Publisher's Note:

We've got a great book to share with you today, that explores history, creativity, and fun all in one! It is The Secret Adventures of Hamster Sam: Attack of the EVIL Boll Weevils! Written and illustrated by Dave McDonald, Hamster Sam is a winner of the Moonbeam Children's Book Awards. It is a hardcover book in comic-book format, and is an excellent way of teaching history and culture.

And from our Special Children's Reporter, Lillie Forteau:

This book is FUN!! I LOVE HAMSTER SAM! His character is just wonderful. I like that he is looking at a comic book, and this book IS a comic book! I liked learning the history of the cotton mill, and I really loved the photos that were included.  It was fun and there was old-fashioned made cotton, and they even showed real pictures of it. Did you know about boll weevils? They EAT cotton! It is not a good thing. So Hamster Sam and Miles (the worm) save the day with their creativity. They are so funny - when they talk, and act, and learn things, they are always having fun. It is important for other kids to read because you can learn history from a genius, while laughing! It is fun and hilarious. You can learn about Boll Weevils and how cotton was grown and produced back in the day. Hamster Sam and Miles create a secret club and solve problems. I can't wait for the next Hamster Sam book!

Author/illustrator Dave McDonald spent the first 14 years of his professional career as a television producer/writer/director in Upstate New York- receiving over a dozen nominations for CableAce Awards, and winning 2 for best children’s programming.  Upon moving to Charlotte, NC in 1995 he worked in the theme park industry for Paramount Parks Entertainment as head writer of the Scooby Doo staqe shows and also as a character designer/builder. He then toured for 6 years as a puppeteer in schools & libraries throughout the Southeast with the Grey Seal Puppet company.  In 2008, McDonald received a regional Emmy Award nomination for his work as a producer & writer on the television magazine series “Fingerprints” for WTVI (PBS) in Charlotte, NC.  McDonald parlayed his television and entertainment experience into a new form of media - the comic book/graphic novel, where his quirky visual style and absurd humor would combine to tell unique and funny stories.  His first title, The Secret Adventures of Hamster Sam: Attack of the Evil Boll Weevils! received a bronze medal in the 2008 Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards.  Today, in addition to freelance illustration and marketing his book, McDonald visits schools, libraries and other venues with his “Cartooning & Comics” presentations, workshops, artist-in-residencies and professional development/teacher workshops.  He is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonist Society, and appears on the South Carolina Arts Commission’s roster of approved artists. WOW!!

We were lucky enough to sit down and chat with Dave about his book - here's what he had to say...

WE:  Please tell us about your book, The Secret Adventures of Hamster Sam...

DMD: Well, hello Lillie!  I’d be happy to!  It’s the story of a silly classroom hamster that goes back in time to the year 1921 to help two cotton bolls named “Eli” and “Whitney” escape from the clutches of the evil boll weevils- who ride motorcycles!  It’s a fictional book, created in a comic book style; but it also contains a non-fiction element as well.  It highlights the important role that cotton and textiles played in the growth and development of the Southern Piedmont. I worked with the Gaston County Museum of Art & History in Dallas, North Carolina to incorporate actual photographic images from the early 20th century cotton mills.  On several pages of the book, I combined my hand drawn characters with these photographic backgrounds.  These unique images, I felt- would give young readers like yourself a fun and entertaining way to make a connection to our past; by introducing tidbits of historic information into the pages without interrupting the storyline.  At least, that was my intent!

WE: Why did you write this book?

DMD: That’s a great question, as this is my first book.  Well, my background is actually in writing, producing and directing children’s television, puppetry and theme park entertainment.  The common ingredient in all of these different areas of my career has been humor.  I love to laugh and make others laugh by creating silly, absurd characters and stories.  The other common aspect of these jobs was drawing.  Whether it was set design sketches, puppet or character costume designs or spot illustrations- it seemed that I was always creating drawings to help visualize my productions.  Finally, in 2007 I felt comfortable enough with my character drawings (I am a self taught cartoonist) that I decided to write and illustrate my own book.  I created this book to serve as an entertaining way of getting young readers interested in history.  I am not a teacher, but over the years I have always enjoyed working with educators to create media that is not only fun, but also provides a spark of interest in an educational theme or topic.   

