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<\/figure>\n\n\n\nJoe McGee<\/strong>, Author<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Epic!: <\/strong>What are the key themes you wanted to explore when you came up with “Creature Campers?” <\/p>\n\n\n\n JM:<\/strong> Being a kid is not easy by any means. Not only are you living in a world where everyone is looking down at you (adults literally towering over you) and where you are constantly told what to do, but you\u2019re also trying to navigate the journey of your own physical, mental and emotional development.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n Kids at this age are trying to discover who they are and create their own identity while trying to survive in an elementary school \u201cLord of the Flies\u201d environment. It\u2019s not an easy thing! What\u2019s cool? What\u2019s not cool? How do you own your differences and be comfortable in your own skin? How do you feel comfortable enough with the universal elementary school awkwardness to find your friends and feel accepted? <\/p>\n\n\n\n So, in \u201cCreature Campers\u201d I created characters who are all struggling with their own self-perceived obstacles. Norm is big<\/em>, even for a Bigfoot, and he\u2019s not comfortable with that. Wisp has one wing smaller than the other and flying is a challenge for him. Hazel has a very intense personality and she\u2019s learning personal space and how to dial it back a little. And Oliver is the only human in a camp full of Crypto Creatures! <\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s so wonderful is that they embrace one another, find ways to utilize their \u201cobstacles\u201d as positive ways to overcome problems and lift each other up in the process. Ultimately, they build confidence in themselves and friendship amongst one another. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Besides that, I hope they\u2019re entertained. I hope they laugh. I hope they feel a little uneasy when the creature in the lake is mentioned and Norm and Oliver, Wisp and Hazel, row out in their canoes. I hope they\u2019re entertained and love the characters and can\u2019t wait to read book 2. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Early brainstorming notes and doodles from Joe McGee’s notebook.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Epic!:<\/strong> What do you hope kids will take away from \u201cCreature Campers?\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n JM:<\/strong> The motto at Camp Moonlight is \u201cBeing different is not unusual \u2026 it\u2019s FUNusual.\u201d I really want kids to understand that it is okay for them to be themselves. They don\u2019t have to try and change who they are to gain acceptance. They will find friends who accept them for who they are. Peer pressure is terrible and the struggle for kids to find their way through their own society is really tough. I know, I\u2019ve watched my own kids go through it (I have three boys, ages 18, 16 and 12). I would really like kids to learn to accept themselves for who they are, be proud of who they are and not feel like they need to be anything other than themselves. They have enough to worry about without adding self-image and self-confidence into the mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Epic!: <\/strong>Is there a character in your books that you relate to most?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JM:<\/strong> I think that I am an amalgamation of all four campers. I\u2019m Norm in the sense that I\u2019m a natural leader and really have a strong drive to protect my friends. I\u2019m Oliver in the sense that I never quite fit into the role my parents expected (Oliver\u2019s parents are strapping, sturdy lumberjacks and he\u2019s a pencil-thin book smart kid who might blow over if the wind blows too strong) and that I\u2019m fairly cerebral, like him. I\u2019m Wisp in the sense that I\u2019ve never been the tallest in the room, lol, and that I refuse to give up; that I have this incredible determination. I\u2019m Hazel in the sense that I can be impulsive, frantic and spontaneous. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Epic!: <\/strong>What do you envision\u2014that you can reveal\u2014for the future of the series?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JM:<\/strong> Well, books 1-3 are all written. I don\u2019t want to give away any spoilers, but I will tell you that Barnaby Snoop\u2019s character arc takes on an interesting trajectory. Readers may be pleasantly surprised \u2026 after that though, I\u2019d love to see \u201cCreature Campers\u201d go beyond book 3. I think there are other stories to tell there. Other adventures. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Maybe we even go into the next summer and have the campers of cabin 4 reunited with a whole new set of adventures, obstacles and antagonists! So, if you\u2019re reading this and saying \u201cyes, yes, yes!\u201d let Epic! and Andrews McMeel Publishing know you want more \u201cCreature Campers!\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Epic!: <\/strong>In the world of kids\u2019 books, what makes \u201cCreature Campers\u201d stand out?<\/p>\n\n\n\n JM:<\/strong> Well, besides the amazing<\/em> art by Bea Tormo and the wonderful layout and design by the Epic! team, I think that one of the things about \u201cCreature Campers\u201d that makes it stand out is the fact that not only is it an ensemble cast, but it\u2019s an ensemble cast of creatures. <\/em>All four of the creature campers share the stage and while Norm may present himself a bit more at times, it\u2019s really an equal and diverse cast. And again, they\u2019re creatures. The \u201cmonsters\u201d are the good guys and gals and their biggest obstacle is not necessarily the antagonist, Barnaby Snoop, but their own perceived limitations and the camp tasks they have to complete. <\/p>\n\n\n\n On top of that, I think it\u2019s a great blend of pure entertainment, mystery and suspense, solid adventure, and a positive message that kids can take away from the book (without being didactic). Finally, I play around with breaking the fourth wall at times, having Barnaby address the narrator, or speaking directly to the reader, and the reader is privy to information the characters are not. I think those things make for a really fun, engaging read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Epic!: <\/strong>What experiences of your own helped you bring Camp Moonlight to life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n JM:<\/strong> While I was never a camper myself, I was a camp counselor for several of my teenage years at a YMCA. It was a sleepover camp and campers stayed for one to two weeks (some stayed all summer long) and I was the counselor for a cabin full of 12-year-old boys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In time, I became the arts and crafts director as well, but those years were magical for me. I made some really solid friendships with other counselors, created a lot of great memories and had some pretty cool adventures of my own. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n I drew from these memories to help me write Camp Moonlight and to bring it to life in my mind and on the page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Epic!: <\/strong>What experiences of your own helped you bring Camp Moonlight to life? <\/p>\n\n\n\n JM:<\/strong> While I was never a camper myself, I was a camp counselor for several of my teenage years at a YMCA. It was a sleepover camp and campers stayed for one to two weeks (some stayed all summer long) and I was the counselor for a cabin full of 12-year-old boys. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In time, I became the arts and crafts director as well, but those years were magical for me. I made some really solid friendships with other counselors, created a lot of great memories and had some pretty cool adventures of my own. I drew from these memories to help me write Camp Moonlight and to bring it to life in my mind and on the page. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like Norm and his friends, I learned to canoe out on the camp lake and the legend of the lake creature is the kind of spooky tale that we told around the campfire. In book 2, the campers learn map and compass skills and in book 3, they\u2019ll face an obstacle course. All of these things come from my time at camp; it was the inspiration for the obstacles I created for Norm and his friends. If the readers ever get an opportunity to attend summer camp, I\u2019d tell them, \u201cgo!\u201d It\u2019s a tremendous amount of fun and even though it may be scary to be away from home for a week or two, you\u2019ll quickly learn to love it and make some pretty good friends of your own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you, Joe for answering our questions! Now you can check out our Q&A with our favorite Bigfoot, Norm<\/a> from “Creature Campers.<\/strong>” You can pick up the first installment of this popular series in stores and online now!<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.getepic.com\/learn\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/head-shot.png\")
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