Attaboy

Stacey Ransom
Artist Interviews
Stacey Ransom

Attaboy, the infamous toy designer and fine artist has released his latest book, “You Might Be a Monster – and other stuff I made up.” He will be stopping at a handful of cool California locals including Dragatomi Toy Emporium in Sacramento, SFMOMA in San Francisco and Meltdown Comics in LA. Check out his schedule to see if he’s coming to your town.

But even if he is not, no worries! you can preview the book and buy it on-line.

The colorful book is divided into two sections. The first is a selection of random rhyming stories that are all witty, clever and adorably icky scritchy. Why, there’s not a schmarmy word in the lot. Yay!

The second part of the book is a page-by-page journey to discover if the protagonist (antagonist?) is really, truly the monster his parents believe him to be. This is by far my favorite section as it is dark and twisty. It left me wondering… “hmmm, am I a monster?”

Below is a selection of my favorite spreads. At the bottom of this post is a SECRET surpirse!!! yes, it’s true! Top secret. Just for you. 

Go ahead… start scrolling.

This wins for most adorable table of contents / author’s introduction ever. “Inside this book, you will not find fairy tale princesses who trade frog kisses for wishes. That’s just gross, on many levels.” – Attaboy
Part two – “You Might Be a Monster”  AKA: appropriate introspective reading for adult and child alike.
The Expert arrives. “You must be the… specimen… or rather Gustav Delite, whose behavior has made this house a most-toxic waste site?” (NOTE: I love how Attaboy drew the light shapes falling out of the lamp. those are the details that this book is jam packed with and are impossible to show in a blog post.)

Expert: “Does your breath singe the toe hairs of neighbors?” (hmmm… maybe?)
Gustav: “I’m horrible. It’s all true. But I can’t help it, it’s my nature, It’s just what monsters do!”
Expert: “It’s your actions, not words, that give your monsterness away. I’ve come to the conclusion that you are Monster grade A!”

So as you can see it’s a page turner of both witty prose and luscious imagery.

But where is that SECRET you ask? Why, it’s BELOW!!

Unlike 99.99% of the books on the planet, (or at least the ones I know about) THIS book has printing on the INSIDE of it’s dust jacket. Attaboy told me in confidence (and I am sharing with you now), that not everyone likes monsters. Shocking! As a precautionary measure, he printed the reverse side of the dust jacket with graphics that are safe as a butterless bran muffin. So in case your significant-other, mum, granny, kiddies or kitties abhor monsters, you can sneak the book into your home by simply reversing the dust jacket. WHEW!

ok… take a peek.

A detail of the safest book jacket since “Understanding your Tortoise” by K.A. Gray.

But that is not all dear readers – since you’ve read this far I will reward you with the BIGGEST SECRET OF ALL TIME!!… !!!

Attaboy stopped by my studio and was willing to take his signature cap OFF for a portrait session. You know, this cap.

And this is what we discovered.

  • photo by Ransom & Mitchell

…and now you know 10% more silliness than you did five minutes ago. Your welcome, my work here is done.

I hope you will buy this book and encourage this fantastically talented artist to make MORE MONSTERS!! You may visit his extensive website and spend lots & lots of time pouring through all the cool stuff.

Thanks for sharing, Atta!