| Interview with Gregory Janicke |
First off, thanks so much for joining us for an up-close and personal interview for TeensReadToo.com!
My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking
time out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your
readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
I began writing and drawing stories when I was nine. I had a small notepad, pencils and many erasers.
My mother encouraged me, as did friends in school. Encouragement from any source certainly keeps
the wind in one’s sails throughout life.
As a child, I pounded out (very) short stories on an old Royal typewriter. I drew comic strips through
grade school and high school. In college, I studied fine art and creative writing. The college literary
magazine published my short stories and awarded me for my efforts. I eventually earned a Master’s
degree in journalism and continued to publish short stories.
After college, I worked at a radio station and at an advertising agency as copywriter, then joined The
Kansas City Star, where I wrote hundreds of articles under intense deadline pressure. It was
exhilarating. At night, I continued writing novels, short stories and plays. For years, I worked with literary
agents to sell short stories, novels and fantasy-adventure series.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
The Outcasts Series has a unique publishing history that spans 13 years and nearly 24,000 miles, and
that story itself is probably as dramatic as the fictional tale of teens and children struggling against
hideous monsters and a world about to collapse.
I began writing and illustrating the story in Kansas City in 1994. I eventually moved to Casablanca,
Morocco and taught English as a Second Language to students from Kuwait, South Korea, Taiwan, Iraq
and other countries. During that time I rewrote the first book for the fifth time and completed drafts for
books 2, 3 and 4.
Marshall Cavendish in Malaysia published all four books as The Shadow Beasts Series. I was fortunate
to be able to travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to promote the books. In doing so, I experienced a
richly diverse culture, heard myriad languages, met wonderful students both in cities and in the
countryside and found greater inspiration for my writing.
Marshall Cavendish recently packaged the four books into a wonderful boxed set.
The U.S. office of Marshall Cavendish noted the popularity of the series and its universal themes of
survival, cultural diversity, heroism and good versus evil. They graciously decided to reissue the epic
under the title The Outcasts Series. The first two installments (The Shadow Beasts and The Survivors)
appear October 1, 2007; books 3 and 4 appear in 2008.
In the books, the Outcasts seek safe HayVen, a place that may or may not exist. After writing and
illustrating for so many years, I feel that I’ve finally found my own HayVen in this memorable series, a
place that truly exists.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The Outcasts Series is a fantasy epic in which teenagers and children from diverse cultures must come
to grips with the end of the world, battling monsters, horrific natural disasters and each other all the way.
It’s a fast-paced, action-packed, powerful experience that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the
night!
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Childhood sources of inspiration include the Danny Dunn and Tom Swift Jr. series, Ray Bradbury (whom
I met), Madeleine L’Engle, Jack Kirby, Mark Twain…. In college, the storytelling of Dickens, Harper Lee,
Arthur C. Clarke and Eudora Welty captured my imagination.
My wife is a constant source of inspiration.
International travel has been a vital component in my writing life. Living in Morocco and traveling to SE
Asia have had a profound impact on how I envision The Outcast world of Dulunae.
Morocco offers a staggering variety of landscapes – in two days, you can drive from coastal waters,
through lakes and meadows to snow-capped mountains or the Sahara Desert. Kuala Lumpur and
Singapore offer a dazzling range of lifestyles from quiet farmlands to cutting-edge, high-tech
telecommunications centers. The diversity of cultures, languages, customs and religions provide
glimpses into the rich complexity of human nature.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My wife is a brilliant educator and ruthless editor who has kept all my books on track. My daughter has
supported me every step of the way. My mom was the one who bought me the old Royal typewriter,
pencils and paper in the first place, and still sends me Number 1 Ticonderoga pencils every now and
then.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Spaghetti
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Listen for birds, wind, rainstorms or silence; fix a pot of coffee for my wife and me; whisper so we don’t
wake up our little one….
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would
surprise me the most?