WE: Why does Hamster Sam have a friend that is a worm?

DMD: I wanted to give Hamster Sam a sidekick who was smarter than he was, but weaker in stature.  This combination would almost force them to need each other; make them a team.  And so an inchworm as a “bookworm” was perfect- he reads a lot and thus can be full of knowledge, but as a tiny inchworm he would need to rely on Hamster Sam to assist and protect him.  When you are writing a story, it is much more interesting to pair up characters that have different personalities.

WE: Why are Hamster Sam and his friend Miles so funny?

DMD: Well thanks for saying so!  Humor is at the heart of most everything I do.  I suppose that is to be expected, since I was raised on Saturday morning cartoons and sugar coated cereal!  Aside from my favorite childhood cartoons (Bugs Bunny, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Hanna-Barbera Productions) and comic strips (Peanuts!),  I listened to the comedy albums of Bill Cosby (a great storyteller) and Stan Freberg (hilarious interpretation of American history) and watched The Muppet Show; Jim Henson was a genius.  Like a sponge, I soaked up all of this ‘funny business’, and it has definitely influenced the stories I tell. 

WE: Where did you find the real pictures, in this book?

DMD: Working with an institution like the Gaston County Museum of Art & History made my job easier.  They have a top-notch education team and archives of photographs from our region’s past.  I met with them several times during the writing process, and told them what I was looking for, and they would go through their catalog of images and help suggest certain ones.  I was very fortunate and grateful to have had their support.

WE: Did you have fun making this book?

DMD: I had a blast!  But creating my first book was also an “eye opener” for me.  I was surprised to find out that creating a 32-page book required as much work- if not more- to produce than most of the television programs I had created!  And, if you think about it, directing a TV show is very much like creating a comic book…you get to decide what the readers see in each panel.  A comic book story is sort of like taking snapshots of an animated film.  As the artist, I decide which of those “frames” or panels I should draw, and whether to use a wide shot, medium shot or close up to portray the scene.  So the transition from television to comics was not a difficult one, and I really enjoyed it.

WE: Where did you learn to draw so well?

DMD: You are so kind!  How much do I owe you? (just kidding).  Like most kids, I enjoyed drawing as a youngster; copying Snoopy from the funny pages and drawing comics for our 5th grade class newspaper.  I went to college for television & film studies, and worked for many years as a producer/director.  Television is obviously a very “visual” industry, and I found that my sketching abilities helped tremendously when it came time to do set designs, graphics compositions and storyboards.  Over the years, through practice- and this will happen with anything you practice- you get better!  Eventually, I got to the point where I felt comfortable enough to share my artwork with others in a comic book story.

WE: Is there anything else you'd like to share with us?

DMD: Yes; I really like vanilla malted milkshakes!  But seriously, when I am out doing cartooning presentations at schools and libraries, I am always asked, “When is the next Hamster Sam book coming out?”  Well, I am currently in the early stages of writing the next adventure, and I have created a couple of new “Secret Adventure Patrol” members to join Hamster Sam & Miles!  The next installment will have more pages, and will be published as a paperback.  While the storyline is “top secret”, I will say that it is a “far out” adventure!  So, keep an eye on my webpage or become a fan of Hamster Sam Comics on Facebook for details about the progress of the book!  Thank you for your interest in Hamster Sam, who is telling me right now to get back to the drawing board!  

WE: Thanks so much, Dave! I LOVE THIS BOOK!!

For more information visit:

BLOG: davemcdonaldstudio.blogspot.com
Become a fan of Hamster Sam Comics on FACEBOOK!

Note: There is also a classroom study guide for South Carolina 3rd grade, if you are interested.  As Hamster Sam says, "Think outside the cage!"

L Forteau, 7, is the Special Children's Reporter for Wandering Educators.