Artist gets some ‘MEGA Awesome’ accolades
Creating the award-winning original graphic novel “MEGA Awesome Notebook” was a family affair for the Minor family. Kevin Minor created, wrote, and illustrated “Notebook” (Schif fer Publishing $16.99). His older brothers, Matthew Minor and Jake Minor — who are also artists — completed the “good art,” per the credits. Matthew’s daughter, Alexis, and Jake’s daughter, Macie, provided additional art.
“(My nieces) are becoming very good teenage artists in their own right. I thought with the doodle drawing smorgasbord that happens in (‘ Notebook’), it was the perfect opportunity to incorporate some of their artwork,” said Kevin Minor of St. Clair Shores, an Eastern Michigan University alumnus who teaches social studies at Grosse Pointe South High School.
“They sent me very fun some drawings to include … and I wanted to make sure they got their first professional credits. Not bad to be a professionally credited artist in an award-winning book when you’re still a teenager, if you ask me.”
By his own admission, the concept of “Notebook” is off-the-wall. In it, a nameless teenage cartoonist accidentally microwaves his notebook while heating up his breakfast. As a result, the doodles in his notebook come to life. Dud, a character he’s drawn, spars with him on the pages of his notebook, throughout the school day. In the end, Dud makes the cartoonist face his real-life fears and struggles — girl trouble, social awkwardness, divorced parents — rather than hide in his notebook.
“Dud was just sort of a goofy musing I had early on when the idea for the story was still forming,” Minor explains. “I kept thinking of things for him to do or ways to interact with the creator that made me laugh. Eventually it became clear to me that Dud and the creator form a sort of id-ego relationship. Once that happened, the character of Dud and the whole story came together.”