Tank and Fizz

The fourth book in the Tank and Fizz Series is out today! Thanks to Jenn, Liz and everyone else at Orca Book Publishers for all the hard work.  And of course thanks to the amazing Liam O’Donnell who comes up the adventures and all the fun stuff to draw. We’re currently knee deep working on Tank and Fizz 5… more about this soon!

Tank and Fizz: The Case of the Missing Mage hits the shelf’s today. Thanks Liam and Orca!

Have a look at the trailer for Liam and I’s latest book Tank and Fizz: The Case of the Slime Stampede above, and check out the review from the Toronto Library here. Stay tuned for the 2nd book in the series, Tank and Fizz: The Case of the Battling Bots!

The first Tank and Fizz book has hit the shelves! Its available online and your local book store.

In honor of St. Patrick’s day the folks at Orca Books Publishers made their own slime. Check out this link to see photos of slime taking over the lunchroom! Want to make your own?  Here’s the recipe!

Check out some of the Reviews:

“O’Donnell rolls out a slick subterranean caper flavored with a diverse nonhuman cast, topped off with a suspenseful scramble. It’s all served up with a quivering dollop of complications related to the uneasy local détente between monsters, who are more comfortable with machines, and the dark mages of Slick City’s mysterious Shadow Tower. Deas’ frequent cartoon illustrations add zesty incidents and punch lines to the plot. Young readers will slurp up the gumshoes’ gooey first exploit with relish. And perhaps a few choco-slug cookies.”

“Something slimy is running amuck in Rockfall Mountains and it isn’t the cleaning slimes. This chapter book brims with reader appeal. Fizz’s snappy personality and loyal nature make him a fun protagonist…[Tank’s] love of mechanics and engineering make her a unique and refreshing addition and her excitement jumps off the pages, helped by Deas’s artwork. The world of Rockfall Mountains and its characters (gremlins, goblins, slimes, and monsters) is reminiscent of Pixar’s famous ‘Monsters Inc.’ film series and may hold appeal for children who have grown up with those characters…Plenty of action, adventure and imagination to make it a strong addition to library collections.”

“The humorous plot is also full of purple magic dust, slimes, and strange creatures. Readers will be amazed to discover a principal with hundreds of baby spider spies, a dragon selling off his treasures, and a school for wizards. Liam O’Donnell’s action-packed text is complemented by the illustrations created by Mike Deas..This graphic novel is a seamless melding of text and visuals in an entertaining ghoulish storyline populated by trolls, goblins, gremlins, ogres, dragons, kobolds, mages and other fantastic creatures. Readers who like slimy humour and lots of amusing and improbable action will definitely enjoy this book.”

“A magical and suspenseful page turner that young readers will be sure to enjoy…Tank and Fizz is an entertaining mystery narrative full of monsters, detectives, and magic. The story notably includes many incredible comic vignettes illustrated by Mike Deas to provide readers with a visual accompaniment to the events taking place in the text. The comics are woven into the narrative and function as an aesthetic bridge with the written text of the story… An enjoyable read!”

“O’Donnell…knows how to weave together elements of detective stories, such as multiple plot lines, red herrings, and the usual suspects. With the addition of graphics by illustrator Mike Deas…[the book] is elevated from a simple middle-grade mystery or graphic novel to a clever amalgam. The graphics…complement the uproarious text…[and] the well-crafted story will leave readers anxious to solve the mystery…A monstrously imaginative and funny read, and a great introduction to a new series.”

More info on the book here!

Liam and I have started a tumblr site for our new series Tank and Fizz. I have posted some process images of the rough draft you can check out here!

I have the fantastic opportunity of teaming up with Liam O’Donnell again on an exciting new series he’s writing. The great folks at Orca Book Publishers will be publishing the books. A quick description of the series Liam’s words: “Tank and Fizz Mysteries is a monster and magic-filled dieselpunk-fantasy-noir mystery series for young readers gaining confidence with chapter books.” Below is an initial pass of the characters:

Stay tuned and check back here as I plan to keep updates coming of the creation posses as we go!