The stack of my original paintings unsigned, unsold.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know:
If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Bright orange – my color of choice from childhood (for candy and Dreamsicles) and for my cartoons and
paintings. It is the color of optimism and energy.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I am developing an animated TV series based on a newspaper comic strip I published entitled “Fizzik
Rules.” You probably haven’t heard of the Fizzik Family yet, but I’m particularly fond of the baby,
Neutrino. Beyond that, I believe I’m most like Astro Boy.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history,
where and when would it be—and why?
I would love to watch – and attempt to record – the creation of the universe, the splendor of galaxies
forming and unfolding.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
I listen to classical music – Debussy, Ravel, Holst, Orff. I especially like listening to “Carmina Burana”
while editing battle scenes in my books.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I don’t watch commercial TV. I have seen “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Close Encounters,” “The Day the
Earth Stood Still” and “Waiting for Guffman” numerous times. The last theatrical movie I saw was “Spider-
Man 2.”
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Read as if your life depends on it – because, in a way, it does. The life of the independent, creative,
thinking mind depends on the nourishment of the written word.
So many people around the word live in impoverished, repressed, dangerous conditions; they long for
written words and feast on them with mind, heart and soul. Remember your advantages, choose your
words carefully and move beyond yourself to the warm climates of compassion.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
One is top secret; the second project involves an 11-book series.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
My pleasure.
My name is Jen, and I’ll be your server toda…oh, wait, wrong job! Anyway, thanks so much for taking
time out of your writing schedule—which I’m sure is busy!—and answering a few questions for your
readers and fans.
Let’s get some of the typical interview questions out of the way first. When did you first know that you
wanted to be a writer?
I began writing and drawing stories when I was nine. I had a small notepad, pencils and many erasers.
My mother encouraged me, as did friends in school. Encouragement from any source certainly keeps
the wind in one’s sails throughout life.
As a child, I pounded out (very) short stories on an old Royal typewriter. I drew comic strips through
grade school and high school. In college, I studied fine art and creative writing. The college literary
magazine published my short stories and awarded me for my efforts. I eventually earned a Master’s
degree in journalism and continued to publish short stories.
After college, I worked at a radio station and at an advertising agency as copywriter, then joined The
Kansas City Star, where I wrote hundreds of articles under intense deadline pressure. It was
exhilarating. At night, I continued writing novels, short stories and plays. For years, I worked with literary
agents to sell short stories, novels and fantasy-adventure series.
Can you tell us a little bit about your road to publishing?
The Outcasts Series has a unique publishing history that spans 13 years and nearly 24,000 miles, and
that story itself is probably as dramatic as the fictional tale of teens and children struggling against
hideous monsters and a world about to collapse.
I began writing and illustrating the story in Kansas City in 1994. I eventually moved to Casablanca,
Morocco and taught English as a Second Language to students from Kuwait, South Korea, Taiwan, Iraq
and other countries. During that time I rewrote the first book for the fifth time and completed drafts for
books 2, 3 and 4.
Marshall Cavendish in Malaysia published all four books as The Shadow Beasts Series. I was fortunate
to be able to travel to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to promote the books. In doing so, I experienced a
richly diverse culture, heard myriad languages, met wonderful students both in cities and in the
countryside and found greater inspiration for my writing.
Marshall Cavendish recently packaged the four books into a wonderful boxed set.
The U.S. office of Marshall Cavendish noted the popularity of the series and its universal themes of
survival, cultural diversity, heroism and good versus evil. They graciously decided to reissue the epic
under the title The Outcasts Series. The first two installments (The Shadow Beasts and The Survivors)
appear October 1, 2007; books 3 and 4 appear in 2008.
In the books, the Outcasts seek safe HayVen, a place that may or may not exist. After writing and
illustrating for so many years, I feel that I’ve finally found my own HayVen in this memorable series, a
place that truly exists.
Tell us a little bit about either your latest or upcoming release. If you could only tell your readers one
thing about the story that had to convince us to buy the book, what would it be?
