Projects
A glimpse into my children's book ideas.
Bob the BLUE Firetruck
Story Map
Every story begins with an idea. The problem was, I didn't have one. I never thought of myself as an author. While attending a funeral for a friend of my dad, I saw the picture below. Memories and thoughts came flooding into my brain. Things I had forgotten, things that seemed inconsequential, now had so much vibrance. I came home and wrote the beginnings of Bob the BLUE Firetruck.
Who is Bob? Bob was technically both of my grandfathers. They were both very special to me in their own way. My Grandpa Bob Rockey really was the fire chief of the Vernon Volunteer Fire Department in Vernon Indiana. And they really did have baby blue firetrucks. They even had cartoon characters, flames, and other colorful objects painted on them. My grandparents lived about a block from the fire house. My dad was a fireman with my grandpa and most of my family, to be honest. I never realized the impact that had on me until recently. They really did build their own firetrucks. They took old wrecked trucks or trucks that they had and they built the water tanks. I guess that is where I got my lack of fear to build things or to try doing so.
I wrote Bob the BLUE Firetruck as a Christmas gift for my nephew out in California. Or at least that is how it all started. Check out the process below. It has come a long way!
One of the memories that came flooding back to me was about a homework assignment that I turned in mentioning the blue firetrucks. My teacher counted it wrong and wrote "Firetrucks are red!" At the time, I was just upset about my points. I didn't like getting things wrong. But, I wasn't wrong. There were Blue Firetrucks and I knew it. My mom, who was and is my biggest supporter, wrote back to my teacher with this picture stating that firetrucks can indeed be blue. I got my points back!
Still not enough for a story, but it was a spark. The story of Bob the BLUE firetruck starts out with Bob being a work truck but dreaming to be a firetruck. He is discouraged because of his blue color. I have a soft spot for broken things. So Bob breaks down and his bright blue paint starts to fade into a sky blue color. Bob is rescued by some people where he is repaired and turned into a firetruck. While he has fulfilled his dream of being a firetruck. Something is still missing. Bob finds a creative way to bring joy and happiness to people even on their worst days. By having the firemen paint cartoon characters on his water tank. Sometimes chasing dreams leads to new and different dreams. Happiness is found in many different forms.
My Journey
From engineering precision to crafting whimsical tales, I blend logic with imagination to create children's books that inspire and delight. I am an engineer by trade. Which makes my creativity somewhat unique. When I started this project. I wanted the trucks to all look the same. So I modeled them in Computer Aided Drafting software. While functional, it wasn't the most fun.
Engineering Meets Art
Bringing stories to life with colorful illustrations and heartfelt messages. While functional, the book needed something. My technical side might have gotten the best of me. So I went back to work!
Creative Process
I decided Bob needed to be a cartoon character himself. So I started to sketch somethings. I have always loved to draw. I have never really shown my drawings to others. Here we go!
Computer Aided Drafting Version
Hand Sketch Prototype
Hand Drawn Digital Cartoon
Here I had some help. I enlisted a very good friend of mine and trusted colleague. He was also the father of two little girls. I wanted to get their thoughts on if it was fun! So I sent a Powerpoint of Bob the Blue Firetruck to them for a bedtime read. Whether they really liked it or not... They told me they did and I decided to keep drawing. Now the drawing was fun! I learned I could hide things in the images that meant a lot to me and might mean something to others who might read this book.
For instance, some of our best friends on the planet opened a coffee shop in our home town of Seymour, Indiana. We traveled with them in their journey to get this coffee shop up and running. It is a truly magical place for people to gather. So it made a perfect backdrop for the cover or my book. In the background is Moxie Coffee Company with my wife and her friend Montica (Moxie's owner) watching out the window. My mom and dad might be sitting on that bench in the front.
There are many instances of hidden references in this book that make is special to me. My Grandpa was a tree trimmer and so young Bob is helping the man spit wood. But my all time favorite image is the parade scene. I got to hide so many things in this image. My youngest son is number 7 on the football team. My oldest son attends the University of Alabama and is cheering Bob on. My youngest son's girlfriend is the soccer player. But, my favorite it the little boy on the scooter. That is the reason I started all of this in the first place. That is my nephew Reza. While I am far from a professional illustrator. Heart will take you a long way! And this book is not short on heart!
Writing and Illustrating Bob the Blue Firetruck has given me so much. I got to go and read for multiple Elementary School Classes. I even ended up in an article in our local news paper. I have created videos and now a website. I have seen pictures of my book being read across this great country of ours. Bob has turned up in Hospitals and homeless shelters. Bob appears to always be there when you need him. Thank you for being part of this great journey! Dream to be Different!
Gallery
Snapshots from my children's book illustrations