Illustration

Earthling! is an Oregon Spirit Book Award Nominee!

mfearing — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:47:25 +0000

The graphic novel I worked on for 18 years….OK. That’s not true. I didn’t work on it for 18 years. At times it may have FELT like 18 years. Actually is was about 3 years. But in dog’s years that’s 21 years…never mind.

Anyway, my graphic novel Earthling! has been shortlisted in the Oregon Spirit Book Awards, Graphic Novels category along with – Hereville: How Mirka Met a Meteorite by Barry Deutsch and Squish: The Power of the Parasite by Jennifer and Matthew Holm.

Both of the other nominated books and great and feature unique approaches and one-of-a-kind voices. I’m honored to be listed with them.

Read more about Earthling! here, and read a review of Earthling! at the New York Times.

Monsters

mfearing — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:54:23 +0000

One of a set of 6 ‘classic’ monster faces I created. Not sure what to do with them. T-shirts?

All the art in this series are based on recollections of some of my favorite monsters.

Beware what lurks behind this door!

mfearing — Mon, 13 May 2013 18:09:09 +0000

A door hanger every kid needs when they check this out of the library!

Photo below is the front and back.

A Very Witchy Spelling Bee

mfearing — Thu, 09 May 2013 17:12:42 +0000

With Martha out and about and children all over the land heading her warning about green beans, I may as well talk about my next book. A Very Witchy Spelling Bee will be out in late July or August…I think. It’s about a young witch and an old witch. It’s about casting SPELLS and spelling correctly. All the better to celebrate Autumn, the return to school and the return of spelling tests. And boy, do I remember some spelling tests in third grade. I was, and still am, a very good creative speller. But the teachers never graded on creativity on a spelling test. I’ll share some of my spelling test stories including my one PERFECT score and what unfolded after that! I’m still recovering…

Below, Our hero Cordelia faces Beulah Divine in the final round…What will happen next?

Wait until July!

What are you doing down there?

mfearing — Tue, 07 May 2013 16:39:52 +0000

Third in a series of unknown numbers!

A page here, a page there…

mfearing — Mon, 06 May 2013 15:42:33 +0000

Here’s two disparate pages from a project that just may never see the light of day. It may live only on my computer. When I speak at events about writing and drawing I often explain how most of what I do never sells. There is a lot of ‘other stuff’ I don’t finish or no one wants to publish. This is part of that other stuff.

What’s this blog for…

mfearing — Fri, 03 May 2013 18:06:05 +0000

No. I don’t see this blog as being mainly about self promotion, yet here I am self promoting. But, if I don’t who will!?

The Horn Book recently recommended Earthling! in an article on graphic novels for kids. Here’s what they had to say:

Gr. 4-6 In this sic-fi graphic novel, Bud gets on the wrong bus and ends up at Cosmos Academy, an intergalactic school whose students fear Earthlings. With the help of new friends Gort, Bud devises a plan to return home before the aliens figure out who he is. Action and humor (especially in the characters facial expressions) are successfully captured in bright cartoon panels.

How Martha Signs book in Portland!

mfearing — Wed, 01 May 2013 17:06:12 +0000

I will be reading and signing copies of my newest picture book, How Martha Saved Her Family from Green Beans at the entirely appropriately named, Green Bean books in Portland, Oregon on Saturday, May 4th. Stop by around 2 to join in the fun. Drop in about 1:45 to see me sweating and worrying that I forgot what I was going to say.

Green beans are welcome as long as they behave. I’ll read, draw some beans and answer questions about green beans. But I won’t pick any green beans up. They bite.

What are you doing up there?!

mfearing — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 22:24:01 +0000

Second in a series…

Earthling! around the Earth!

mfearing — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 16:48:04 +0000

The Czech version of Earthling! is out, or almost out. Or will soon be out. Below is the cover and a page from the book – POZEMSTAN!

My grandfather was born in Prague, so maybe this translation is part of the circle of life. But not the part where lions eat gophers.