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It’s Okay to Show Emotions
Captain Smiley: The Adventure of the Bouncy Frisbee follows a young boy who learns to solve his problems with the help of a police officer pal. What first inspired you to create Captain Smiley as a superhero for young readers?
In creating Captain Smiley, I envisioned a small community where the police officer knew everyone in the neighborhood. He knew how to handle easy to difficult situations. He handled these situations by using his words. I felt it was important to create a character who teaches children how to use their words when they feel upset, angry, or frustrated. After sharing my idea with a group of elementary school teachers, I realized the importance of creating an awesome hero like Captain Smiley. He motivates and encourages children to use their voices. Also, to teach them the importance of controlling their emotions while helping them understand that it’s okay to show emotions.
Why do you think it’s important for young readers to name their feelings while learning how to handle their emotions?
Expressing how you feel isn’t easy. Getting a young person to express how they feel can be very difficult. However, I feel it is important to identify the exact emotion to find a solution to the problem. When a person feels frustrated, it is not the same as being angry. Ace was angry about his frisbee. Once Ace expressed his feelings, it made it easier for him to calm down and focus on fixing the problem. It is important to identify the right feelings to help control the emotion being felt at the time. I think it is essential for children to feel free to express their emotions.
What is the most challenging aspect of creating a graphic novel? The most rewarding?
The most challenging is finding an illustrator to bring your vision to life. As a writer, I can visualize the story I would like to tell. Once you find a connection with the right illustrator, it is an amazing feeling to see what they can do. The most rewarding is a combination of telling the story and watching the illustrations tell the story without words. To answer the question, the illustrations are the most challenging and the most rewarding, from my point of view.
Can readers look forward to more adventures featuring Captain Smiley?
Yes! The second book is completed and waiting to be illustrated. I am hopeful it will be released this spring/early summer. . I will be releasing five books in the Captain Smiley’s series. I am super excited to share and introduce Captain Smiley to the world. Go Captain, Go!
Author Links: Website
Captain Smiley: The Adventure of the Bouncy Frisbee
Kerry Phillips’ Captain Smiley: The Adventure of the Bouncing Frisbee reads like a warm nod to the superhero comics many of us grew up with. It delivers that bold, comic-book rush. At the same time, it carries a fresh, modern spark that fits comfortably with today’s young readers. The themes feel thoughtful. The representation feels timely. Nothing comes across as dated.
The story begins with a small problem that feels enormous in a child’s world: Ace’s favorite frisbee is lodged at the very top of a tree. A simple playground mishap turns into a real adventure once the kids call on Captain Smiley. He doesn’t arrive with instant fixes or flashy shortcuts. He listens first. He invites ideas. He helps the children work through the challenge together. The rescue is lively and fun, capped by an even more exciting bouncing frisbee, yet the real highlight is the way the journey unfolds.
Under the action sits a steady emotional message. Ace is upset, and that frustration is taken seriously. It isn’t brushed aside. Captain Smiley nudges the children toward naming what they feel, using their words, and supporting one another while they think it through. For young readers learning how to manage big feelings in small bodies, that approach matters.
The artwork lifts the entire book. The illustrations are vibrant, expressive, and full of joy. They capture the comic-book spirit with ease. Every character feels distinct and animated, which keeps the pages visually engaging from start to finish. The representation also lands with real significance. Seeing a superhero who reflects children of color will mean a great deal to many readers. It feels natural and empowering, woven into the story instead of presented as a separate lesson.
The final pages add extra value with activities like word searches and reflection questions, extending the experience beyond the last scene. That makes the book a strong fit for classrooms, family read-alouds, or independent reading time.
Overall, it blends humor, heart, and meaningful representation in a way that stays accessible and genuinely engaging. Captain Smiley is the kind of hero kids will want to return to. Families will appreciate the positive messages tucked neatly inside the adventure.
Open the Mind of Some Poor “Nitwit”
Revolutionary Women A Little Left of Center, weaves together your personal history with your artistic, and ideological journey, starting with your early life in Toronto to your awakening as a gay artist and the experiences that shaped your identity and worldview. Why was this an important book for you to write?
