Posts Tagged graphic novel

Author Interview: Royden Lepp (JURASSIC JEFF)

By on April 20, 2026   /   Author Interviews   /   Leave a comment

We love a good series over here at the Mixed Up Files, and author/illustrator Royden Lepp is keeping

‘em coming with his new book, Jurassic Jeff: Phone Home (Jurassic Jeff Book 3). Royden has written and published a variety of children’s books and other comics, and his first series RUST was called “one of the best all-ages stories to be crafted in the past decade”. Jurassic Jeff is Royden’s first comedy series, and I got a chance to ask him a few questions about the latest installment:

Chris: The Jurassic Jeff books are so fun (and definitely a big hit with my kids!). Did you know this was going to be a series when you got started with the first story?

Royden: I did! I pitched a series initially and was always planning to tell multiple stories around these fun characters. It was my first attempt at episodic storytelling, so it was a bit of a challenge.

Chris: And episodic storytelling definitely provides more opportunity for character development. Like in this book, where we learn a little more about Jeff’s home planet and history. You manage to avoid the dreaded “info dump”, but was that hard to do?

Royden: Somehow it wasn’t. Sometimes I don’t think I’m very good at world-building. I’ve always been really afraid of the world-building hole that writers can fall into, so I avoid it like the plague. Unfortunately that often leaves me not knowing a lot about the world I’m writing about so I have to stop and consider the context.

Chris: That makes sense. And speaking of context,  I enjoyed all the vintage sci-fi movie references in this one. Do you make these books with grown-ups in mind, too?

Royden: First and foremost, I’m always writing for myself. It has to make me laugh first, and then I consider my audience. So for some of the deep sci-fi references I consulted my son, who was 11 at the time that I wrote this volume. He knew a couple of the references but not all of them, and he thought the scenes were funny in their own context, so I just went for it.

Chris: Nice! And your books always have a lot of physical action, too. Is there a different approach to writing and illustrating when you want scenes to have a lot of movement?

Royden: There is! The writing involves thumbnailing the whole book more than it does writing all the

text. Every page has to flow into the next, and the jokes have to keep popping. I don’t want Jurassic Jeff to just be talking heads—I want it to have a lot of energy.

Chris: You poke some fun at AI in your book, and the last time we talked, I asked you about the role of AI in writing and illustrating. Has your opinion evolved at all in the last year or so?

Royden: Oh, it’s evolving daily, I think. I’ve done a lot of experimentation with AI in my art this year, and I’ll admit that a lot of it has been really fun. It creates amazing new ways to look at your creation. HOWEVER, I have yet to use AI in my books or writing. It simply doesn’t apply yet. I use it AROUND my characters and IP, but I don’t use it to make anything yet. I bet that will change in a year, but who knows? Story is the goal. Whatever tool helps me tell the stories I want to tell, I will use it.

Chris: That makes sense and sounds like a grounded approach. In your author bio, you mention doing video calls with art classes, which sounds really cool! Have you had opportunities to engage with the middle-grade audience as a result of the Jurassic Jeff series?

Royden: Oh yes, I’ve had many visits with schools and students over the last few years. It’s been a blast, and I hope there are more to come this year. (There are! I already know!)

Chris: Very cool! Okay, Royden, since you’re a repeat guest on the blog, you get the super bonus lightning round questions:

 

Music or silence while working?

R: Music. A thousand times over.

 

Best late-night snack?

R: Life cereal

 

Favorite location to visit?

R: Ucluelet, BC on Vancouver Island

 

Hardest part of a book to write?

R: That first blank page. Standing at the bottom of a mountain you intend to climb. That first step of so many.

 

Best writing advice you’ve ever gotten?

R: Don’t copy anyone. You have your own unique voice—use it.

 

Thanks again to Royden for taking some time to chat with us! You can find Jurassic Jeff: Phone Home everywhere on April 21, 2026.

 

See you soon, friends!

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Author Spotlight: John Claude Bemis + a GIVEAWAY

By on January 15, 2026   /   Articles, Author Interviews, Giveaways  

In today’s Author Spotlight, Jo Hackl chats with award-winning author John Claude Bemis about his new graphic novel, Rodeo Hawkins & the Daughters of Mayhem.  John Claude Bemis is the author of seven middle-grade novels, and a picture book. A former elementary school teacher, John earned his Master’s of Education in Literacy from UNC Chapel Hill and taught fourth and fifth grades for thirteen years. He received the Excellence in Teaching Award from UNC-Chapel Hill for his work as an author-presenter in schools and served as North Carolina’s Piedmont Laureate for Children’s Literature, promoting literacy and the literary arts. A popular instructor and inspiring guide to writers of all ages—kids, teens, and adults— he teaches creative writing workshops and leads retreats around the world. Beyond the creative expression of writing, John is also a sculptural mask-maker, a songwriter, and musician. He lives with his wife and daughter in Hillsborough, North Carolina.

