In this collector interview we are going to meet Elisa Gozzi and her pop-up book collection. Elisa, who also won a prize with our Giveaway event, is a student of Art History in Bologna, Italy and in her free time she’s helping associations that organize pop culture and comic events.
Elisa has been collecting pop-up books for 10 years now and collecting pop-up books probably is something she took from her family. Elisa’s family also likes to collect all kinds of beautiful things for their “Wunderkammer” like antique objects, furniture and paintings.
Interview
BPUB – What’s the first pop-up book you bought?
EG – I didn’t actually bought it, but I received my very first pop up book from my dad when he went to Paris 10 years ago and he gave me Alice’s adventures in Wonderland by Robert Sabuda as a present. He was amazed by this book and he wanted me to love it as well. It ended up being a true passion for collecting pop up books.
BPUB – Who are your favorite pop-up book authors or paper engineers?
JY – I’d say the most popular Robert Sabuda and Matthew Reinhart, their books are true masterpieces, but I’d mention Junko Mizuno too, who’s not really a paper engineer but her TRIAD pop-up book is amazing.
“My idea about pop up books: they’re not books for children, they’re art”
Elisa Gozzi
BPUB – What are your favorite books in your collection and why?
EG – It’s not easy to pick a few books since they’re all works of art but if I had to choose I’d say Jeux t’aime by Appert Carole and Vidaling Raphaele because it faces the theme of love and sexuality in a delicate and artistic way, for example in this book we find a large map of love where every part hide a particular subliminal image, there is also a page that opens on a giant naked woman that could be dissected and inside of her we find pieces of poetry. It’s visionaire and unique and I think that explains perfectly my idea about pop up books: they’re not books for children, they’re art.
BPUB – How many books are there in your collection?
EG – Since I received the lovely Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles pop up book from your giveaway, I’ve got 44 pop up books.
BPUB – What book is missing or will be the first one you’ll order next?
EG – Definitively Skinner’s Necronomicon. I am a huge Lovecraft fan, so when I heard about this pop up book and saw the sneak peeks I immediately loved them. Also, I went to New York Comic Con a few days ago and I could see and touch the amazing This Book is a Planetarium by Kelli Anderson: it’s such a great book and soon it will enter my collection.
BPUB – If you could choose a subject for a new pop-up book by your favorite author, what would it be?
EG – Please make an Adventure Time pop up book! It’s such a colorful and surrealist tv show that if it turned into a pop up it would be truly amazing.
BPUB – Is there anything else you would like to share with other pop-up book fans?
EG – I would like to say that you should stop and think how incredible pop up books are: in a society where paper books are disappearing and everything is becoming just a file in our kindle, pop up books can’t be replaced in any technological way and I’m sure they will share their magic in the future. Last but not least, I thank Best Pop Up Books for their incredible work and passion, the idea of a pop up books related website is pure genius.
BPUB – Thank you Elisa for sharing your pop-up book collection with us!
WANTED: Pop-up book fans and collectors
Do you have a pop-up book collection you would like to share with other fans? Do you have special items like a signed book or special edition? Let us know and send us a picture and answer the questions below and maybe, you’ll find your collection on this page!
How it works
Send us a high resolution (landscape crop) picture of you and your pop-up book collection and a short introduction of yourself. Don’t forget to include the answers to the questions from our Fan interview. You can send it to fans@bestpopupbooks.com
