School Visits with Michael Rex

Hello.  Just want to let everyone know that I am always booking school visits.

I love meeting my readers.  The hardest part of my job is working alone day after day.  Being able to spend time in a school with hundreds of laughing students is always a joy, and a great way to remember why I do what I do!

My high-energy presentation focuses on the making of a book.  I start with ideas, sketches and rough drafts then move onto re-writes and finally to the illustration process.  I also do a live drawing demo for the students, and if there’s time, have the students draw along with me.  I always end with a Q and A so the kids get a chance to ask me anything they want.

I stress the importance of writing and re-writing over and over until the work is the best it can be, and let the kids know that even a “pro” gets things wrong.

I have presented in single classrooms and in very large auditoriums, and feel comfortable talking to groups of any size.

I will gladly speak to any age group, but feel that my presentation is best for K-6.  When speaking to older students, I essentially do the same talk, but I add more details, and sometimes discuss the frustrations and difficulties of making books.

I also have a presentation based on parody.  I guide the students through the creation of modern parodies, discuss the “rules” of parody, and then we write and draw our own together.  We also discuss how anyone can make something funny.

If you are interested in a visit, please contact me for rates and availability. I live in NJ, and have travelled to schools all across the country. If fees are a concern, I can offer discounted rates if multiple schools can be booked for visits.

I hope to hear from you!---Mike Rex

mikerexbooks@gmail.com

FANGBONE! is Here!

Finally!  Fangbone! premiered today on Disney XD across the US.  It will be on every day at 12:30 and 4:30 for the next few weeks.  Please take some time and check it out.  I'm very proud of it, and I'm thrilled to be able to share it with everyone.

Fangbone! Making of Video #1

Fangbone! VR Goggles

In one of the forthcoming episodes of the Fangbone TV show, Fangbone and Bill use these odd Skullbanian Virtual Reality goggles.  This is one of the first things that I drew using the Wacom Cintiq.  At the moment it looks like the show will be hitting Canada in March, and on Disney XD in the US sometime in the fall.

First Fangbone!

Aside from a few doodles, this is really the "first" Fangbone drawing I ever completed.  It's still very rough, and sketchy, but this image nailed down what I was thinking about.  "Bonesword" was the kid barbarian's name for a short while, but was changed to Fangbone very early in the project.

Bill also became bolder, and a more important part of the story.  In this drawing he looks like the just tags along being scared.

I think that original title of the book was "Bonesword and Bill" for a bit as well.  The main reason "Bonesword" was changed is that it was a tough word to read correctly.  It could be read as "Bone-sword" which was correct, but people also read it as "Bone's-word" which was not my inattention at all.

I like this drawing.  When I was first thinking about this idea, it was more of an illustrated chapter book, and not a comic, so this detailed, fussy style might have worked.

Sketchbook and updates...

Again, I can't believe how much time has passed since my last update.  I finished the last Icky Ricky book (#6), and went right into drawing a new picture book.  Animation has started on the Fangbone! TV show, we've got a large chunk of the 50, 11-minute scripts written, and episodes are in all different stages of production.  It's a lot to keep up with.  I've also completed my school visits for the year.

I'm going to post a few sketchbook pieces just to keep up with this, but I am planning a few specific updates soon.

With no particular logic here are some kids, an old car, and some raggedy aliens...

Fangbone! wins!

I'm very happy to announce that the Fangbone! pilot won the 2015 Kidscreen award for Best One-Off, Special or TV Movie.  We're off and running!

2015 News...

Happy New Year!  I feel that I can still say that since it's only January 31. I haven't posted since October, which I think is one of the longest lulls I've ever had.  The truth is, I have been crazy busy, and things are amazing right now.  In a few weeks I'll have a ton of news about Fangbone!  I'm also working on the art for Icky Ricky 6, and the picture book I wrote about in the previous post.

I was going through my phone and deleting pictures that I no longer need, and I came across these 3 shots from a school visit.  I had eaten lunch with some kids, and then we drew on the table cloth.  Truthfully, I can't remember what school it was, but I had a lot of fun, and this kids seem to enjoy it as well.

I'll be posting often in the next few weeks.  Enjoy.

Happy New Year!

I had an entire other New Year's post ready to go, and then as I pulled up this piece of art, it occurred to me that I didn't actually draw it.  This is a promo piece for the Fangbone! pilot which will be done soon.  This year is a huge roll of the dice and I must admit that I am very nervous.  The show could get picked up which would be amazing and a life-long dream to be working in TV/Film.  (Before I took my illustration career seriously I studied Film at SVA.)

Or, knock on wood, the show doesn't get picked up, then...well, then I have to make peace with that somehow.

