Archive for April, 2016

Create Your Own Spy Mission Blog Tour

We are delighted to be joined today by co authors Andrew and Chris Judge.

What made you decide to work on the Create Your Own Adventure series?
Chris: Our editor in Scholastic, David Maybury, had given me the idea of a story book that the reader could draw in, and asked me to come up with a pitch for it. I asked Andrew to help me out over a weekend, to come up with a story.
Andrew: We’ve been making comics and stories together for years, so we were used to throwing ideas at each other.
C: Andrew came back with the first chapter and an outline for the rest of the book. So I sent that to David and he liked it!
A: And then they couldn’t get rid of me.

Do you both write and draw or does one of you write and one of you draw?
A: For this series, I do the writing and Chris does the drawings. I know what Chris likes to draw.
C: And also what I can’t draw.
A: Ha Ha! Yes, that’s why all my character descriptions have spindly legs and black shoes, because I know you don’t like drawing legs and shoes.

If you were a spy, what kind of mission would you like to go on?
C: I would like to do a space spying mission.
A: I would like to go spying in Google, to see the room where they keep the internet.

Will there be another Create Your Own Adventure book? What will it be about this time?
A: Yes we are halfway through the third one, with a fourth also planned.
C: Are we allowed to say it’s about Superheroes?
A: No.

If you had to choose between being a spy or an alien, what would you choose?
C: I’d be an Alien Spy.
A: I can imagine Sigourney Weaver being chased by an alien with a false moustache and a trenchcoat.

Do you ever finish the stories yourselves?
A: No, because I live with a seven year old who finishes them for me, and he’s much better at it then I am.
C: If I finished it, then it would just be a normal book, illustrated by Chris Judge.

Where is your favourite place to write and/or draw?
A: I love to write on my private island in the Caribbean. Otherwise the bus on my way home from work.
C: I like to draw relaxing by my pond.

When you’re not working on these books, what do you do with yourselves?
C: I do commercial illustration work, big artworks for schools and hospitals. And I make picture books for younger children like The Lonely Beast. I also do the Danger Is Everywhere series with David O’Doherty.
A: During the day, I’m an architect, which is basically like making books, except with with Building Regulations.

Learn more about Chris by visiting his website here or alternatively converse with him on Twitter here
Andrew Judge has written and illustrated countless short stories and comics with his brother Chris, including regular features for arts and culture magazines Mongrel and Totally Dublin. Andrew lives and works as an architect in Ireland. Visit Andrew’s website (here) to learn more about his work or make contact on Twitter (here). Find out even more about Create Your Own Spy Mission Visit more

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