Marc Tyler Nobleman's Blog, page 91

Kidlit authors reading bad reviews in "Horn Book"

What happens when more than 50 authors of books for young readers conduct a bad review slam? This.

Thank you for the plug, Roger! Love the spin you put on it.

Kidlit authors reading bad reviews in Huffington Post

Thank you, Monica Edinger, for writing about my series of three short videos in which 52 beloved authors of books for young people (plus me) read aloud a harsh or absurd review for one of our books.


The social media response in general has been heartening and deafening; hundreds if not thousands of tweets/posts/shares/comments/likes. I am so grateful that so many have found something worthwhile in this cathartic/comical experiment.

Children’s authors read reviews of their own books

A bad review can equal a good laugh.

Therefore, please enjoy episodes 1-3 of “Children’s Authors Read Online Reviews of Their Own Books.” (Disclaimer: We lurve kids, of course, but this is for teens and adults only.)

Why three instead of a single episode? Not because binge-viewing is the new normal but rather because I received more submissions than I could’ve hoped for: 53. (This includes not one, not two, but five kidlit couples, two of whom appear together on camera.) While I’m not proficient enough to know if formatting at a resolution of 720p (HD) is ideal, I do know that I should not post a 15-minute video.

The cast (not in order of appearance):

Tony Abbott Katherine Marsh Paul Acampora Wendy Mass Selina Alko Meghan McCarthy Tom Angleberger Richard Michelson Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen Marc Tyler Nobleman Mac Barnett Erica Perl Chris Barton Susanna Reich Cece Bell Adam Rex Samantha Berger John Rocco David Biedrzycki Dave Roman Lisa Brown Adam Rubin Peter Brown Steve Sheinkin Nick Bruel Mark Shulman Matthew Cordell Lemony Snicket Bruce Coville Michael P. Spradlin Sarah Darer Littman Tanya Lee Stone Drew Daywalt Don Tate Julia DeVillers Matt Tavares Marla Frazee Chris Tebbetts Gary Golio Raina Telgemeier Tad Hills Terry Trueman Daniel Kirk Audrey Vernick Jo Knowles Melissa Walker Michelle Knudsen Hans Wilhelm Gordon Korman Lisa Yee Jeff Mack Jennifer Ziegler Scott Magoon

The complete series:

episode 1



episode 2



episode 3

 

The backstory:

At a kidlit festival in September 2013, while a group of authors/illustrators talked shop after hours, an idea came to me: a variation on a poetry slam at which kidlit/YA authors read aloud their most critical or absurd user reviews (from Amazon or Good Reads) for comic relief/catharsis.

Then I discovered something similar: a recurring segment on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in which celebs read a mean tweet about themselves.



I find this entertaining and endearing.

The last two times I rounded up authors for non-regularly scheduled programming, the results were, respectively, hilarious and humbling.

This time, I put out a call for short videos of authors embracing the reality that not everyone likes every book.

This was not about reciprocating with mean-spiritedness. It’s simply a self-deprecating nod to a universal author experience that is already public anyway.

(I would love to get the band back together at BEA or ALA to “perform” this for a live audience, maybe as some kind of fundraiser.)

As Rosey Grier sang, it’s all right to cry. But, as my kind compatriots have demonstrated, it’s sure fun to laugh afterward.

"Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game" cartoons

Eleven of my cartoons appear in Chicken Soup for the Soul: The Dating Game. I like how the type design is reminiscent of the 1960s, the decade in which the game show of the same name debuted.
 

Here are three of my favorites:




I'm bypassing a watermark because I trust you. Please don't take without asking, okay?

Highest circulating book in a Connecticut school library

In November 2013, I spoke at Kings Highway Elementary School in Westport, CT—my home state. A month later, librarian Kate Byrnes kindly wrote to tell me that Bill the Boy Wonder: The Secret Co-Creator of Batman was number one (highest circulating) in the online catalog:


Not pictured: Boys of Steel: The Creators of Superman...which was number three.

It would be funny if a Wonder Woman or Spider-Man book were number two. Superhero sandwich.

WWII books for kids

I wrote a nonfiction picture book about a World War II story that is as jaw-dropping as it is little-known, if such a thing is possible to compare. It's called Thirty Minutes Over Oregon, and I have done a lot to promote it...even though it is not yet a book.

The story in the book and the story behind the book are here.

At times, I have followed up that post with "evidence" I encounter in my travels that I feel supports my claim that such a story (i.e. not already famous) in such a format (picture book) would indeed find an eager audience. Plus, my philosophy with all of my work is not simply to wait for an audience to find it but rather to go out and help build an audience. 

Up till now, most of that evidence has come from the institutional sector—schools and libraries. I recognize that these will likely be the biggest markets for this topic.

However, I can now add a small slice of visual corroboration from another sector—Barnes & Noble. (I'm sure many independents would agree, but the industry relies most heavily on B&N's support.)

My contributions to the humor site McSweeney's

Three pieces for the Lists feature. For teenagers on up.

Fred Finger, son of Bill, 1948-1992

Twenty-one years ago today, the only known child of Bill Finger, Fred, passed away at age 44. His friend Teriananda wrote a lovely tribute to him:


He looks like Bill in that photo.

Bill Finger in Poland

In early December 2013, I received an email that lifted my spirit:

Dear Sir Nobleman,

I’m writing to you because of your book Bill the Boy Wonder. 

I’m 22 years old, I live in Poland and Batman is my most favourite fictional character for as long I can remember. It started with Tim Burton’s first movie and Batman: The Animated Series. When I was 10 I started collecting comic books, but Polish publisher which published Batman comic books in my language didn’t exist anymore. Few years later I learned about other publisher (which is publishing for today, but only TPBs/graphic novels format) and about buying older comics in special shops and at the Internet. Then I started looking for every information about Batman I could find. In this search, I found first (and only one for almost 10 years) Polish Batman fansite and few years later I joined its team. Now I’m one of main writers and editors. After over 10 years I learned a lot about Batman, read and bought (and still buying) comic books, played video games, watched movies and cartoons and so on...

...and for most of the time, I was very angry about how little informations there were about Bill Finger and that a lot of people who are interested in Batman and/or comic books, don’t know about him. Some time ago I learned about that you are working on book about Bill Finger (from Ty Templeton blog) and I was very excited. I was waiting for it, but I didn’t buy it at once (you know, you never have money for all things you want...). Now there’s Christmas coming and my parents wanted to know what I want. I was thinking about that case for a long time and I remembered about Bill the Boy Wonder and as you can suspect, I will have it for this year Christmas.

Today I explored some parts of your blog and I felt the need to thank you for work you have done about Bill Finger (and not only about him). I learnt a lot thanks to you and I gained a lot of inspiration and energy for writing for BatCave (it’s the name of the Polish site I write for that I mentioned earlier) more about Finger. Especially that next year will be special, as you mentioned on your blog and Twitter—I will definitely spread the word about Google doodle idea.

I hope I didn’t bother you with my mail. Now I will just wait for Christmas...

P.S. For few year I also go for Polish cons and do as much lectures about Batman as I can to promote him and comic books in general (comic books are not very popular in our country—it was big think in 80s/90s—but its changing every year for better). One day I was invited to a school to make a special lecture about Batman for kindergarten and elementary school children. I did it and of course I mentioned Bill Finger and how much we owe him in case of Batman.

I asked this young man if he had photos and sure enough he did:

Next step to Africa

Applying for my visa at the Tanzanian Embassy.


If the cheerfulness of the people there is any indication, I am going to appreciate my time in Tanzania even more than previously expected.