But here's the thing...I'm proud of the work I've done on the show.  I'm thrilled that the producers have treated me with such respect and have kept my so involved. I'm over-the-moon happy with the work that the writers and animators have put into it.  It's really, really good and I can't wait for it to be seen.  It's taken years to learn this, but at the end of the day, I must be content with knowing that I did my best.  Whether people like my books, or my art, or the show, well, I can't control that.

Here's to 2014 and doing my best!

Fangbone 4?

I keep getting e-mails asking if I am working on Fangbone! #4.  Sadly, I'm not.  But I have been working on a pilot for Disney Xd Cananda.  Check out this video!

If you want to got, go here!  Choose the voice of Fangbone!

Fangbone! Pumpkin

I just got this excellent shot of a Fangbone! pumpkin from Tom Angleberger.  Yes, the same Tom Angleberger that is responsible for the very funny and hugely popular "Origami Yoda" series of books.  It seems that he's a pretty big fan of Fangbone!  Check out how the horns are made of pumpkin as well.  Look closely, and you can see there's a little carved skull on the top.

I've never net Tom, but we have chatted through e-mail a handful of times.  One of these days I hope to run into him in person. Thanks for taking the time to make this, Tom, and for sending along the picture.

Fangbone! TV Pilot Art

Wow!  I have a great big pile of Fangbone! TV pilot art to share with you today.  I've been sitting on this all summer, but was recently given the go-ahead to post it.  All of the below work was drawn by the wonderful people at Mercury Filmworks.  None of it is mine.

This is what Fangbone's cave looks like now.

The kitchen in Bill's house.

 This is a battle dummy that Fangbone uses to develop his barbarian skills.

 Here are the two other Skullbania warriors that will be regulars on the show.

You can nevr have enough trolls.

 Here's a sketch of Drool's throne room.  This was used to determine scale.  That little red guy is Drool.

Action pose of Fangbone.  This was one of the first pieces that was produced to get a sense of what the who would look like.

Fangbone's original name was...

I hand kind of forgotten about this, but “Fangbone” was originally named “Bonesword.” When I pitched the “third grade barbarian” idea to my editor, he really liked it, but said that the name didn’t work.  He was worried that it would read as “Bones Word” as opposed to “Bone Sword.”  He sent me off to come up with another name, and after putting together some words that I liked, “Fangbone” showed up. 

If I remember, I wanted his sword, which was made of bone, to play a part in the narrative, but that didn’t end up going anywhere.  Bill’s name was a no-brainer.  I just needed a simple, one-syllable boys’ name that was very common.

This was one of the very first drawings for this idea that I made, and I like the loose watercolor.  

More Fangbone! TV design sketches

The Fangbone! pilot is flying along.  Early in the summer the all of the voices were recorded, the storyboards are done, designs have been finalized, and right now I am patiently waiting for the first rough edit.

I still can’t show any of he work produced by the great folks at Mercury Filmworks, but I can post sketches that I have done.

While the designers use some of my sketches almost verbatim, others are used as jumping off points.  People have asked me if I have liked working with other artists, and how it feels to have my worked changed.  Personally, I think it’s great.  The people I am working with are insanely talented, and they really understand Fangbone!

In fact, the best part of this project has been the day I spent up at Mercury doodling and laughing with the lead designer.  It made me feel like I was drawing in my parent’s basement with my friends when I was a kid. It reminded me of why I got into drawing and telling stories for a living.

The actual animation is scheduled to start in September.

This is a detailed drawing of Fangbone's cave.

Some ideas for the tents that the barbarian clans would use.

A throne for Drool.  Known as the "Bone Throne."

This is a communication portal that Fangbone uses to talk to the wizard in Skullbania.  I can't show you him, but he's awesome.

This is how Drool watches Fangbone and Bill.  I can't show you what's it's filled with.

Some character work, and a prop.

Fangbone! Voice Casting

Over the last two weeks I’ve been listening to voice auditions for Fangbone! 

When writing the books, I always had a clear impression of what Bill would sound like, mainly because I spend a lot of time with kids.  But I never got a grip on Fangbone.  I knew what he would say in any given situation, but I could never zero in on exactly how he sounds.

I’ve heard many different interpretations of Bill and of Fangbone himself.  We’ve also been hearing readings for Drool, Bill’s Mom, Principal Bruce and the teacher Ms. Gillian. It’s very hard to put a voice to an image, much harder than I thought.

Some are too cartoony, and some are too straight.  Some try to make every word funny, and some are a bit to restrained.  The truth is, we haven’t heard anyone who is “bad,” just not “right.”  The talent is there; it’s just a matter of finding the right voice, and the right personality to carry the character.  At this point we have some strong contenders, and I am getting to hear some longer audition recordings.

While we did listen to a few children, we’ve decided to go with adults, mainly because of the comedy in the show.  We are also hoping to use a bit of improv, especially for the person who will eventually be doing Bill.