‘The Last Coloring Book,’ unbound by convention

The adult-coloring book is a bona fide, if curious, fad. That leaves it open to inspired reinterpretation, such as “The Last Coloring Book,” by Jimmy Angelina and Wyatt Doyle. “Whether someone actually chooses to pick up a box of crayons and go at it, that’s up to them,” said Angelina. “Whatever they do with it, I hope they have fun!”

LEO: Why create an adult coloring book together?

Jimmy Angelina: The idea was Wyatt’s. We’d been discussing a collaboration for a bit, and his idea of merging our mutual love of movies with a slightly satirical take on adult coloring books seemed like a perfect fit. We put a lot of love of movies and off-beat humor into it, so I hope that anybody who grabs a copy will enjoy it in that spirit and have a good time with it.

Wyatt Doyle: We were attracted to the idea of creating a book that may, or may not, be what its cover claims it is, and our tastes run to art that resists easy classification. So it was important that there be more to ‘The Last Coloring Book’ than meets the eye. It’s an adult coloring book. It’s a satire of adult coloring books. It’s a portrait gallery. It’s a checklist. It’s a self-help book. It’s a conversation. It’s an autobiography. To swipe from Alejandro Jodorowsky: If you’re great, ‘The Last Coloring Book’ is a great book; if you’re limited, it’s a coloring book.

You obviously have a love of film. The images in the book are stills from 1970s movies, like ‘The Man Who Would Be King’ and ‘The Last Detail.’ Why these characters?

JA: I’ll let Wyatt speak to that, as all the editorial choices were his. However, I know we’re coming from pretty much the same place, as far as the kinds of movies that we love and enjoy are concerned, so I was more than happy with all the choices that were made. As for ‘70s movies, I’m a big fan. That’s a decade in which movies seemed much more unbound by convention and strict box office concerns than at other periods (with abundant exceptions, of course!).

WD: Since children’s coloring books focus on scenes and subjects children find entertaining, our adult coloring book does the same for adults. Where ‘Hello Kitty’ might provide a cupcake party to be colored, we offer a selection of characters in crisis, in many cases coming to terms with the wreckage they’ve made of their lives.

Please explain why it’s titled ‘The Last Coloring Book.’

JA: A straight-up pun on ‘The Last Detail’ and also a joking allusion to its being the last coloring book you’ll ever need.

WD: There’s no single answer to that, and there’s no wrong answer, either. It’s a title that’s open to many different interpretations, and all of them are correct. Like so much about the book, if you think you’ve figured out what it means, you’re right.

Are there any future collaborations planned?

JA: Yes. More than one, hopefully.

WD: I look forward to them, whatever they may be. I don’t care if Jimmy wants to do a connect-the-dots book, I’m in. Support independent artists and publishers.

This article appears in October 19, 2016.