{"id":11587,"date":"2019-05-01T12:13:35","date_gmt":"2019-05-01T16:13:35","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/?p=11587"},"modified":"2019-05-04T09:19:19","modified_gmt":"2019-05-04T13:19:19","slug":"james-kochalka","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gregcookland.com\/wonderland\/2019\/05\/01\/james-kochalka\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Johnny Boo Is King!\u2019 In New Kids Graphic Novel From (Former) Vermont Cartoonist Laureate James Kochalka"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cJohnny Boo Is King!,\u201d the new graphic novel for kids from James Kockalka<\/a>, the former Cartoonist Laureate of Vermont, begins with the ghost Johnny Boo discovered hiding in a bush by his ghost friend Squiggle. Johnny Boo finally pops out, shouting: \u201cI\u2019m King Johnny Boo! And this bush is my castle! And as king I say fawuzzle is not a word.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFawuzzle\u201d is, of course, Squiggle\u2019s word. \u201cNo fair, Johnny Boo,\u201d he cries. To win the squabble, he declares himself King Squiggle and takes a random rock as his crown. They argue and make up and a giant yellow and pink yeti-looking-thing known as the Ice Cream Monster arrives and complains that they\u2019re not sharing ice cream and eventually sits on an ice cream cone (\u201cwith my butt!\u201d) and they journey to the moon. It’s a pretty typical day in the life of the little ghosts.<\/p>\n

\"From<\/a>
From “Johnny Boo is King!” by James Kochalka. (Top Shelf Productions)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kochalka, who resides in Burlington, was named the first Cartoonist Laureate of Vermont in 2011. \u201cIt was basically created for me,\u201d he says \u201cThere were no real duties, but I would get asked a lot to speak at libraries or churches or schools.\u201d (Since then New Yorker cartoonist Ed Koren and \u201cFun Home\u201d creator Alison Bechdel have held the post.)<\/p>\n

For 14 years, Kochalka drew the landmark daily diary comic strip \u201cAmerican Elf.\u201d His books for children include \u201cJohnny Boo,\u201d \u201cPinky & Stinky,\u201d \u201cGlorkian Warrior\u201d and \u201cDragon Puncher\u201d (which his publisher, Top Shelf Productions, says is about: \u201ca cute but ruthless kitty in an armored battle suit, dedicated to defeating dangerous dragons wherever they may be\u201d). He has performed with his rock band James Kochalka Superstar<\/a> since the early 1990s and has produced three \u201cGlorkian Warrior\u201d video games. In the works are a new \u201cGlork Patrol\u201d book, a 20th anniversary \u201cMonkey Vs. Robot\u201d collection augmented by a new story, and, this fall, a tenth \u201cJohnny Boo\u201d book, \u201cJohnny Boo and the Midnight Monsters.\u201d Kochalka says, \u201cWe hope to have a new Johnny Boo book every year.\u201d<\/p>\n