New Illustration Ideas #1

One of the things about having so much contracted work to do, is that there is little time to try new things. I've been thinking about combining solid line drawings with painted textures.  I came across this camera drawing in an old sketchbook, and thought it would be perfect to experiment with.  The background was painted on wood with acrylics.  I combined them in photoshop.  I like the look of this, and next I want to try a piece that looks a little more like children's book illustration.

"Space is the Place!"

A few years ago, while in Grad school, I attempted to make an "Early Reader" comic.  My idea was to create something simple and action packed like "Go, Dog, Go!" but to use traditional comic techniques.  I think it's pretty successful, and it makes me laugh.  While I think all of the word choices are fine, I think that there are too many different words.  The art was done with markers and colored pencils, and the only work done digitally were the word balloons.  Clicking on them will make them big enough to read, then you should be able to move from one page to the next. Enjoy!

Happy New Year, 2013!

Happy New Year!  2013 is looking to be very exciting. Random House is launching my new series, "Icky Ricky" in May.  So far, two books are done, the third is being worked on, and 4, 5, and 6 have been contracted.  I'm really excited about these, as I think they will real fill a need in the market.  Like the excellent "Bad Kitty" books, or the classic "Captain Underpants" books, Icky Ricky is a chapter book that has illustrations on every page.  The first two "Icky Ricky: The Toiler Paper Mummy" and "Icky Ricky: The End of the World" will both be out in May.

Fangbone is moving ahead, this time as a cartoon.  A wonderful company is Canada called Radical Sheep has optioned it, and we have a development deal with Disney Canada.  Writers have been hired, a pitch bible and sample script are in the works, and in February we will have our next big sit-down with the Mouse.

Soon, I am going to begin posting some very short Fangbone! stories.  Actually, they're more like skits.  I'll be putting them under the title "Fangbone! 4 Free."

Have a great new year!---MIke

Fangbone! makes the cut!

Fangbone! is one of only nine comic books (graphic books) that the New York Public Library has chosen for its "Children's Books: 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing, 2012" list.  I'm really glad they see more than the booger jokes in it!

NYPL 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing 2012

A real live Fangbone!

At a recent school visit, I was told that one of the students had come dressed as Fangbone! for Halloween! And here he is!  Awesome!  I think that my favorite part is the hair!

NJASL Conference

I will be appearing at the NJASL Conference tomorrow, November 30.  I will be talking about my school visits, selling books, and raffling off this original Fangbone! sketch.  See you at the shore!

Better than video games!

As I said in my last post, I usually don't make this stuff public, but this came in the other day and really touched me!  When people take the time to reach out and share their experiences with my books, it reminds me of why I do this, and keeps me going late at night.

"Good evening.  I am the parent of a child with high functioning autism who immerses himself exclusively in video games for entertainment.  Last night we had a long talk about other things we can do to fill his time and I suggested he read more.  Today, we went to the library.  He was unenthusiastic.  He has read all the graphic novels for his age and cognitive development level.   Then we discovered Fangbone.  He could not put it down!  What a shame the library has only the first book in the series (Something I intend to remedy right away).   This book was exactly what he needed!   It made his first day of limited tech time so enjoyable.    Thank you, thank you, thank you.   Keep writing!   You have a devoted fan club."

"I Really Like This Book!"

Every now and then I get a letter that really makes me happy.  This showed up just a few minutes ago, and it was a great way to end the day.

"I really didn't want this to be another "thanks for getting my kid to read" email, however, it is just that!!  I have searched for quite awhile to find a book to get my son to read.  He is in 5th grade and cognitively delayed and only reading at about a 4th grade level.  He got "Fangbone" at the Scholastic book fair and I figured it would be like the 203,904,738,994,001 books I have bought and be something he carried around but never really read.  Tonight, he not only actively read during his reading homework time, but kept stopping to say, "I really like this book!!"  He is now telling me how he needs more of these books for Christmas!!  I told him I would be more than happy to get them for him sooner than that.....however, he reminded me we don't get fun stuff this close to Christmas!!

Thanks Again!!

A very happy Mom!"

I'll sleep well tonight.

Icky Ricky ARC

A few days ago I a copy of my "Icky Ricky" ARC.  An ARC is an "Advance Reading Copy" and is essentially a test run of the book.  It's on cheaper paper, and there will usually be tweaks to the text and art before the final book off is sent to to be printed.  The ARC is also used so that marketing can get a sense of the book, and have something to show while selling it. Ricky is a much longer piece of writing than I have ever done.  Each page has art, along with a paragraph or two.  The book is 124 pages, and will be out in May of 2013.  Random House is publishing it.

