The Mo Willems Model
Mo Willems did not start with a franchise. He started with a single drawing of a pigeon. That pigeon became a book. The book became 30 books. Then a stage musical. His original notebook sketches now sell for thousands at auction.
The original never stopped working.
You are drawing small cards at 2.5"x3.5". That is the same scale as a notebook sketch. What you do after the card leaves your hands determines whether it becomes an asset or a one-time sale.
The Machine in Plain Terms
Willems did not plan an empire. He made a small, recognizable thing and kept returning to it. He let the audience and publishers find new ways to extend it. The pattern:
- Create something distinct and repeatable: a character, a subject, a recognizable style.
- Express it across multiple formats and price points.
- Listen to which version the audience responds to most.
- Follow that signal.
That is the full model. No secret. The discipline is in making a recognizable thing and paying attention to where it lands.
What Makes a Thing Stretch
The Pigeon works because it has a consistent personality. Collectors respond to recognizable style and character. A recurring subject builds attachment that a single one-off piece cannot.
Look at your portfolio and ask three questions.
- ?Do you have a recurring subject that appears across multiple cards?
- ?Is your visual style recognizable without reading your name?
- ?Do collectors specifically ask for more of one thing?
If yes, that is your Pigeon. Build on it.
The Scaled Model
You do not require a book deal to begin. Here is the scaled model:
Draw your character across 10 different scenarios or seasons.
Release it as a numbered series. Name it. Give it a volume number.
Offer open edition prints of the most popular pieces.
Offer the complete set bundle for collectors who want everything.
When collectors commission you, they will ask for your character. That is the leverage the work built.
The Original as the Apex
In every format your work takes, the original card should remain the rarest piece. It is the 1 of 1. Everything else points back to it and makes it more valuable.
Willems auction pieces are expensive because his books are everywhere. Mass distribution makes the original feel rare by contrast. Every book sold in a school bookstore adds value to the rough sketch.
Your prints and stickers work the same way. They make the original more valuable, not less.
The Single Card
Pick your most recognizable piece. Ask what a collector who loved it would want next. Make one version of that thing and list it. That is where it starts.