Kory Merritt says he has always liked to draw and illustrate, “we had lots of books as kids,” the 2003 Spencerport High School graduate says, “my parents both are teachers.”
Kory’s talents as an artist/illustrator have recently taken him from teaching elementary art to the New York Times Best Seller list. He is illustrator of the Poptropica adventure comic series of books based on the online role-playing game developed by Jeff Kinney, author of the very popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. Additionally, Kory’s own book – The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York – which he wrote and illustrated – was published in October 2015 by Andrews McMeel.
In its review of Jonathan York, American book review magazine, “Kirkus Reviews,” praised Kory for showing, “both a knack for evocative phrasing, and a deft hand at crafting flamboyantly icky monsters in creepy settings … The atmospheric drawings not only offer an array of luxuriantly grotesque swamp residents to ogle, but sometimes even take over for the legibly hand-lettered narrative by expanding into wordless sequences and side tales.”
Kory explains that he got his start illustrating cartoons while a student at the College at Brockport majoring in art education. In 2007, his senior year, Kory was illustrating for the college newspaper, The Stylus, when he won the prestigious John Locher Memorial Award – a national award for outstanding young cartoonists.He traveled to Washington, DC, for the award presentation.
The recognition opened up new opportunities for Kory, who was able to post stories and illustrations on news syndicate websites while working as an elementary art teacher in the Hammondsport school district.
“I was able to develop a style and improve,” meeting daily deadlines, Kory explains. In 2013, an opportunity to do freelance illustrating presented itself and Kory was chosen to work with Jeff Kinney as illustrator of the four-book series of Poptropica books. “I was floored when I saw I had an email from him,” Kory says of Kinney. “His books are so popular, kids go nuts for them.”
The first book in the series, Mystery of the Map, is a NY Times Best Seller. The second book is due out in August and Kory is currently working on the third.
Kory decided to leave his teaching job to work at illustrating full time in 2015. He says the Hammondsport schools were very supportive of his decision and he has moved back to Spencerport where he can be near his parents, Rick and Patti Merritt, and enjoy making use of the canal trail. “I run and walk the trail, I go to Wegmans via the trail. I love the canal trail,” Kory says.
His talent and connections with editors led to the publication of his own book last year. Kory says Jonathan York is geared towards the age 11 to 14 middle-grade market, which continues to do well.
The story of Jonathan York was one Kory had worked on previously and one which Andrews McMeel liked. Kory says the story was inspired by classic folk tales and storytelling.
Jonathan York is a, “wimpy person who goes through challenges,” Kory says. York travels to Halfrock Swamp but must tell a story before being allowed to stay at Cankerbury Inn. York believes he has no story, but after being cast back out into the night, his experiences provide more than enough fodder for a tale to earn his night’s sleep.
Kory says he, “loves doing his own stories,” and now that he has an agent, hopes to do more of his own writing and illustrating in the future. He works mainly in pen and ink and watercolor. “I love to draw animals with lots of detail,” he notes.
Kory says his style is influenced by the loose style of Shel Silverstein; children’s book illustrator and Disney Studios writer Bill Peet; and Gina Phleegor, a high school art teacher at Hammondsport, who also works as an illustrator, and who was very supportive of his own illustrating career, Kory explains.
The Dreadful Fate of Jonathan York is available through the Andrews McMeel website – andrewsmcmeel.com – or directly from barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com.
