Q&A with MAC
MAC is a freelance writer for Popular Science Magazine. She has interviewed NASA scientists and covered topics ranging from asteroids to weapons design. Born and raised in Manhattan, MAC first started writing Anna Smudge on the back of dozens of order pads while waiting tables at a downtown diner.
Q. How is Anna Smudge different from the other popular books out there?
A. I think the biggest difference is that there's no magic, fairies, or elves in the book! Let me preface that I absolutely love that kind of escapism. But over the last few years I had noticed that the fantasy genre had really taken over the children’s section of bookstores. I guess that made me want to try my hand at something different. So, I started working on a mystery series that was set in the real world.
Q. What is the premise for the series?
A. "The Professionals" series centers on a motley crew of eleven-year olds who've all been affected in a pretty personal way by the evil criminal mastermind, Mr. Who. I see them as a team of superheroes who must band together to stop him, but instead of being endowed with super-human powers, they each have their individual professions. It's kind of like the A-Team meets the Justice League! Each book focuses on a different kid, and each kid's profession acts as a vehicle through which another piece of Mr. Who's Master Plan is revealed.
Q. I take it you're a big comic book fan?
A. That's an understatement. I'm a huge comic book fan—you should see my apartment. Comics are actually the main reason why the series is structured the way it is and why the book looks the way it does. Comic books have been doing these incredibly dynamic layouts for years, and we thought it would be fun to inject some of that jazz into the world of children’s books. In Anna Smudge, there are 12 full-page, in-your-face, bone-chilling portraits of all of the antagonists in the book—every scary dude that Anna comes across is literally lunging right at the reader. They're not your traditional children's book illustrations.
Q. And you're working with some very famous comic book artists as well…
A. Yes. I can hardly believe the people who have come on board! Glenn Fabry is doing the interior art for the series, and Greg Horn is doing the covers. I’ve been immense fans of both of these guys for about 11 years, so it's really such a "pinch me" moment in my life. Waking up and having their sketches in my inbox—I feel like I’m dreaming!
Q. And you wrote most of the book while you were working at a diner?
A. (Groan) Yeah. That was a miserable time. Honestly, I think I created this character—a kid-shrink—when I could’ve benefitted from a little therapy myself. Waiting tables is rough. I think it should be a requirement in America. Kind of like joining the army is in Israel. Everyone should do it for a year. Then the world would be a kinder, more understanding place.
Don't forget to check out the website at www.WhoisMrWho.com and MAC's new blog at http://MACismy.name.
Contributor: Toasted Coconut Media, LLC
Reviews
Anna Smudge: Professional Shrink
MAC (Melissa A. Calderone)
Illustrations by Glenn Fabry
Anna Smudge gets sent to the principal’s office for something she insists she didn’t do--bite her tormentor, Jacob Pierce. The silver lining is that, since no one believes her, she is sent to the school counselor. There, Anna discovers she likes the woman and begins to think that she would even like to become a counselor herself. So she starts reading about the topic and practicing on her friends. Because she is so good at listening, she makes more friends, and one of them makes business cards for her. Unfortunately, Jacob Pierce spitefully throws the cards to the wind. Now, it seems as though every homeless, helpless, miserable person in New York City is coming to see Anna in the tiny storage area of her apartment building that she uses for an office. Before you know it, she is famous! One of these “clients” turns out to be recently-escaped convict Donny “the Meatball” Fratelli, who has been hired by the mysterious “Mr. Who” to kill Anna’s dad over a competitive shipping bid. Anna has to figure out how to stop Meatball without breaking client confidentiality, and maybe she can discover and stop the city’s most notorious criminal, “Mr. Who” in the process. Anna accumulates a motley crew of friends who join her in trying to find out if there really is a “Mr. Who” and what his real identity is--are they ever in for a surprise! This is a whacky but enjoyable and fast-paced read that will certainly appeal to girls but could engage boys in the adventure as well. It would provide an easy entrée into discussions about peer relations like bullying and friendship. 2008 (orig. 2002), Toasted Coconut Media, $9.99. Ages 10 to 14. Reviewer: Paula McMillen, Ph.D. (Children's Literature).
ISBN: 9781934906002
ISBN: 193490600X
Added 07/30/08
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If you’re interested in reviewing children's and young adult books, then send a resume and writing sample to marilyn@childrenslit.com.