“The book, Revolutionary Women, a Little Left of Center, is meant to be a work of revolution and revolt. Rejecting stale outdated notions and inspire people to think and see things differently.”
“The old dysfunctional thinking wasn’t working and needed to be laid bare. I wanted to create humorous imagery for all people, who were craving “phycological relief” and “counter-balance,” to the endless outpouring of “agony” and “hate” from the “extreme right.” I wanted to lift up the “left” and show it too, was an important human ingredient.”
“Women, more often than not, embody the left; more subtle in tone, soft, gentle, caring, uncanny intuition, creative and intelligent. These are the same characteristics shared by artists, musicians, gay people and any intelligent free-thinking person. What’s needed is real acceptance by society at large of people who are different. The standing order from idiotic religious & xenophobic ideologies is…. “You’re different and our leaders are telling us who to hate & to join-in their agenda of taking power by suppression and annihilation of others.”
“Let’s look at it from a gay women’s point of view and learn to lean a little to the “left.”
Your book expertly blends memoir with satire, offering readers a dash of humor alongside serious topics that impact modern day women. What is one thing that you hope readers take away from your story?
“What’s happening in the United States right now, sickens and horrifies me. It is my heart felt wish to connect and ease the hearts that ache for the planet and all its living creatures.”
“The “Left” is often attacked, and certainly regarded as less important than the ideas associated with extreme masculine notions of the “Right.” The extreme right rigid binary people are stuck in their own conflict of what is right and what is wrong. Unfortunately, they’ve been misinformed.”
“So, let’s laugh in the face of the ridiculous societal norms. Lay bare the faulty logic in religious beliefs and open the mind of some poor “nitwit” saturated in bigotry and speak out for those who cannot!”
What part of the book did you have the most fun illustrating? Was there one particularly hard section?
“I had the most fun actually drawing all the illustrations. The first four illustrations really set the tone. Firstly, imagine a fantasy of women cleaning up a war scene in WOMEN DO ETHNIC CLEANSING. Or next, envision a 3,000-year-old scene, at the ancient monument STONEHENGE, where women are included in the construction and joke about a huge fear known to all mankind.”
“Thirdly, a reenactment of the famous first moon landing, with women astronauts in MOONWALK. And fourthly, I introduce the character of Mother Nature in the illustration called GOD AND MOTHER NATURE DO THE REVIEW.”
“I suppose THE PHOBE FAMILY was a particularly hard section to finish, as it took me 10 years to resolve the problem presented in THE PHOBE FAMILY and answer it in WHY MAKE IT LEGAL? In the “Phobe Family,” I wanted to hi-light the fear, isolation & denial families go through, when it turns out they have a Gay child. It’s funny but hints of dark undercurrents.”
What is the next book that you are working on, and when can your fans expect it to be out?
Work in progress.
Step into a world where sharp wit meets unapologetic truth. A collection of full color illustrations/cartoons delivers a fierce and funny feminist punch, from the absurdity of gender roles to the hypocrisy of historical myths. With a clever commentary of edgy humor, and a wink into gay culture. These pages don’t just make you laugh; they make you think. Whether poking holes in patriarchy, challenging religious relics or spotlighting modern day madness, these cartoons are radical in the best way. Some are satirical, some are heart felt and sincere. All of them are drawn with a love for justice a questioning spirit and a mischievous pen. Perfect for anyone who’s ever rolled their eyes at the status quo or laughed in its face..
Laura M. Duthie was born in Toronto. Attended the Ontario College of Art from 1976 to 1980. Studied Fine Art. Worked in Real Estate Graphics, Woodworking and Carpentry. Also worked in property management and Security. Recently retired to become a full-time artist.
About the Author:Laura M. Duthie was born in Toronto and studied Fine Art at the Ontario College of Art (1976–1980). Her diverse background spans real estate graphics, woodworking, carpentry, security, and property management. Now retired, she has returned to her true passion as a full-time artist—using her art to speak truth with humor and heart.