Plus, there’s a chance to win a copy of Rodeo Hawkins & the Daughters of Mayhem if you enter the giveaway. Scroll down for details.

All about the book!

Foster kid Sidney Poblocki is thrilled to learn his destiny is to save the multiverse—until he discovers it’s actually his destiny to destroy it—in this fantasy adventure graphic novel!

Get ready for Mayhem!

When Sidney Poblocki runs away from his troubled home life, he winds up in a whole new world of trouble. Why are interdimensional assassins after him along with every other kid named Sidney Poblocki throughout the multiverse? Will he ever see his best bud Walt again now that Walt’s memory of Sidney has been erased? And what the heck is the deal with Rodeo Hawkins and her ragtag gang of mischief-making girls the Daughters of Mayhem?!

They claim they’re trying to keep him safe, but Sidney isn’t so certain “safe” is even in their vocabulary. As Sidney is swept into a series of misadventures that will change the multiverse forever, one thing is for certain: with Rodeo Hawkins around, his life is about to be filled with a lot more mayhem.

Jo:  John, many thanks for answering my questions. Rodeo Hawkins and the Daughters of Mayhem takes readers on a rip-roaring adventure across the multiverse. Your main character, Sidney Poblocki, is relatable, fun and witty.  Can you tell us about your process for creating him?

John: With all these weirdo characters, my goal was for Sidney to be the most relatable. He’s not talented or exceptional in any way. He’s just a rather sweet guy who wants to belong. He wants to find “his people,” which is hard when he doesn’t know who to trust or why these powerful people are all after him.

The Daughters of Mayhem are pretty mischievous, especially Rodeo! She can get so caught up in mischief-making that she doesn’t always consider how others feel. I needed that yin-yang, sweet-and-salty balance between Sidney and Rodeo.

 

Jo: Rodeo Hawkins is mysterious and brave and demonstrates girl-power at its best. Can you tell us about your process for creating her? 

John: I love a character with a mysterious backstory. Rodeo seems like a kid—and she is a kid, I suppose—but she’s also a powerful cosmic being. If you give an overconfident kid so many powers, they’re not only a danger to their enemies, but also to their friends. By making Rodeo an outrageously big personality, I knew I could get a lot of humor and thrills out of her.

 

Jo: Your plot is a fast-paced, complex and adventure-filled romp across the multiverse.  Can you tell us about your process of writing it? 

John: I began this project expecting it to become a traditional novel. But when the first ideas started filling my head so quickly, I had to capture them as fast as humanly possible. So, I decided to start with a barebones draft in script format. Just the dialogue and simple stage directions. But once I got into it, I quickly realized how this story wanted—needed!—to be a graphic novel instead.

 

Jo: This is your first graphic novel but you have written extensively for young readers.  Can you tell us about how your process was different for writing a graphic novel versus a traditional novel in prose? 

John: It’s a very different process. With a traditional novel, you’re telling the story entirely with words. With comics, you’re writing a script that the illustrator will turn into the vehicle for the story. There’s less room to explain or even provide direct access to a character’s thoughts. You really have to show, rather than tell.

Jo: Who was your favorite character to write? Why?

John: Rodeo, for sure. While she’s incredibly powerful and fearless, she has major flaws. She’s arrogant. She doesn’t always know how to be a good friend. In fact, even though she’s a good guy, she operates more like a villain. Often, we love villains because they don’t play by the rules and are so uninhibited. Rodeo is definitely that way. It made her hilarious to play with in my imagination and on the page.

 

Jo: Your story takes us across the multiverse and involves portals and magical items such as the “plunger of truth,” weaponized bubble gum, and the “counter punch powder.”  Can you tell us about your brainstorming process? 

John: It was simply unleashing all the weirdest, wackiest ideas from my imagination. I had this guiding approach of basing the magic around things that had strong kid appeal like candy or toilet plungers. I let the humor shape the world building.

 

Jo: What was your favorite scene to write? Why?

John: There’s a scene where Rodeo drags Sidney off to this interdimensional biker bar to get the plunger of truth. It was fun to write because of how rapid fire the jokes are. Poor Sidney is totally bewildered and out of his depth. And Rodeo is at her most absurd and terrifying. I think it’s where it registers for Sidney how legendary Rodeo is as a “cosmic menace.”

