the creator of the Kit Feeny series
Author and illustrator Michael Townsend talks about his new graphic novel series for young readers, KIT FEENY. Launched in October 2009, the series has been called “Babymouse for boys” (Kirkus Reviews) and its endearing protagonist has been deemed “an easy hero to cheer for” (Booklist).
Check out the interview below to hear Michael talk about his work, his ‘prairie bear-dog monkey hamster’ protagonist, and anything else that pops up along the way.
Enjoy!
What or who is Kit Feeny?
Kit Feeny is a graphic novel for young readers about a boy (named Kit Feeny) with a strange imagination. When not getting into trouble (or reading comics), Kit loves to sit around and write and draw his own.
What kind of animal is Kit Feeny?
I didn’t have any particular animal in mind when I drew him, but I do have a habit of always drawing animals that I perceive to be monkeys. There’s only one problem with that because my monkeys never really look like monkeys. So, he has been compared to a bear, a prairie dog, a hamster, among many other things. I’m actually not sure that it matters what kind of animal he is so I’ve decided to just call him a ‘prairie bear-dog monkey hamster’.
How did you get started in writing and drawing comics for kids?
Once I graduated from The School of Visual Arts I began to advertise myself with postcard mailers and a website portfolio hoping to begin a career in Freelance Illustration (meanwhile I worked at a bunch of restaurants so I didn’t starve). I got my first big job writing and illustrating a 32 page children’s book. This job came to be because a wonderful editor at Knopf who had looked at my website (and read some of my comics I had posted on it at the time) called me in for an interview where she said she liked my comics and would love to see what I would write specifically with kids in mind. I had plenty of ideas but nothing ready to submit. So, after our first meeting I got to work. A few weeks later I sent off a dummy book and Knopf bought it (this, of course, was over a period of many, many months). After my first book, my same wonderful editor sent me a few of the fantastic Babymouse books because she thought this format was suited for me. She suggested I make up a dummy book using the two-color, 96-page format as a model. I did and that’s how Kit Feeny came to be.
Are you and your character Kit Feeny alike?
Yup, I grew up a huge fan of comics and, of course, I also loved to make and draw my own.
Who are some of the artists/people who have influenced you?
Some of my biggest influences come from the writers and illustrators of my favorite comics growing up. The list is long but probably my biggest influence was Carl Barks. His stories about the Disney Ducks were amazing. His stories involved crazy treasure hunts, adventures to strange exotic lands and much, much more. There is plenty to be said about him and his stories but it’s better to just sit and read them for your self. If you aren’t familiar, you should become familiar!
Okay, last question: Why Is Kit spelling Suvudu with two bananas?
Because he ate the apple and orange.
