instance, a mouse was brave to Encyclopedia Prehistorica, called Encyclopedia while the elephant was afraid.” Mythologica. “The first of the three volumes is

More recently Reinhart has ventured to a galaxy all about fairies, mermaids, pixies, and magical far, far away with his new book, Star Wars: A Pop-Up beasts!” he says. “It’s kind of weird to go from Star Guide to the Galaxy. “I worked for a year, and during Wars vehicles, droids, and creatures, to fairies, the last 4 months, 7 days a week and all day long,” but I like the challenge. After Fairies and Magical Reinhart says. “I was obsessed with getting everything Creatures, I’ll continue with Dragons and Monsters, right while still interpreting the galaxy in my unique and then Gods and Heroes. Maybe if I’m lucky, way. Star Wars is one of the sole reasons I am an I’ll get to do a Star Wars Prequel Trilogy Pop-up artist today. The collaboration of artists over the last Guide to the Galaxy.”

30 years always inspired me, and it made me see that For novice paper engineers, Reinhart offers a I could make a living in the arts doing what I loved. few tips to start making pop-up books and cards.

Photograph by Sam Murphy

“My favorite pop-ups in the book are the Hoth “Try and try again — we make many, many mis-battle on the first spread, with the stomping AT-AT; takes to get to the finished pop-ups,” he advises. the rancor with thrashing claws (and a doomed “Look at pop-ups that you like, and try to remake Gamorrean in his clutches); the completely three- them yourself. We use scissors, tape, glue, and dimensional Millennium Falcon; and the exploded 110-pound cardstock that you can easily find at an Cantina with practically all of the scum and villainy office supply store. Start simple, and you’ll gradu-inside! The light-up lightsabers are über-cool, as ally get better. Pop-ups don’t happen perfectly the well as the helmet of Vader, which ominously closes first time, so be patient. Don’t let failure get in your over the scarred face of Anakin Skywalker.” way; learn from a ‘failed’ pop.

Among the more unusual aspects of Reinhart’s “Sometimes we listen to the pops to hear where Star Wars book are pop-ups within pop-ups, and paper is catching or snagging. At my partner Robert mini plastic lightsabers that light up. “I began with Sabuda’s website, robertsabuda.com, there are all just engineering the pop-up, and getting Vader’s kinds of make-your-own pops to print and build, and Luke’s postures just right,” he says. “Once we complete with step-by-step instructions.” got the saber working, I worked on creating —Bonnie Burton