Summer Sketchbook

I was just putting away a sketchbook that I had finished up over the summer, and I had remembered a question that a student had asked me during a school visit.  He wanted to know what kinds of things I keep in my sketchbook, and I had told him that I keep quick drawings of real things...(Here's some chairs and umbrella at the local swim club.)

More involved drawings of real things...(He's our tote bag filled with things to use at the swim club.)

Drawings of imaginary things...(Some goofy monsters for a picture book I'm thinking about.)

Notes and little drawings about stories I am working on...(Some ghouls and text ideas for a zombie book I'm trying to figure out.)

And sometimes I simple just use the pages for writing...(Some dialog/text from another story that I am trying to work through.  Good luck reading that chicken scratch.)

Fangbone!

I was looking at some of my stats and realized that I hadn’t been blogging nearly as much as I had last year.  In truth, I’ve been very busy with writing, drawing and visiting schools.  I thought I’d do one big post to talk about Fangbone.

Books #1 and #2 came out in January, published by G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Book #1 tells the story of how Fangbone comes to our world, and makes friends with Bill, and how he deals with the day-to-day life of a third grader.  Fangbone is determined to build his own army, and at the same time, he is taught the ways of “Bean Ball” and helps his class out in a pinch. 

Book#2 is about a mysterious egg that arrives from Fangbone’s world with instruction for hatching.  Bill, Fangbone, and all of the other kids in their class join in to take care of the egg, in hopes that it’s a dragon.  The class is also preparing for an “Extinction Pageant,” and their entry, The Dodo Bird, doesn’t quite make the grade.

Book#3 came out in August, and features Bill having a curse put upon him.  The curse ensures his doom at the hands of a giant beast called “The Crusha.”  Fangbone and Bill are also preparing their entry in the school’s “Invention Convention,” and hatch a plan to trick the monster, and get a good grade on their invention at the same time.

I designed Fangbone! for boys, and especially boys who hate to read.  I knew I had done my job when I started getting letters like this… “Then this week he came home with Fangbone. Well, my son was so excited to read, and I was so interested we read it together. Thank you for getting my son to read a book. The librarian is new and I found out she is starting a graphic novel section.  I think she found and saved Fangbone for my son!”

Below are some reviews from around the web...

School Library Journal

Jen Robinson's Book Page

Wired/GeekMom

The Library at the End of the Universe

Books4yourkids.com

Currently, there are plans for more Fangbone!  but I can’t talk about them until contracts are signed.  So there will be more, but he just might be showing up in a different way.

I hope you take the time to read some of these reviews, and hopefully seek out a copy Fangbone! to read.  It’s available through all major chains, independent, and online stores!

---Mike

"Exhilarating!"

"I would definitely invite Michael back to our school.  He was appealing to all grade levels K-5.  The way in which he kept students attention with interaction and participation, as well as his motivational presentations, was absolutely exhilarating!"

David Hamilton
Turnpike Elementary School
Troy, NY

Astronaut #14

While cleaning my studio I found this piece of marbled paper I made with some students during grad school.  I couldn't let it go to waste.

Last Kids on Earth

For a long time, I've wanted to do a book that would be about the last kids on earth.  It would be a sorta kinda like a cross between "The Road Warrior" and "Lord of the Flies."  But the kids would be clever, like "The Little Rascals," or even "The Magic School Bus" kids. And, it would have to be funny.  But that's where I keep hitting a wall.  How do I get rid of most of the people on earth, but still keep the laughs. It's not like I can just have some sort of vague apocalypse, and follow it with a rim shot just to keep people chuckling.

So right now, this "Last kids on Earth" thing is just a  notion.  Hopefully, the notion will  turn into an idea.  Then the idea will launch the story.  However, it is my firm belief that ideas have to catch you while you are working.  They won't come while sitting around, and they certainly won't come while sitting around trying to come up with an idea.

So, in the meantime, I draw.  I just get a sense of how this would look and feel.  I like some of these little warriors.  They look as if they could take on the world. And they may have to.  I don't know yet...

Rock and Roll Mummies!

This is a spread from my next book "Icky Ricky," which comes out next year from Random House.  The boys have made themselves into toilet paper mummies, and then they start playing air guitar, which turns them into rock and roll mummies.  Of course.  The book goes back and forth between using word balloons, and traditional blocks of text.