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DAD LIFE
Meet John Gallagher
COURTESY JOHN GALLAGHER
Art director,
Ranger Rick and author/
cartoonist OCCUPATION:
LIVES: Fairfax, VA
Spouse, Beth; kids,
Katie, Jack and Will; and
pets, Cody the dog and
Millie the cat
FAMILY: What inspired you to write “Max
Meow: Cat Crusader,” your new
graphic novel about a cat who
becomes a superhero after
snacking on a space meatball?
I was teaching an after-school comics class
and started the first session with an open-
ended drawing exercise. A handful of kids
knew immediately what they wanted to
do and sat down and began drawing. The
remaining kids just sat there, reluctant
to get started, for fear of not drawing
something imaginative or spectacular
enough. I began brainstorming with this
group, and together we created a superhero
cat, then added a scientist and a robot, and
silliness ensued from there. Soon we had
made a comic for our caped cat but had
to cut our story short due to class ending.

The next class I began a new lesson, but the
same kids instead wanted to continue with
the cat hero story to see what would happen
next. I could tell there was something
special about this hero cat and his scientist
friend—and the story eventually developed
into “Max Meow, Cat Crusader.”
Grownups and kids have a very
different sense of humor. How
did you know whether Max and
Mindy’s hijinks would amuse the
elementary-school-age crowd?
My three kids have been my best (and
sometimes toughest) audience for testing
stories and jokes. My youngest, Will, 13,
helped with some of the character names and
story elements for the first book and made a
great sounding board. I wanted to get him
involved because he was a reluctant reader,
but graphic novels, especially Dav Pilkey’s
Dog Man series, became his favorite type of
reading. Max Meow held Will’s interest, and
he became further engaged in the process.

This attraction led to him reading the story
over and over and, ultimately, to Max being
a more enriching and entertaining character.

Do your children share your
passion for comics and graphic
novels? What are some of their
favorites? Each has had favorites through the years,
with my daughter Katie enjoying the Bone
and Baby Mouse series and her brothers
Jack and Will reading “The Dumbest Idea
Ever,” “New Kid,” the Amelia Rules! series,
“Smile,” the Hilo series, the Amulet series
and the Dog Man series, to name a few. They
have also had a healthy appreciation for
classic comics such as Garfield, Calvin and
Hobbes and Cul-de-Sac, which we all still
read on a regular basis. What is wonderful
is that comics became a gateway to enjoying
many different types of reading.

What fun things have you and
your family been doing to keep
busy during the pandemic?
Beginning in May, my wife and I started a
family routine we dubbed “Cul-de-Cinema”
where we’ve been watching movies
projected on a tarp in front of our house
every weekend. This activity has been a
fun escape, especially once we all agree
on the movie! We’ve also been taking lots
of walks and have done some biking on
the trails behind our house. Our golden
retriever is likely the biggest supporter of
the togetherness we’ve all had!
What advice do you have for
parents of reluctant readers?
Being the parent of a reluctant reader, my
advice would be to introduce your young
reader to a large variety of materials—from
storybooks and comics to magazines and
trivia or joke books—until they find out what
makes them want to read. Then seek out
those types of books. The balance of text and
artwork in graphic novels is what held Will’s
interest as an early reader. This interest was
a jumping-off point, and we kept seeking out
similar graphic novels, and his world opened
up from there. A school or public librarian
can be so good at helping your child find the,
or at least a, perfect starter book. I can’t say
enough about librarians—they are a wealth
of knowledge and love to work their magic by
pairing kids’ interests with books. n
Read our extended interview with John
Gallagher—and learn how to draw Max
Meow—on washingtonfamily.com.

WashingtonFAMILY.com 35