Toe Jam

Chicago Package Crackin'

 

I was a bit jealous that that Brian and John got the opportunity to flip through the pages of the freshly-printed book before I could.  The party just didn't cut it when experienced over a cell phone, but John quickly sent me a few copies, so I got my fix.

That Canadian ink and glue definitely have a special perfumy quality... well, if you can make it out under all that Toenail Fairy stench.  I've experienced this book first-hand & it's seriously awesome! 

Great job Brian, John, André, and Gaétan (and Transcontinental in general)!

-Michael

Book buyer #1: Sherri from Medtronic!

OK, next to the scent of fresh Canadian ink we inhaled when the first 100 books arrived this morning, I'll also always remember the scent of the first 16 bucks we sold the first book for this afternoon.

Thank you Sherri and your 11-year-old son, Austin! You guys have to check in soon and share your thoughts about the book. Toenail fairies throughout Planet Fungeye are glued to their TDS', gnawing on their own grimy fingernails ... watching & waiting to hear what kids think of their story!

- John

Crate-cracking ceremony: the books are here!!!

Ooooooo, fresh Canadian ink! It's a scent I'll remember the rest of my life.

One hundred copies of the book arrived today and Brian, Michael (on the Blackberry) and I had a little cornball, crate-cracking ceremony.

Thank you André and Gaétan at our printer Transcontinental in Sherbrooke, Quebec. You guys nailed this for us!

Fresh toenail shipment for MESPA

Just in from Planet Fungeye: a fresh shipment of toenails – inspected and disinfected by toenail fairy #13. They better be! They're headed straight for Rochester, MN where members of the southeast Minnesota MESPA group (MN Elementary School Principal Association) will be studying the specimens for their Planet Fungeye authenticity. If deemed to be the real thing, Toe Jam and The Toenail Fairies just might get invited to a few more elementary schools to tell their tale. If not, back to Planet Fungeye the toenails will go.

What do toenail fairies do with disinfected toenails? While they just don't have the ripe, raw flavor of infected toenails, I've heard that they add a lovely texture to Toenail Tonics, Fungus Froths and the batter used for Hangnail Strips.

- John

It's almost here!

I'll be the first to admit, I had my doubts about Toe Jam. I just wasn't sure if he and the toenail fairies could be done justice on the pages of a graphic novel. But boy was I wrong. You can see how much heart has been put into every single page of the book by everyone working on it and my dad, the author.

Being lucky enough to see a preview of the book, I can wholeheartedly say it's a must-read. Everyone who reads Toe Jam and The Toenail Fairies becomes enGROSSed with the story and the very, individual characters. It's great to see it all come together after all the hard work and endless hours I have seen being put into creating the book. Hopefully we'll get the book delivered this Friday so everyone can enjoy it ASAP!!

- Caitlin Nielson

TJ Busts a Move on the Floor

Whew!  We've got about a week and a half until the Toenail Fairies release their stanky, foul odor on the world! This has been a grimy ride with lots of late nights and stinky visits from Teej and the guys, but it's all been worth it.

This picture is me surrounded by all of the artwork before I sent it to Brian in Minneapolis. I feel lucky that my arm survived all of this!

It's been so intense, I've even been dreaming of toenail fairies... or was that really them? Hard to tell.

-Michael

Creative Uses of Rotting Toenails

An interesting note:  The book will be printed on recycled paper and The Toenail Fairy dudes are very proud.

We're reusing old paper to make new books, just like they re-use old, gooey toenails to make the windshield of their Hytoe, the roof of their city hall, bling to wear around their necks, and all kinds of other stuff.

Here's a fun idea, let's all dream up other ways that Toe Jam and the crew could use toe nails. Here are a couple I just thought of:

- Kitchen Tile
- The bill of a baseball cap

...add more to the list, let's see how many uses we can come up with!

-Michael

Toe Jam hits the wall!

Well it's April 5th and we've got the entire book up on the wall at Brian's studio. Michael has been pumping through some amazing art from his studio Chicago. Now we're polishing TJ's story, the art direction and arguing over what parts make it into this book and what parts go into ... well, we'll just have to see where the other parts show up!

Delivery date from André and Gaétan ... our two new best friends at our printer in Montreal, Transcontinental: April 25th!

- John