Fair Spark Books has announced a new all-ages book series, launching next February – Snuffy and Zoey, by John Celestri, a series originally developed as a possible mobile game and also feature on the veteran animator’s YouTube Channel.
You may think that Snuffy and Zoey are just your normal pair of rambunctious, sibling bear cubs living in a forest, but when they’re bored they jump into their trusty Toybox and are transported into a World of Imagination where anything is possible!
With each book, you’ll find yourself right alongside Snuffy and Zoey on their Toybox Adventures… Anything is possible in the World of Imagination, from stealing a dragon’s cupcakes to chasing pirates…
“I’ve been drawing Snuffy for decades as a personal doodle (and on handmade cards) for my wife Cathie, who nicknamed me “Snuffy” early in our relationship because I sneeze very loudly!” says John, an animator who’s adopted the moniker, “John the Animator Guy” for his YouTube channel, where he’s passing on his vast knowledge of the craft.
He’s been working in the industry since 1975, and has amassed an incredible body of work in traditional animation that includes credits on the ground-breaking video games Dragon’s Lair and Space Ace, the cult classic feature Rock and Rule. He also animated a series of Batman commercials, He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra: Princess of Power and BraveStarr – and animated Boba Fett in The Star Wars Holiday Special, released way back in 1978.
“I created Zoey about six years ago when I was trying to develop a mobile game for preschoolers,” he continues. “I wanted my game to appeal to both boys and girls, so I felt it would make sense to have brother and sister siblings as my characters.
I was not fortunate enough to hook up with any game programmers who were interested in helping develop my game idea, so I put it on the back burner.
“During my 2D animation career, I learned how to write and create stories. I put all that experience into creating my animated YouTube video Snuffy & Zoey’s ToyBox Theater.”
That project has led to the new books from Fair Spark.
“This book series enables me to singlehandedly produce a complete story in two to three months,: says John, “a fraction of the time it takes to produce animation telling the same story.”
Based in the UK, Fair Spark Books is a publishing house established earlier this year which has already released titles such as Rob Barnes’ Gallant and Amos (reviewed here), specialising in creator-owned, family-friendly content. Their aim is to bring more children into the world of comics through the act of reading and creation by hand picking stories that can be read alone by the reader or by a parent or teacher.
Founder Aaron Rackley is also the founder of a UK-based children’s charity, Little Heroes Comics, who create and distribute comic making kits to children in hospitals and healthcare organisations. Fair Spark Books have teamed up with them to manage their bi-annual fundraising anthologies, as well as pledging to give a portion of all profits this company makes each year to the charity.
Snuffy & Zoey Toybox Adventures Book 1 – The Dragon and the Cupcake
By John Celestri
ISBN: 9781916488618
Pages: 40
Size: 210mm x 297mm
Price: £7.99
Release Date: February 2019
In this first adventure, Snuffy and Zoey come face-to-face with a cupcake-loving dragon.
Including 10 Pages of Activities
• Fairspark Books is online at fairsparkbooks.co.uk
• There’s more about Snuffy and Zoe at snuffyandzoey.com – and John Celestri’s blog is here | Read an interview with John here on the Fair Spark Books web site
• Join “The Snuffy and Zoey Cartoon Club” on Facebook
This is a group for those who wish to share cartoons of Snuffy and Zoey that their children/grandchildren have drawn and/or coloured themselves
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- About the Author
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The founder of downthetubes, which he established in 1998. John works as a comics and magazine editor, writer, and on promotional work for the Lakes International Comic Art Festival. He is currently editor of Star Trek Explorer, published by Titan – his third tour of duty on the title originally titled Star Trek Magazine.
Working in British comics publishing since the 1980s, his credits include editor of titles such as Doctor Who Magazine, Babylon 5 Magazine, and more. He also edited the comics anthology STRIP Magazine and edited several audio comics for ROK Comics. He has also edited several comic collections, including volumes of “Charley’s War” and “Dan Dare”.
He’s the writer of “Pilgrim: Secrets and Lies” for B7 Comics; “Crucible”, a creator-owned project with 2000AD artist Smuzz; and “Death Duty” and “Skow Dogs” with Dave Hailwood.
Categories: Animation, British Comics, downthetubes Comics News, downthetubes News, Other Worlds