Illustrator Jodi Pedri Inks License Deal with National Manufacturer

I recently interviewed the very gifted illustrator Jodi Pedri. Pedri has been a freelance illustrator for the past two decades and recently launched her own line of greeting cards and gift books called Working Girls that debuted at the International Licensing Show in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay, June 2-4, 2009.

So Jodi, how was the show?

You know what, I thought it went well. This being my first show I really did not know what to expect but we had a lot of interest in the designs and seeing the other artists and visiting with the manufacturer reps was an educational and great experience.

Did you do anything special, to make your artwork stand out at the show?

I did, I had many of my new designs printed on a shiny black film and I think it made the artwork really pop. The booth space was only 10 by 10 and it really could not hold furniture so I just had the furniture and chandeliers printed right on the film. Adding a touch of glitter and some mirrors and fabric it really helped the designs stand out.

So any promising leads after the show?

Yes, we have two contracts already in progress, one is with a major paper goods distributor who has picked up 6 designs for napkins. The other is for a Working Girl calendar. We are very excited about the calendar because so many women love the designs and its exciting to think women will be hanging up The Working Girls all year long!

What other projects are you working on?

Living in Las Vegas we see an endless stream of tourists come and leave our city and I thought, why not send them home with a Working Girl t-shirt! This project is very exciting to us because the designs and printing our done in Las Vegas. As you know, we have unemployment rates reaching nearly 11% and between the foreclosure rates and job losses, we feel really good about putting people to work in Las Vegas. Even if the Working Girl line just captures a very small piece of the tourist market, it could be very big for our company and for the community. All of the designs center around the Las Vegas sign. I did a very lose interpretation of the sign but I think it works.

So what kinds of things do you have your "Working Girls" doing in Vegas?

Well humor and fun sells, and so we pitched a few ideas to the buyers and they really seem to like them. Some of the designs include "I got married in Vegas" "Bachelorette Party in Vegas" "I lost my shirt in Vegas" and "I bluffed my way in Vegas." My husband Joe is helping with ideas as well, we even have some designs for men we are pitching including "I played a round in Vegas" and its referring to him golfing in Vegas.

Sounds fun, what's next for you?

We have some more contracts coming in and I am gearing up to illustrate some fun and festive holiday designs for the Working Girls. Our portfolio continues to grow as well, with over 250 designs available for license, we plan to keep working with other manufacturers and pitching our designs for everything from paper and napkins to high end mugs and martini glasses.

You also have a line of gift books, that plays on the same humor concept. I noticed that you take on some tough subjects though like Divorce and Widowhood.

Yes, the books are really what started this whole Working Girl line. The widow book was the first book I illustrated and really that's how the Working Girl was born. It was a labor of love and took months to design, but every time we get positive feedback from women it makes it all worth while. The central message of the gift book -Oh $#%%, I'm a Widow -- is that we recognize this is a club that NO ONE wants to be in. That being said, the message is now to find joy when and however you can. We understand there is love and loss many times throughout a woman's life, but in the end we know that there can be tremendous healing with the love and support of friendship. We get letters not only from women who received the book as a gift, but also from women who bought the book. They say thank you, for putting into words what I just didn't know how to say.

That's great Jodi. Are the books available nationwide?

No not yet, we are just test marketing them her locally in Nevada and a few dozen gift shops in the midwest. We are really in search of a literary agent and then hope to contract with Andrews McMeel or some other large publishing house who can really take our message to the world. We know we have something spectacular, now we just need the rest of the world to know about it.

Best of luck to you Jodi. You'll definitely be one illustrator to watch.

Well thank you, I just get my inspiration from all the wonderful women in my inner circle, my mother, my daughters and my friends. This business was born out of a desire to make women smile, and it really is true, if you can make momma happy, then everybody's happy!

For more information on Jodi Pedri and her Working Girl Designs and Books visit One of A Kind By Jodi