>>>
>>> A
>>> A COMIC STRIP CREATED, WRITTEN AND DRAWN BY AN ARTIST IN PORTLAND IS HEADING TO THE
SMALL SCREEN.
LINCOLN PIERCE CREATED THE
COMIC BIG NATE AND NOW 4@IT WIL
BE ADAPTED TO AND IT ANIMATED
TELEVISION SERIES ON
NICKELODEON.
PIERCE CREATED THE 4@COMIC STRI
IN 1991.
IT APPEARS ONLINE AND IN MORE
THAN 400 NEWSPAPERS WORLDWIDE. @
WE SAT DOWN WITH PIERS A YEAR
AGO TO TALK ABOUT HIS
INTERESTING CAREER.
>> WHEN YOU 4@LOOK BACK NOW DO
YOU SAY THANK HEAVEN I WAS A
TEACHER FOR A FEW YEARS BECAUSE
IT REALLY GAVE ME AN INSIGHT
INTO YOUNG PEOPLE THAT
OTHERWISE WOULD NOT HAVE.
>> I ENJOY IT.
THERE IS NO DOUBT I ENJOYED IT.
I WAS TEACHING KIDS, HIGH
SCHOOL BOYS, 4@WHO WERE OLDER
THAN THE KIDS I WRITE ABOUT.
BUT THEY WERE NOT NECESSARILY
-- EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE IN
HIGH SCHOOL, I WOULD SAY THEY
WERE ALL THAT MORE MATURE THAN
YOUR TYPICAL MIDDLE SCHOOLER.
>> AND YOUR 4@OWN MEMORIES OF
MIDDLE SCHOOL, ARE THEY STILL
VIVID TO?
>> WICKED.
DEFINITELY APPEARED
>> BIG NATE 4@IS A 11 YEAR OLD
SIX GRADE GOING ON 20 YEARS
NOW.
>> IT'S TRUE.
DID YOU EVER IMAGINE IN YOUR
WILDEST LIKE THE FANCY WHEN YOU
STARTED WRITING IT, 4@IN 19914@
THAT THE STRIP WOULD KEEP GOING
THIS LONG.
>> I HOPED.
NEWSPAPERS HAVE THEIR STRUGGLES
THESE DAYS BUT PEOPLE STILL
WANT THEIR COMICS.
PEOPLE LOVE COMIC SO THEY WILL
FIND THEM ONLINE AND I THINK
THERE WILL ALWAYS BE AN
AUDIENCE FOR SORT OF THE
TRADITIONAL DAILY COMIC STRIP
IT
>> YOU HAVE BEEN RIDING THE
DAILY COMIC STRIP SINCE 1991.
YOU HAVE DONE EIGHT BIG NATE
BOOKS PIT
>> I WROTE EIGHT 4@BIG NATE
HYBRID BOOKS.
WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT
TO CALL THEM BECAUSE THEY ARE
NOT GRAPHIC NOVELS.
>> IT 4@IS PROPHETIC THAT YOU D
EIGHT OF THEM AND THE SEARS HAS
COME TO AN END AND YOU STILL
DON'T KNOW WHAT TO CALL THEM.
>> I 4@KNOW.
IT SAID.
>> YOU ARE NOW GOING IN A FRESH
>> I 4@KNOW. IT SAID. >> YOU ARE NOW GOING IN A FRESH@
DIRECTION.
YOU HAVE A NEW 4@BOOK OUT CALLE
MAX AND 4@THE MIDNIGHTS.
WHAT WAS THE SPARK OF
INSPIRATION?
>> THERE WERE A LOT OF SPARKS.
I THINK MAYBE THE FIRST SPARK
WAS WHEN I WAS A REALLY LITTLE
KID.
DID YOU WATCH LOONEY TUNES?
SO THERE IS A DAFFY DUCK
CARTOON WHERE HE IS SPOOFING
ROBIN HOOD.
>> LOOK NO FURTHER GOODS
THEREFORE I AM HERE WHO THE
HOUSE SIKA'S.
>> CUT IT OUT. 4@
I'M SEARS.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE HE 4@IS
JUST SAY SO.
>> HONEST AND TRULY, I AM ROBIN
HOOD.
>> SURE YOU ARE.
>> THAT WA4@S THE FIRST TIME TH
ROBIN HOOD WAS KIND OF UNDER
THE RADAR SCREEN AND THEN SOON
AFTER THAT 4@PROBABLY WATCHING
CHANNEL 8 ONE AFTERNOON 4@I SAW
THE OLD ERROL FLYNN 4@ROBIN HOO
WHICH IS A FABULOUS 4@MOVIE.
>> SO I SORT OF GOT INTERESTED
IN THE 4@MIDDLE AND MIDDLE AGE
ADVENTURE 4@DESPERATE
>> PIERCE REALIZE THERE WAS A
LOT OF COMIC POTENTIAL IN
SPOOFING THIS CLASSIC GENRE AND
HE 4@HAD HIS4@ IDEA FOR MAX IN
MIDNIG4@HTS.
>> FOR 4@MANY YEARS I WROTE ABO
THE SIXTH GRADE KID AND HE IS
PRETTY MUCH LOCKED INTO THE
SCHOOL SETTING.
AND I 4@THOUGHT, I WANT TO TELL
AN ADVENTURE STORY WHERE THIS
CHARACTER AND SOME OTHER
SUPPORTING CHARACTERS ARE KIND @
OF ON A ROAD TRIP, LIKE A
QUEST.
>> WHAT HE IS UP CREATING WAS A
STORY ABOUT MAX, AND 4@APPRENTI
TROUBADOUR WANTS TO BE A
KNIGHT.
>> ONE OF THE 4@BEST ADVICES
LEAVE AT THE BORING PARTS AND
THAT'S CRUCIAL WHEN YOU WRITE
FOR READERS 8-12 PIT
>> AND 4@HIM PORTION AN IMPORTA
LESSON IS SHOWN NOT TO BE
DRIVERS KID WANT TO SEE 4@SOMEO
GET HIT IN THE FACE WITH A PIE
RATHER THAN READ ABOUT.
>> YOU DO ALL OF THE ULCERATION
BY HAND YOURSELF WHICH IS NOT
NECESSARILY STAND.
A LOT OF COMIC STRIPS ARE NOT
DRAWN BY THEIR 4@CREATORS BY
HAND.
>> IT'S TRUE.
PIERCE DOES NOT HAVE AN
ASSISTANT TO 4@DRUG CHARACTER A
DOES NOT USE TECHNOLOGY.
IT'S NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM BUT
IT'S THE ONE THAT WORKS FOR
HIM.
>> USUALLY THE 4@MISTAKE IS NOT
BAD ENOUGH, HOPEFULLY IT DOES
NOT COME THAT YOU HAVE TO
REALLY START OVER.
>> IN HIS STUDENT AT HOME,
PIERCE 4@IS ALWAYS WORKING ON
ANOTHER BOOK ABOUT MAX.
I THOUGHT WHEN I STARTED THIS
BOOK IT WOULD BE A ONE OFF.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A
BREATHER AND DID NOT
NECESSARILY WANT TO DO A WHOLE
ANOTHER SERIES OF BOOKS.
SO I SAID I WILL TELL A
STANDALONE 4@4@ADVENTURE STORY.
BUT WHILE I WAS WORKING ON IT,
I THOUGHT I REALLY LIKE THESE
CHARACTERS BUT I CAN DEFINITELY
TELL MORE STORIES WITH THESE
CHARACTERS.
SO I THINK THAT IS WHAT I'M
GOING TO