Readers everywhere are getting grimy with the Toenail Fairies, from Michigan to Utah, and all the way south to Peru, even! Word is spreading fast! With so many kids reading the book, there are bound to be some questions about these dudes. They've got such a long history and so many more stories to tell. So, just to give a little extra sniff of what the Toenail Fairies are up to, we decided to answer some questions from super-fan Katelyn B. from Hamilton, Michigan.
Alright, Katelyn... let's rap - Hit it!
Katelyn - How did you come up with the band Toe Jam and the Toe Nail Fairies?
John (the author) - Great question! See, thing is, we didn't "come up" with much. Check out the back of the book. TJ tells exactly how it all started. My daughter, Amy, (who was like 10 at the time) wanted money for a toenail she lost. I thought that was weird but interesting ... then things started happening fast. Toe Jam visited me and got me to write the story. Then we got Brian to help, he's the art director. Then Michael, the illustrator. I traveled back and forth to Planet Fungeye a lot to meet with all kinds of toenail fairies and learn their story. The first book, Toe to Toe with The Tooth Fairy, introduces us to all their adventures, but it's really just a start. There's so much more to tell about TJ, Korn, Gout, Rucas and all their toenail fairy friends, pets, relatives and clashes with the Formals!
Michael (the illustrator)- Yeah, as for the artwork, it took a while to get them down on paper just right. I'd sketch a few interpretations of them, and Toe Jam and the guys would tell me, "Too clean," or "Not enough gooberosity." They're pretty particular about how they're represented to our world. They want their first impression to be big and grimy!
Katelyn - Does the band really exist?
Michael - I guess it may have been sleep deprivation, or just the artwork talking back to me, but I swear we've hung out a few times. I'll even found left over Toenail tonic in my kitchen in the morning!
John - Santa Claus. Leprechauns. The Great Pumpkin. The Easter Bunny. The Tooth Fairy. Angels. Do they really exist? Though most of us have never seen them for real, they seem to be very real in our imaginations. So is that "real" or not? What do you think? To me, TJ and The Toenail Fairies are real like that.
Katelyn - Why do they live on a different planet?
John - They reek! They rap! They rock! They belch! They're basically as un-fairy as you can get! So a long, long time ago, the Universal Fairy Council made a decision to ban Toenail Fairies from the Formal Fairy Kingdom for eternity. Fair? I don't think so. What about you?
It all worked out, though. Toenail fairies have made Planet Fungeye one of the most awesome places in the universe ... their cities, their homes, their vehicles, their toys, their playgrounds – they're all made from toenail chunks that give their planet this really cool, green glow. (I actually think some of the Formals would love to live on Planet Fungeye, but like that would ever happen!!!)
Michael - Right! And those grimey fairies would never fit in to our
everyday lives here on Earth, they'd just stink it up way too much.
Our atmosphere can only handle a couple visits worth of stankitude each month.
Katelyn - Is the band pet a slug or something?
John - Slug, hairless gerbil, overgrown earthworm, half baby elephant/half mole ... who really knows? We only met Beau a few times then it slithered off. It seemed very shy. But we always knew when it was around: though we couldn't see it, a horrible, foul smell would fill the room and near choke us. Kids wonder if Beau is a boy or a girl? We never found out. What's your hunch?
Michael - I'm not sure. Maybe it's some sort-of Ant-eater crossed with an alien salamander? It definitely has an out-of-this-world stench. I only saw it once and I just draws 'em like I sees 'em!
John - Thanks for these cool, creative questions, Katelyn! You're a awesome toenail-fairy fan. Can't wait to hear some of your own answers to the questions we asked you!!!
Michael - Yes, thanks Katelyn. I'm really glad you're loving the book! Katelyn or anyone else, feel free to ask us more questions in the comments below this post. Thanks a ton!
[[This picture is Katelyn with her favorite illustration. Which is your favorite??]]
Inspected & disinfected for your reading & wearing pleasure. 
They reek, but man, do they rock! 
Don't just sit there! 
UPDATE: News from the TJ fan world! Katelyn's Grandma is having some trouble with her foot. She will be going to the doctor this week to see what's happening. Apparently, it is possible that she has some kind of fungus. Katelyn is very excited because if her Grandma has a foot fungus, maybe she'll loose a toe nail and then she can meet the Toenail Fairies. Maybe they'll write their story down to share with the rest of us.
Also, Katelyn is very protective of her book. Her Grandma wanted to borrow it to give it another read (she wants to know just what might happen with her toenail). Katelyn let her Grandma borrow it, but said not to spill anything on it or "mess it up." So Grandma is not allowed to have any drinks nearby when she's reading.
TJ fans are awesome!
-Michael
Posted by: Michael | August 12, 2008 at 09:12 AM