Spier is an amazing draftsman and while his creatures remained realistic, they all displayed such emotion and fun. He really knows how to set a scene of characters interacting without the use of a single word. All of his books share the same love of natural science, detail and whimsy. They inspired my drawings as a child and continue to now as a professional artist. I wish I could be half as good as him!Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD-what are they?A: The book: It would have to be a book with a lot of pictures and a lot of words! DK's Animal: The Definitive Visual Guide of The World's Wildlife could keep me occupied for a long time. The CD: That's tough, because I am constantly buying new music. I have current favorites like The Killers and Delerium, but being a long time Madonna fan, I would have to say her first self-titled album was her best. Its fun and fresh. The DVD: I would probably take one of the discs from The Simpsons: Complete Season 6. Its my favorite show on TV, and that was a brilliant season. I could watch over and over again!. Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?A: Most of my lies are awful since I am such a terrible liar. My worst was back in 1st grade when my family lived in San Diego. My parents took me to the zoo every other weekend and I was a complete animal nut. So one day, I told my friend Rommel that I had a zoo in my backyard, complete with elephants, giraffes, and other wild beasts. He actually believed me! The silliest part of this lie was that I actually brought him over to see my "zoo," which did not exist. Rommell seemed unfazed when he caught my lie; children are pretty forgiving. I was one dumb kid!Q: Describe the perfect writing environment. A: To make pop-ups, I need lots of light, inspiration and thumping music! The studio where I make pop-ups is a simple office with large windows and filled with pop-up books in an old building in New York City. Thanks to satellite radio, we listen to all kinds of music (though I am partial to dance music). Being a child of the 80's, I also force my designers to listen to the 80's station almost everyday. We have a very casual, fun environment but are serious about the work we do. When I write, however, I need to be alone. I play quiet, soothing music in a small office at home. The office doubles as a toy room for my massive Transformers and Star Wars figure collections. When I have writer's block, I have plenty of toys to distract me!Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?A: "Thanks for the fun and don't touch my toys!"Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?A: My grandpa George, since he died before I was born and everybody in the family loved him so much. He really wanted a grandson but missed me by a few years. I'd like to get to meet him just once. Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?A: I would like to be able to morph into any form I choose like Mystique from X-Men or Beast Boy from the Teen Titans. Kind of like a Transformer robot that can turn into anything!.