We’re thrilled to announce the print release of our next Epic! Originals book, “Creature Campers!”
To celebrate, we caught up with author Joe McGee and our favorite Bigfoot, Norm for a fun Q&A session. Check it out below!
Joe McGee, Author
Epic!: What are the key themes you wanted to explore when you came up with “Creature Campers?”
JM: 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’re also trying to navigate the journey of your own physical, mental and emotional development.
Kids at this age are trying to discover who they are and create their own identity while trying to survive in an elementary school “Lord of the Flies” environment. It’s not an easy thing! What’s cool? What’s 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?
So, in “Creature Campers” I created characters who are all struggling with their own self-perceived obstacles. Norm is big, even for a Bigfoot, and he’s 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’s learning personal space and how to dial it back a little. And Oliver is the only human in a camp full of Crypto Creatures!
What’s so wonderful is that they embrace one another, find ways to utilize their “obstacles” 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.
Besides that, I hope they’re 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’re entertained and love the characters and can’t wait to read book 2.
Early brainstorming notes and doodles from Joe McGee’s notebook.
Epic!: What do you hope kids will take away from “Creature Campers?”
JM: The motto at Camp Moonlight is “Being different is not unusual … it’s FUNusual.” I really want kids to understand that it is okay for them to be themselves. They don’t 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’ve 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.
Epic!: Is there a character in your books that you relate to most?
JM: I think that I am an amalgamation of all four campers. I’m Norm in the sense that I’m a natural leader and really have a strong drive to protect my friends. I’m Oliver in the sense that I never quite fit into the role my parents expected (Oliver’s parents are strapping, sturdy lumberjacks and he’s a pencil-thin book smart kid who might blow over if the wind blows too strong) and that I’m fairly cerebral, like him. I’m Wisp in the sense that I’ve never been the tallest in the room, lol, and that I refuse to give up; that I have this incredible determination. I’m Hazel in the sense that I can be impulsive, frantic and spontaneous.
Epic!: What do you envision—that you can reveal—for the future of the series?
JM: Well, books 1-3 are all written. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, but I will tell you that Barnaby Snoop’s character arc takes on an interesting trajectory. Readers may be pleasantly surprised … after that though, I’d love to see “Creature Campers” go beyond book 3. I think there are other stories to tell there. Other adventures.
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’re reading this and saying “yes, yes, yes!” let Epic! and Andrews McMeel Publishing know you want more “Creature Campers!”
Epic!: In the world of kids’ books, what makes “Creature Campers” stand out?
JM: Well, besides the amazing art by Bea Tormo and the wonderful layout and design by the Epic! team, I think that one of the things about “Creature Campers” that makes it stand out is the fact that not only is it an ensemble cast, but it’s an ensemble cast of creatures. All four of the creature campers share the stage and while Norm may present himself a bit more at times, it’s really an equal and diverse cast. And again, they’re creatures. The “monsters” 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.
On top of that, I think it’s 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.
Epic!: What experiences of your own helped you bring Camp Moonlight to life?
JM: 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.
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.
Epic!: What experiences of your own helped you bring Camp Moonlight to life?
JM: 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.
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.
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’ll 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’d tell them, “go!” It’s a tremendous amount of fun and even though it may be scary to be away from home for a week or two, you’ll quickly learn to love it and make some pretty good friends of your own.
Thank you, Joe for answering our questions! Now you can check out our Q&A with our favorite Bigfoot, Norm from “Creature Campers.” You can pick up the first installment of this popular series in stores and online now!
About the Author
Joe McGee earned an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and an MA in Writing from Rowan University. He teaches creative writing at Sierra Nevada College’s low-residency MFA program. An avid cartoonist, board game player, and role-playing gamer, Joe is also the author of the Junior Monster Scouts chapter book series and three picture books. He lives in a quiet little river town with his wife (also a children’s book author) and their puppy, Pepper.
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