We got into line at about 3:30 for the event. Doors were opening at 4, to let us in to get seats for the 5 p.m. appearance. There was a light rain, but the kids didn't mind, making good use of of all of the line and waiting in seats time to read - and finish! - the newest "Diary ..." book, "Double Down."
Fortunately, we were in the third row, and could see it all!
I'll let Annabelle tell you a bit about it ...
Yesterday, Jeff Kinney had a book release and presentation at Third Place Books. The book released was Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down. When you enter the door, you get your own copy of the book and then head to the stage for the presentation.
The first thing he talked about in his presentation is that this book, being the 11th in the series, is almost like restarting from 1. Jeff Kinney said that in ways, he wanted to make this book somewhat like a redo of the first. The story has many similarities, but just like every other book in the series, the main connection is its 217 page count.
The main part of the presentation was about Jeff Kinney’s drawing process and how he always wanted to become a cartoonist. It all started when he contacted the writer for the comic and book series Big Nate about his character “Igdoof”, and how he’d like it to be included in a comic. When Igdoof was included (albeit small and on a sticker sheet) that’s what prompted Jeff Kinney to become a cartoonist.
He demonstrated that being a cartoonist is great, because your illustrations can be simple and your characters don’t have to age. He demonstrated how drawing Greg, the main character, was very simple. You draw two dots for eyes, a nose, and a circle. All that’s left to do is draw his hair, 3 lines at the top of his head. And, with a little expression change and a new hair-do, suddenly you’ve drawn Greg’s brother, Roderick. It’s a great trick to make characters very similar to show relation, or just for simplicity. He also explained how he uses Adobe Flash to draw, and that it can make many hours to complete a full drawing, despite how simplistic it may seem.
It’s really interesting to see his process and what makes a “Diary”. Plus, we got a signed book out of the deal!
Next up, CJ's impressions ...
"It's going to be about 217 pages." -Jeff Kinney, when asked about the plot of the next Diary of a Wimpy Kid book
For 10 years, Jeff Kinney has been a very successful author all around the world, from his home country of the U.S. to India to Brazil. Jeff Kinney is most well-known for authoring the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, which is primarily about the life of Greg Heffley, a weak middle school student who is partially inspired by Jeff Kinney's own childhood (To paraphrase the author, we've all been wimpy kids at some point).
The books are written from Greg's perspective. Since the first book's release in 2007, they have sold millions of copies and have been localized in literally dozens of languages. In what I presume is a celebration of the series' tenth anniversary, Jeff Kinney recently began the Wimpy Kid Double Down Global Tour, where he will make 15 stops across the globe from November 1 to December 13.
On November 10, he made a stop in Seattle, and we were lucky enough to get tickets (they were apparently some of the last tickets for that event). One of the things I learned about the series at the event was that the first book in the series actually spent several years in development.
In the early 1990s, Jeff Kinney was an amateur cartoonist working at the University of Maryland, College Park. He conceived a character known as "Igdoof", a goofy-looking illustrated character who would become Greg Heffley. In 1998, Jeff Kinney drew a picture of Greg on a piece of tissue paper, which in my opinion, is the first incarnation of him that bears a significant resemblance to Greg in the books. Jeff purchased a notebook, where he decided to write down versions of silly things and strange things that happened to him during his youth. From 1998, this took him 8 years to fill, and the final page of the notebook is apparently crammed full of ideas and sketches for what would become the Wimpy Kid books.
If I remember correctly, in 2006, he tried pitching his idea to Amulet Books, and his request was fulfilled. The original Diary of a Wimpy Kid book was published the next year and became a commercial success, and would be the root more multiple more books to come. I also learned that there are some minor alterations to the books in the international versions (usually having to do with the text). For example, in Germany, the book series is known as "Greg's Journal", because there is literally no word for "wimp" in German. Also, in Brazil, Greg is apparently known as the "Banana Boy", strangely enough. Also, in the Japanese versions of the books, Greg has five fingers on his hands instead of the normal cartoon four, likely due to the pinky-chopping practices of local Yakuza gangs.
Lastly, at the event, I was able to get my copy of the newest book, "Double Down", signed by Jeff Kinney. Also, they're apparently in the post-production phases of the fourth Wimpy Kid movie, "The Long Haul", where everybody has been recast.WE COME IN PEACE: Saturday midday, with light rain falling, we headed to Green Lake for a gathering of friends, strangers, families and anyone searching for some post-election peace, love and understanding.
It was fun looking across the lake and seeing tiny specks strung together for as far as the eye could see. (The photo below is not mine, it was gleaned from social media.)
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