We were lucky to catch up with Bruce Foster recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Bruce thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.

In 2018 following my keynote address for the 25th anniversary of the Movable Book Society, our founder and patron saint, Ann Staples Montenaro, announced her retirement. Not only did her love of pop-up and movable books inspire her to bring like-minded people together, but she tirelessly quarter after quarter for 25 years gathered news, introduced new paper engineers, and championed our art form in the Movable Stationery newsletter. This publication was too important to let (it) languish. I had always enjoyed membership in the group from almost its very beginning, but always had felt that I had not fully contributed my fair share in support. Luckily, in addition to my pop-up book creations as a paper engineer, I had also enjoyed a career as graphic designer, art director, and creative director. So I volunteered to take it over.
A little over four years later and 16 issues in, utilizing full color photos, hyperlinks and videos, the newsletter has transformed into an online (and print) magazine and is still going strong. It discusses the past, relishes the current, and supports the next generation of wonderful paper engineers. I feel very lucky to have been given this opportunity. See below for a link to back issues.

Bruce , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

In 1989 while a freelance graphic designer in Houston, an assignment fell across my desk that changed my life. Coca-Cola Foods’ Hi-C Juices wanted a mailer created that utilized a three dimensional component: a pop-up. I had never really been exposed to this art form before, not as a child, not as an art student. But here suddenly was a path forward that could combine my graphic design skills along with my earlier art school interest in three dimensional art. It was magic. And I was hooked.

Since that first assignment, which incidentally was to create a pop-up of the world’s first tetra pack JUICE BOX (anyone remember Ecto-Cooler?) I have paper engineered over 65 published pop-up books and more than a hundred cards or other paper art form. I have designed the pop-up book seen in the opening of Disney’s Enchanted. I engineered and designed a pop-up book about the movies of Harry Potter. MoMA has brought me to the Chelsea studio of one of my graduate school heroes, Elizabeth Murray, to create a pop-up book of her extraordinary three dimensional paintings. I have worked with the magnificent Ginny Ruffner on not one, but two books of her insightful treatises on creativity. Contemporary children’s book maestro Mo Willems asked me to work with him on a playful pop-OUT book. I have worked with illustrator Chuck Fischer on not one, but FIVE pop-up books ranging from Christmas traditions to the Bible’s book of Genesis to A Christmas Carol. Through my work, I have even met a childhood hero of mine: Buzz Aldrin!

In all of these, it was my task to plan out the pop-ups, to pace the story or subject, to realize the potential of the movable or three-dimensional possibilities of these works, to direct the illustrators (when I am not illustrating), to work with the printers and hand assemblers to assure a quality outcome.

Travels have taken me to Bangkok, Paris, Seoul, Abu Dhabi, across America and back to Washington DC to develop, celebrate, or speak about my paper engineering. I work closely with skilled printers in China and Bangkok.

Schools by the hundreds have invited me to speak to their young students about my work and the intersection of math and magic in pop-up books. Seeing the spark in those young eyes has been among my most treasured experiences.

It has been an excellent path, full of triumphs, delights, challenges to be sure, but above all, one of wonder and fulfillment.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

While a graduate student in studio art at The University of Tennessee nearly a decade earlier from my entry into paper engineering, my paintings had been influenced dramatically by both an interest in three dimensional space along with friendships I had formed with students in the sculpture department. Life, however, is not a straight path, and, sadly, some of those curves led me away from studio art. But here, HERE, was a path back to sculptural expression.

You see, for most of the 80’s following a time when my life took a sudden and unexpected turn, I did not know where my future would lead. Aimlessly moving from Tennessee to Louisiana and then to Florida, I was creatively and emotional lost. But I met Lori, a wonderful woman who has been my love and partner ever since. Her career brought us to Texas, where we put down roots, raised two beautiful daughters, and I settled into a career as a graphic designer. But the opportunity to delve into paper engineering from the Hi-C project gave me a new goal, albeit uncertain. So I continued working as a graphic designer, then art director, and finally creative director while I learned the craft and made contacts.

Eventually, my dual career came to a head. Understandably, the firm where I was Creative Director, wanted my focus to be solely on their goals. But those goals were not MY goals. So here is my pivot. I took a leap of faith and resigned from that position to take the paper engineering full time. It was such a bold move that the Houston Chronicle even did a half page story on the pivot and my popped up dreams! Exciting and frightening all at the same time. It was a nerve wracking decision, but one my family fully supported.

So it has been 18 years since then. Most of my pop-up work has been after that fork in the road. Sure there have been difficult times, choices, and hurdles to overcome, but I do not regret it. I still feel like my best work is yet to come!

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I hope to share more of my community of paper engineers and the Movable Book Society, but I would be remiss if I didn’t also talk about another organization that has been instrumental for me: The Society of Childrens’ Book Writers and Illustrators or SCBWI for short.

I wish I had known about SCBWI sooner or rather, I wish I had taken more advantage of what they offer. I encourage all writers and illustrators, especially those reaching out to readers under the age of 20, to look into your local chapter. This organization of like minded creatives is open, generous, and absolutely essential for success. They have speakers, support groups, critique groups, local and national conferences at which editors, writers, and art directors give their advice and guidance.

And of course, I wish that I had been more active in our Movable Book Society over the years. But I am making efforts now by investing a lot of time, sweat, and love into the new quarterly newsletter. I transformed the print only and often black ink only newsletter into a vibrant, photo and hyperlink heavy online magazine. It even features videos of the pop-ups in action whenever available! A print version is available as well. Through this magazine, I am showcasing all these wonderful works of past and upcoming talented paper engineers. See for yourself at www.movablebooksociety.org/newsletter. Some are locked for a time, but many are now accessible to the public.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.paperpops.com, www.movablebooksociety.org,
• Instagram: instagram.com/bfpop
• Linkedin: Bruce Foster
• Twitter: @bfpop438
• Youtube: bfoster438