 

Jo: What would you most like for readers to take away from Rodeo Hawkins and the Daughters of Mayhem?

John: Just fun. I write to make kids have fun reading books.

 

Jo: Already your book is a reader favorite.  What has been your favorite reader response?

John: I’ve had several kids say to me already, “I wish I was a Daughter of Mayhem.” I always tell them, “You already are.”

 

Jo: What can readers look for in the sequel, Rodeo Hawkins and the Sons of Disaster? 

John: The sequel continues the misadventures of Sidney, Rodeo, and the Daughters of Mayhem as a vengeful enemy sets a trap using Sidney’s best bud from his old life. It’s been so much fun dreaming up new dangers and new hilarity for this wacky cast of characters.

Lightning Round!

No MUF interview is complete without a lightning round, so. . . .

Favorite cities (besides the one in which you live):

Venice

Favorite musical group or artist:

Johnny Cash

Would you rather be able to speak every language in the world or talk to animals?

Every language. I love to talk to locals when I travel.

Favorite ice cream flavor?

Any combo with chocolate and something weird.

Do you prefer mountains or beaches or somewhere in between?

Mountains.

Favorite childhood TV show?

There was a campy Dungeons & Dragons TV series from the 80’s that I loved.

What is the best writing advice you have ever received?

That classic gem: “Write the story only you could write.” It’s my guiding star with everything I do.

Jo: Thanks for chatting with us John! And now. . . .

For a chance to win a copy of Rodeo Hawkins and the Daughters of Mayhem, comment on the blog—and, if you’re on Twitter/X, on the Mixed-Up Files Twitter/X account, for an extra chance to win!  (Giveaway ends January 22, 2026 MIDNIGHT EST.) U.S. only, please. 

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Author Spotlight: Stan Yan

By on January 7, 2026   /   Author Interviews  

In today’s Author Spotlight, Sydney Dunlap chats with author Stan Yan about his middle-grade graphic novel, THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG.

Stan is an award-winning, first generation American-born-Chinese, Denver-based writer, illustrator, caricature artist and instructor. He helped to co-found the Squid Works comic creator cooperative and was a board member of the Colorado Alliance of Illustrators. Stan is a recent co-Regional Advisor for the Rocky Mountain Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (RMC-SCBWI) and a co-founding professor of the online kidlit art school, the CuddlefishAcademy.com. You can find him online at stanyan.me.

 

All About the Book

In this hilarious and heartfelt debut graphic novel, a girl born on a day considered unlucky in Chinese superstition starts to wonder if she really is cursed when she’s troubled by visions of doom set to occur on her thirteenth birthday.

Twelve-year-old Eugenia Wang has never celebrated her birthday on her actual birthday, April 4th, because of her mom’s belief in the Chinese superstition that four is an unlucky number. And that’s not the only thing Mom’s strict about; she won’t let Eugenia go to a summer comic art camp because she thinks art is a waste of time. This year, Eugenia is determined to defy her mom by applying for the camp, having her party on her actual birthday, and inviting her super cute crush while she’s at it, too!

But when Eugenia gets hit in the head with a sneaker during PE, she starts getting unnerving visions of impending doom about her upcoming birthday. It might be the aftereffects of her head injury, or maybe she’s just anxious about turning thirteen. As the visions get worse, even affecting her artwork, Eugenia suspects an unseen force may be sending her messages. If she’s haunted after all, Eugenia will have to figure out why before it’s too late. Even more horrifying, she may have to do the unthinkable: admit her mom was right.

 

Interview with Stan

Sydney: Congratulations on your new book release! THE MANY MISFORTUNES OF EUGENIA WANG is such a cool mix of spookiness, humor, and oh-so-relatable tween angst. You do such a great job of balancing these elements. Was it difficult to craft this? What were your biggest challenges?

Stan: I’d be lying if I were to say it was easy. I think my biggest challenge was making it paranormal, because I discovered you’ve gotta create a paranormal ruleset and be consistent, which made plotting this story extra difficult, then after getting editorial notes, even harder. Any change I’d make would create a cascade of dominoes through the rest of the story.

Praise for This Book

Sydney: Your graphic novel has been praised by Kirkus with this glowing review: “The panels, which vary in perspective, adding visual interest, support the tone of this dramatic, funny, and touching graphic novel. . . Readers will relate to Eugenia’s struggles over meeting family expectations, following her passions, navigating relationships, and negotiating daily life as a tween. Slightly spooky and filled with humor and heart.” What inspired this story?

