We caught up with cartoonist FIRST DOG ON THE MOON to discuss Revenge of the Toxic Space Potato, a hilarious full-colour illustrated cosmic adventure featuring teen superheroes.
What inspired you to write Revenge of the Toxic Space Potato?
I think every writer who loves the craft of writing and is really honest with themselves wishes they could write a book called Revenge of the Toxic Space Potato – I’m surprised it hasn’t been done before but it hasn’t. So here it is. I really like telling stories about the environment and people who are working together to save our planet in various ways – I also like ridiculous things like evil potatoes and real estate fish so I find any opportunity to talk about those things very inspirational.
The EnviroTeens are environmentally conscious superheroes. What inspired you to create these characters?
I was looking for a way to talk about climate change that wasn’t too serious – climate change is serious so I needed to find a way to make it interesting and not too weird. I have always found that the best way to make things interesting and not too weird is to use a wombat. And what if that wombat was a superhero – and that wombat had friends who were also superheroes and one of those superheroes could use the powers of cakes and donuts to save the world? What a great idea I should write that book.
Your book shows the EnviroTeens tackling an environmental issue but in a humorous way for children. Considering the growing issue of climate change, what do you hope readers will take away from your book?
Firstly I hope readers laugh. Thinking up jokes is hard and there are a LOT of jokes and funny things in this book and I had to think up all of them. I didn’t want this to be a book with a BIG SERIOUS MESSAGE but it has some ideas I think are important – so I tried to make those ideas funny. And I am pleased to tell you that I laughed at a lot of the jokes I came up with for this book.
When creating a story do words or images come first for you?
For me it is words first, always – get the words down and then the pictures come along after to help. Kate Beaton (one of my favourite cartoonists) said the thing about graphic novels is you have to do them twice – you have to write the story AND THEN you have to do the pictures and it is a lot.
Who are some cartoonists that you admire or who have inspired you?
Kate Beaton is one of my favourite cartoonists ever she is extremely clever and funny. One of the most inspirational cartoonists for me is Lynda Barry who does near sighted monkey. I love her.
What are your future writing plans? Are there any more books on the horizon?
More books yes – but I am very slow at writing books – I would love to get faster at it and then have the Indefatigable Enviroteens to become one of those series with like 10 books in it – I have written two so only 8 to go.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
First Dog on the Moon is Australia’s only Walkley award-winning marsupial-based cartoonist and has done all sorts of things including books, radio, stage shows and a lot of lying down.
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