Frank Rodgers |
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A childhood passion for books, radio and cinema set Frank Rodgers on the road to being a writer and artist. Today, he is the author/illustrator of almost fifty books for children, covering a wide age range from picture books through books for older readers to a novel for teenagers.
THE BASICS
Born: Holytown, Lanarkshire, 1944
Jobs: Art Teacher, driver, musician
Lives: Glasgow
First Book: Who's Afraid of The Ghost Train?, 1988
THE BOOKS
As a child, Frank Rodgers was impressed by Frank Hampson's drawings for the original Dan Dare: Pilot of the Future strips and Mervyn Peake's illustrations for Treasure Island. At school, he was generally in the market to swap things for American comics. Inspired by radio shows like The Goons and Journey Into Space, he wrote plays and pressganged family and friends into the cast. Already, he was thinking up - and drawing - all kinds of characters. He studied Silversmithing and Jewellery at Glasgow School of Art and became an Art Teacher, in his spare time writing pop songs and two stage musicals. His first foray into publishing was as an illustrator of other writers’ work, most notably Humphrey Carpenter’s Mr Majeika books. In 1987, he left teaching to become a full-time writer and illustrator. His own books for Puffin include the picture books The Bunk Bed Bus (a SATS list choice), The Pirate and the Pig and the recent, highly successful The Witch’s Dog series. The Witch’s Dog was chosen as one of Young Book Trust’s 100 Best Books of 1999 and The Witch’s Dog and the Magic Cake by the Children’s Book Federation in 2000. An animated series based on the books has also been made. Eyetooth and Battle for Eyetooth are Frank’s most recent creations, charting the scary adventures of Count Muesli, the vegetarian vampire! Many of Frank’s books have been published in Europe and the US. Described by Scottish Book Trust as 'one of Scotland’s best-loved author/illustrators', he has been a tutor on the Arvon Foundation’s Writing for Children course. Frank enjoys putting on his Ray-bans and either pounding out rock ‘n’ roll on his piano or playing blues guitar.
WHAT HE SAYS...
"Ever since I was a child making up stories, drawing characters to fit voices I heard on the radio, making models... I have been full of the idea of 'seeing' stories as films in my head."
"Ideas come from snippets of memory, fragments of childhood, bits of conversations, pieces of personalities, slivers of juxtapositions, scraps of recognition, bursts of laughter and slices of luck."
WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT FRANK RODGERS...
'A compelling ride, full of invention, strong characters and action . . . Superb storytelling.'
Guardian on Eyetooth
'Jam-packed with awesome action and creepy characters.'
Kraze Club on Battle for Eyetooth
'Children will love it.'
Junior Bookshelf on A is for Aaargh!
'Very funny pictures capture the hectic mood swings in this riotous story.'
Guardian on B is for Book!
'A total winner.'
Books For Keeps on B is for Book!
'Lots of fun.'
Parents on The Bunk-Bed Bus
'A good bedtime read... the amazing illustrations offer lots of chances for discussion.'
Books For Your Children on Can Piggles Do It?
'A very amusing story… it has a satisfying, surprising but logical ending.'
School Librarian on The Intergalactic Kitchen
'Inventively illustrated, from rolling-eyed pirates to an impromptu Christmas tree made from rope and seaweed.'
Independent on Sunday on The Pirate and The Pig
'A witty tale of friendship and endurance.'
The Bookseller on The Pirate and The Pig
'A winner with little boys.'
TES on The Ship-Shape Shop
'A fast moving and exhilarating romp.'
The English and Media Magazine on Teachers or Creatures
'Superbly paced storytelling, gentle slapstick fun and appealing comic illustrations make this a very satisfying read.'
Scottish Book Trust on The Witch’s Dog at the School of Spells
frankrodgers.co.uk
FRANK RODGERS TITLES
AVAILABLE FROM PUFFIN:
The Pirate and the Pig
The Witch's Dog
The Witch's Dog and the Magic Cake
The Witch's Dog at the School of Spells
The Witch’s Dog and the Crystal Ball
The Witch’s Dog and the Flying Carpet
The Witch’s Dog and the Ice-cream Wizard
The Intergalatic Kitchen Sinks
The Robodog
The Robodog and the Big Dig
The Robodog, Superhero
Last updated: January 2003
PLACE AND DATE OF BIRTH:
Bellshill, Lanarkshire; 1944
FAVOURITE BOOK:
Lots - but one which always makes me laugh is Para Handy by Neil Munro
MOST TREASURED POSSESSION:
A Viking whalebone needle found on the beach in Shetland
FAVOURITE SONG:
Lots - but one which gets me jumping up and down is 'Twist and Shout' by the Beatles.
FAVOURITE FILM:
Avanti (Jack Lemmon and Juliet Mills)
When did you start writing?
Around 1985. At the time I was an art teacher and illustrated other people's books in my
spare time. I was also writing pop songs and musicals for theatre groups but gradually the
desire to write and illustrate my own children's books took over and one morning I woke up with the idea for Who's Afraid of the Ghost Train, in my head... and this eventually became my very first picture book.
Where do you get your ideas?
Lots of my story ideas are based around themes'. The theme of The Bunk-Bed Bus is you're never too old to learn' (as granny proves!). B is for Book! is about a rowdy class getting a nasty surprise... The Pirate and the Pig is about bravery, friendship... and vegetarianism.
Can you give your top three tips to becoming a successful author?
1. Practise using your imagination by inventing stories in your head (as silly as you like)... then writing them down.
2. Use a notebook to jot down anything that interests you and which you might use in a story.
3. Enjoy writing.
Favourite memory?
Sitting alone in the Alhambra cinema in Bellshill aged ten as my uncle Robert (the
projectionist) ran the film Quo Vadis (a technicolour Roman epic) for me. I've never
forgotten the feeling of pleasure at having an entire picture house all to myself... The rows
and rows of empty seats stretching away all around me in the flickering darkness. Magic!
Favourite place in the world and why?
A window table in Nardini's Cafe in Largs, sipping a cup of their wonderful coffee and looking
out to the sea - a lovely combination of Scotland and Italy.
What are your hobbies?
Playing rock 'n' roll on my piano; looking at pictures of old Cadillacs and Citroëns and wishing I had one; reading.
If you hadn't been a writer, what do you think you would have been?
A very frustrated person.
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