Stan: This story was inspired initially by a “bucket list” challenge to myself to write and illustrate a comic that actually scared me. I’m a huge fan of horror, but horror comics didn’t really seem to spook me at all, but I thought there had to be a way. In film and novels, I found that most of the things that tended to scare me related to a child character, so I thought I’d make my protagonist a child. So, by accident my story became a children’s book.

I tried to think of what I was scared of as a child, and I remember (ironically) having existential fears of death, so I inserted that into the story. As I wrote an early draft, it quickly became evident that my story didn’t scare me, but I liked it. Later, after getting a manuscript critique from an editor, who convinced me to simplify my story and make it contemporary, I completely rewrote it, reconceiving the main characters, and reimagining how the protagonist would fall into visions of her death on her 13th birthday, and in the process, I felt like it became scary again!

 

Characters

Sydney: Eugenia is a great main character. Your other characters are compelling and interesting as well. Do you have a favorite secondary character? Who and why?

Stan: While I find most readers’ favorite secondary character is Peanut, I feel like he’s mostly an emotional proxy for Eugenia, which I admit is adorable. But I think her best friend, Keisha, is my favorite character. I think Keisha is the hilarious free spirit that Eugenia wishes she could be, and I love her humorous interactions with her dads. Keisha is a loyal friend that really believes in Eugenia, and I think that’s what we all want in a bff.

Inspiration

Sydney: How amazing that you are such a talented artist as well as a wonderful story creator. Have you always loved art? When did you decide to tell stories?

Stan: Well, thank you so much! I do feel like what I do is less a result of talent and more a result of passion. My earliest memories of holding a pencil in my hand were of me drawing the same stick figure doing different things in boxes I later found out were called “panel borders.” I was doing comics before I realized it! Drawing has always been simply my muse for telling my stories, and that’s what I loved about my art practice. I never had a shortage of stories to tell, so I got a lot of practice training my hand to do what my brain wanted it to do. As I often say, “you don’t run a marathon before you’ve run a mile.”

(Interspersed below are a few images of the same scene from rough idea to finished product.)

 

Takeaways

Sydney: What do you hope readers take away from this book?

Stan: There’s a lot of things I’d love readers to take from this book. First and foremost, I just want my readers to be entertained: I want them to laugh, be spooked, maybe get a bit misty in places. I also hope it leaves them thinking about my story after they’re done. And I’d love for my story to spark conversations and debates about what people think happened in it. Hopefully, it’ll be a book club favorite! Lastly, I hope aspiring authors and illustrators will feel they have permission to create stories with characters who look like themselves. I didn’t want to perpetuate the lack of representation in my available school library reading that led me to not consider this for decades by default.

 

Process

Sydney: Where/when do you prefer to write?

Stan: I don’t have a normal place I like to write. I find that I often am drawing all the time but not writing, or writing all the time and not drawing. That’s how being on a book deadline is for me. So, while I find myself most often just writing at home at the dining room table out of necessity (and proximity to the kitchen and refrigerator), sometimes it’s on the couch, or maybe at Panera Bread…anything I feel like I need, but I don’t have any sort of magic preference.

 

Influences

Sydney: What are some current books that have influenced you as a kidlit graphic novelist?

Stan: THIS WAS OUR PACT by Ryan Andrews was an amazing book that I felt like meshed all of the aspects of graphic novels together seamlessly. I also have really been influenced by STARGAZING by Jen Wang. I don’t know if these are as current as you were looking for. But GHOST BOOK by Remi Lai was a more recent masterpiece I hoped my books could become like, even if her work hadn’t perceptibly influenced my work yet.

 

Advice

Sydney: What is your advice for aspiring writers?

Stan: My best advice for writers is to read a lot. My second best advice for writers is to craft an emotional story arc for your protagonist and probably a few of your other main characters.

 

Upcoming Projects

Sydney: Can you give us some insights into what you’ll be working on next?

Stan: Well, depending on when this is published, my next project might not be announced yet, but you can get a little sneak peek into its universe by looking at my weekly Sunday webcomic, Peter Cadaver (salemcharteracademy.com).

 

And for the lightning round:

Sunrise or sunset? Sunrise (not by choice, but that’s when my body gets me up now)

Favorite place to travel: Hawaii (as long as your wife doesn’t break her shoulder)

Favorite dessert: Mochi filled with red bean paste

Favorite music: Depends on what I’m doing, but if I’m not needing to write or do panel layouts, I tend to always love listening to 90’s grunge, particularly Hole, The Screaming Trees, and the like.

Favorite book from childhood: If the library card was any indication, WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE by Maurice Sendak was. I checked that out over and over.

Find Stan on Instagram at @zombicatures. 
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