The Outcasts Series is a fantasy epic in which teenagers and children from diverse cultures must come
to grips with the end of the world, battling monsters, horrific natural disasters and each other all the way.
It’s a fast-paced, action-packed, powerful experience that will keep you reading into the wee hours of the
night!
What, or who, has been the greatest inspiration for your stories?
Childhood sources of inspiration include the Danny Dunn and Tom Swift Jr. series, Ray Bradbury (whom
I met), Madeleine L’Engle, Jack Kirby, Mark Twain…. In college, the storytelling of Dickens, Harper Lee,
Arthur C. Clarke and Eudora Welty captured my imagination.
My wife is a constant source of inspiration.
International travel has been a vital component in my writing life. Living in Morocco and traveling to SE
Asia have had a profound impact on how I envision The Outcast world of Dulunae.
Morocco offers a staggering variety of landscapes – in two days, you can drive from coastal waters,
through lakes and meadows to snow-capped mountains or the Sahara Desert. Kuala Lumpur and
Singapore offer a dazzling range of lifestyles from quiet farmlands to cutting-edge, high-tech
telecommunications centers. The diversity of cultures, languages, customs and religions provide
glimpses into the rich complexity of human nature.
Let’s hear about your family, who I’m sure are thrilled to have a published author among them!
My wife is a brilliant educator and ruthless editor who has kept all my books on track. My daughter has
supported me every step of the way. My mom was the one who bought me the old Royal typewriter,
pencils and paper in the first place, and still sends me Number 1 Ticonderoga pencils every now and
then.
Now for some fun facts. What’s your greatest comfort food?
Spaghetti
What are the first three things you do when you wake up in the morning?
Listen for birds, wind, rainstorms or silence; fix a pot of coffee for my wife and me; whisper so we don’t
wake up our little one….
If I came to your house and looked in your closet/attic/basement, what’s the one thing that would
surprise me the most?
The stack of my original paintings unsigned, unsold.
Everyone asks the question about “if you could be a tree, which tree would you be?” so I want to know:
If you could be a color, which color would it be, and why?
Bright orange – my color of choice from childhood (for candy and Dreamsicles) and for my cartoons and
paintings. It is the color of optimism and energy.
Who is your favorite cartoon character? Which cartoon character is most like you?
I am developing an animated TV series based on a newspaper comic strip I published entitled “Fizzik
Rules.” You probably haven’t heard of the Fizzik Family yet, but I’m particularly fond of the baby,
Neutrino. Beyond that, I believe I’m most like Astro Boy.
If you could beam yourself to anywhere in the world (“Beam me up, Scotty!”), during any time in history,
where and when would it be—and why?
I would love to watch – and attempt to record – the creation of the universe, the splendor of galaxies
forming and unfolding.
So what’s your favorite type of music to listen to? Favorite musical artists? Do you listen to music while
you’re writing?
I listen to classical music – Debussy, Ravel, Holst, Orff. I especially like listening to “Carmina Burana”
while editing battle scenes in my books.
Do you have any favorite T.V. shows? Movies you watch over and over again? What was the last movie
you saw at the theater?
I don’t watch commercial TV. I have seen “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Close Encounters,” “The Day the
Earth Stood Still” and “Waiting for Guffman” numerous times. The last theatrical movie I saw was “Spider-
Man 2.”
You have the chance to give one piece of advice to your teen readers. What would it be?
Read as if your life depends on it – because, in a way, it does. The life of the independent, creative,
thinking mind depends on the nourishment of the written word.
So many people around the word live in impoverished, repressed, dangerous conditions; they long for
written words and feast on them with mind, heart and soul. Remember your advantages, choose your
words carefully and move beyond yourself to the warm climates of compassion.
One last question. What stories can we look forward to from you in the future?
One is top secret; the second project involves an 11-book series.
Again, thanks so much for joining us at TeensReadToo.com!
My pleasure.