Revolutionary Women a Little Left of Center
Laura M. Duthie’s Revolutionary Women: A Little Left of Center is part memoir, part feminist manifesto, and part visual commentary. The book weaves together Duthie’s personal history with her artistic and ideological journey. From her early life in Toronto to her awakening as a gay artist, Duthie recounts experiences that shaped her identity and worldview. Alongside her autobiographical reflections, she presents a series of feminist cartoons and essays that tackle themes like religion, patriarchy, sexuality, and society’s deeply ingrained biases. The work feels like both a confession and a call to action, a deeply personal yet universal exploration of what it means to claim one’s voice in a world that often silences women.
Reading this book felt like sitting down with someone who’s lived through several lifetimes of rebellion. Duthie’s tone is sharp and funny and sometimes achingly vulnerable. She doesn’t sugarcoat the pain of growing up under misogyny or the confusion of coming into her sexuality in an unwelcoming world. What struck me most was how her humor doesn’t dull her anger, it sharpens it.
The cartoon’s artwork is executed in a clear, traditional comic-strip style defined by bold outlines and a flat, simple color palette. This accessible visual style serves its purpose effectively, ensuring that the viewer’s attention is drawn immediately to the characters’ actions and the text in the speech bubbles. My favorite was the “Moon Walk.” The cartoon provides a sharp, satirical commentary on contemporary social polarization. It cleverly transports a modern “culture war” debate to a history-making moment, the first landing on another world, signified by the “APHRODITE I” lander. The humor stems from the juxtaposition of this grand achievement with petty ideological infighting.
There’s also something raw in how she talks about art and identity. When Duthie describes art school and the chaos of creative discovery, it’s electric. She paints the world of artists, the lost, the brilliant, the broken, with an honesty that’s both funny and sad. I felt her frustration with the hypocrisy of society, and I admired her courage to turn that frustration into something that challenges and provokes. Some parts run on, sure, but that’s part of the charm. It feels real. It feels like someone thinking out loud, refusing to polish herself for anyone’s comfort. Her take on Freud made me laugh. It’s the kind of commentary you wish you’d said yourself but never found the guts to.
This book left me thinking about what it really means to be revolutionary. Not in the sense of shouting the loudest, but in daring to be honest. Revolutionary Women is alive and full of heart and bite. I’d recommend it to anyone who loves art that has something to say, especially women and gay readers who’ve had to fight for their place in the world.
Pages: 67 | ASIN : B0FFZT3611
Snoodles in Space: Escape from Zoodletraz
When Droodle the Poodle and Doo Doo Kidoodle tied the knot, they shattered the biggest rule on planet Zoodle: no pets allowed! As punishment, poor Droodle finds himself locked away in Zoodletraz, a prison from which no one has ever escaped. The question that drives the story is irresistible: can Droodle outsmart his captors and return to his beloved Doo Doo Kidoodle?
From the very first page, what stands out most is the comic book format. Children’s literature rarely embraces this style, making Snoodles in Space a delightful exception. Its layout instantly captures attention, not only from young readers but also from parents and educators seeking something fresh and visually engaging. Even reluctant readers will be drawn in, eager to follow the wild adventures of this eccentric cast.
Steven Joseph brings remarkable depth to his characters. In just a few panels, each one comes alive with personality and charm. Readers quickly form connections and root for them as if they’ve known them for ages. This emotional resonance, achieved through vivid details and playful dialogue, ensures that children will feel immersed in the world of Snoodles, Zoodles, and beyond.
The story also shines in its portrayal of community spirit. Whether celebrating victories or lending a hand in tough times, the inhabitants of Zoodle remind young readers of the value of kindness and cooperation. Through these moments, Joseph subtly imparts a lesson: helping others, no matter your age, shapes you into a compassionate, well-rounded person.
Andy Case’s illustrations elevate the story even further. His dynamic art bursts with energy, color, and imagination. Presented in a comic-book style, each page feels alive with detail and movement. The unique character designs and bold hues keep the reader’s eyes dancing from panel to panel. It’s the kind of book that invites you to linger and explore every corner of the artwork.
Snoodles in Space: Escape from Zoodletraz is a story that entertains both children and adults alike. With its clever concept, lively illustrations, and heartfelt humor, it’s a comic adventure that will have readers laughing, learning, and turning pages long past bedtime.
