FOSTERS HOME FOR NOT IMAGINARY TOYS

Back when Codename: Kids Next Door was juuuuuuust about to launch,
the promotions people at Cartoon Network decided to make a set of KND vinyl figures to give out as promos.
They were 5 kinds of awesome.



I had boxes and boxes of the things and gave them out to
anyone I crossed paths with.
Now I think I've only got one or two packages left.

Cartoon Network continued to make figures for all their new shows
and they kept getting cooler and coolerer with each new set.
Recently, while rummaging through the lab,
I came across one of my favorites;
Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends.








SO rockin'.

Big ups go to the guy at Cartoon Network who championed this stuff--
sooperstar Ed Murrieta!

And check out this long-ago-blurb about CN's promos over HERE if you're looking for something to do.

REDECORATING

Ever feel like your living room is...

missing something?

Me, too.

But I think I know what it might be.






Voila!
Decorating done.

I have ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with these wall decals.
And I get the distinct feeling they aren't officially licensed
Cartoon Network products either.
But someone's selling them on ebay.
And I thought the pictures were funny.
Especially this one:


Ugh.
Caveat emptor, yo.

LA OBSERVATIONS (part 2)

Back when I first moved to LA I sketched some of
my more scientific observations in my sketchbook.
(My dad's a scientist so I TOTALLY know science.)

Now that almost two years have past,
I thought it was time to do it again.
For the sake of science.


And as an added bonus I've included these drawings that my two little maniacs have done in their sketchbooks:




Ugh.

They're already better than me.

BOOM!

I present to you...

PRINTLAB

COUNTING DOWN...

tick tick tick...

Almost there...

COUNTING DOWN...

COUNTING DOWN

COUNTING DOWN

Folks ask every once and a while.

So why not do it?

It's not a new series...

And it's not a new book...

But it's worth a countdown:



Keep it locked here.

EVERY SINGLE TIME

I CAN FLY!

I pity those without sooper powers.
I really do.

I even pity those with only one or two sooper powers.
Because me?
I have lots.
Like for instance...

THE ABILITY TO MAKE MYSELF ITCHY AT WILL!

THE POWER TO REEEEEEEALLY LIKE PEANUT BUTTER!

SOOPER GIANT FOREHEAD!

HYPER FORGET-A-PERSONS-NAME-RIGHT-AFTER-THEY-INTRODUCE-THEMSELVES POWER!

But my favorite sooper power is my ability to FLY!

What's that?

You think I'm lying?

Well, get yourself a big bowl.
Put your words in it.
Add milk.
And prepare to eat.

Check it:


How about some video proof?



And here's DOCUMENTED proof:


BOOM, SUCKUHS!

What kind of sooper powers do YOU have?

THAT'S GOOD EATIN'

It's one of the most closely kept secrets of authors.
A taboo subject that no one dares let slip.

Well, no one except ME!

Because I'm about to blow the roof off of what EVERYONE'S been dying to know.
Yeah, you know the question I'm talking about:

WHAT THE HECK DO SOOPER FAMOUS AUTHORS EAT FOR LUNCH?!

Well, I'm here to tell all.
Because I had lunch with a bunch of 'em this weekend.
You see, whenever Mo Willems comes to town,
all sorts of authors and illustrators get together to laugh, joke and eat.
And for some reason they let me come along.

So let's start with Mo:


That's steak and eggs, of course.
Mr. Willems likes to eat them when he's on tour to promote his latest sooper awesome book:


If you were at the LA Times Book Festival this weekend, maybe you got to see him read it!

And if you were sitting next to him at lunch, maybe you'd totally copy him and get steak and eggs, too.
That's what sooperstar author/illustrator Dan Santat did:


Can you blame him?
I don't blame anyone for nothin'(except awesomeness) if they wrote and illustrated this graphic novel:


Lisa Yee's secret lunch habits are a BIG topic of conversation at any party.
So what's the secret to her steak salad?


The answer: NO DRIED CHERRIES!
Lisa Yee don't roll like that.
She rolls like this:


But do you know who DOES roll with the dried cherries?

Marla Frazee.
See?


Marla, who I just met but swear I've met before, is working on a sooper secret new picture book, but you might already know her from this series:


Next up, animator/author/robot/marathon runner Bob Boyle.
You know he writes and draws this:


But did you know he eats THIS:


Yes, non-meat eaters, that there's a veggie burger.

But alas vegetarians, Bob's wife, famed animation background painter Teri Shikasho had a beefy burger.


Me?
I had the house special, Rack of Peep which I did NOT share with Marla.


Paired with a fine root beer, that's some good eatin'.

Jarrett Krosoczka's meals are harder to pin down.
He refused to even show up for fear of his lunch secrets
being leaked to the public.
Smart man.
Because obviously I can't keep a secret.

Next time:

The hard hitting dessert choices of children's literature!