Pages: 80 | ASIN : B0FMKSM2CK
Potato Man, The Living Potato Superhero – Part I
Porkshire is no stranger to chaos, but citizens can rest a little easier; salvation now comes in the starchy form of a fearless hero. Enter Potato Man: a valiant, golden-hearted tuber with a knack for witty one-liners and the uncanny ability to launch sizzling French fries from his fingertips. Equal parts hilarious and heroic, he’s a champion of justice who never misses a chance to teach a life lesson or two. This is no ordinary spud. This is a deep-fried defender with a moral compass and a taste for adventure.
Potato Man, The Living Potato Superhero – Part I by Arya Arun is an eccentric, full-color graphic novel that caters primarily to younger readers but doesn’t forget the grown-ups tagging along for the ride. Vibrant illustrations depict the titular hero in a variety of ridiculous, high-stakes scenarios, often reminiscent of the zany energy seen in popular titles like Dog Man. Yet, Potato Man carves out a niche all his own, both absurd and oddly inspiring.
While the story is clearly aimed at children, there’s a wink-and-nod quality throughout that will keep parents entertained. Tongue-in-cheek references and subtle jokes add a layer of grown-up humor, but the heart of the book beats with unfiltered, childlike enthusiasm. The villains are bizarre but never menacing, and the sense of peril never overshadows the fun.
Beneath the slapstick and surrealism lies a sincere message: positivity wins, kindness matters, and joy is often found in the strangest of places. Potato Man doesn’t fight with fists; he fights with words, outwitting his foes through clever dialogue and moral clarity. It’s a refreshing alternative to the usual violence that plagues even kid-friendly superhero tales. One might even wish more adults followed his lead.
Despite Porkshire’s madness, and it has plenty, the city offers the perfect backdrop for this outlandish saga. The artwork is both whimsical and slightly unnerving, adding to the book’s offbeat charm. Together, story and illustration create a gleeful chaos that somehow works. This oddball journey through deep-fried justice may very well cement itself as a cult classic in the world of children’s literature.
Pages: 69 | ASIN : B0F3V2318C
Find out more about Pog Off Comics HERE
Ghosts: The People That Melt in The Rain #2
Poor Laura, she has no choice but to accept her new life in the mysterious town of Deluge, where she now lives with her mother. In Ghosts: The People That Melt in the Rain #2, author Carolyn Watson-Dubisch throws Laura into a world where the strange becomes the everyday. From the moment she arrives, uncanny things begin to unfold. A neighborhood cat vanishes, yet its muddy paw prints persist. A woman trapped within a painting at the local library suddenly pleads for Laura’s help. The girl, overwhelmed by emotion, begins to cry, and with those tears, everything changes. What follows is a sharp twist in Laura’s story, one that pulls the reader into a world both eerie and imaginative.
Ghosts channels the nostalgic spirit of Goosebumps, where strange events unfold in a small town, but with a twist: everyone in this town already knows it’s strange. Rather than relying on mystery alone, the book leans into its own eccentricity, crafting a world where the bizarre is baked into everyday life. The inclusion of a “Previously in” chapter smartly reorients readers before plunging into the next segment, maintaining narrative momentum while making space for new developments.
The Traveling Show stands out as delightfully uncanny. Its peculiar charm held my curiosity, especially as the plot zeroed in on Laura and her fate. Her storyline, filled with quiet tension and unfolding mystery, made it impossible to look away. The illustrations are striking and evocative and add dramatic flair to every beat of the story, making emotional moments land with even more impact.
Chapter 4, The Storm, wraps the reader in an eerie atmosphere. Its sense of dread is palpable, yet subtle. From the first panel to the last, I was fully engaged. It’s easy to imagine kids gathered in dimly lit rooms, whispering this story aloud for maximum chills. Watson-Dubisch crafts a tale steeped in mood and originality. Her characters are vivid, multifaceted, and compelling. The pacing moves swiftly, keeping tension high.
Ghosts: The People That Melt in the Rain #2 is a captivating graphic novel that offers a mysterious, emotional, and highly original experience. With its memorable characters, compelling plot, and stunning illustrations, it promises to enchant readers well beyond its target age group.
Pages: 44 | ASIN: B0D8JPYPM2
