Trapped By Monsters event

Trapped By Monsters' Tommy Donbavand writes about the event, with some particularly grisly behind-the-scenes details...including Joe Craig's demise after losing the vote...

First report...

...up on the Mostly Books blog - more detailed one to follow here for all events.

Thanks to everyone who came...

The Big Day Approaches...

If you've just heard about the event, or still wondering whether to come along - we've a big venue and plenty of tickets on the day. You will be very welcome. It's going to be a stupendous event, and an incredible experience. Get directions here.

Just to recap, here is what is taking place.

At 1pm Trapped By Monsters will be taking the stage. Andy Briggs, Joe Craig, Tommy Donbavand, Sam Enthoven, David Melling and Ali Sparkes.

At 2.30pm, Chris Bradford will be performing in a high-energy Young Samurai spectacular with the Oxford School of Martial Arts display team - and his samurai sword.

Finally, at 4pm, we welcome CHERUB author Robert Muchamore live on stage.

It's gonna be amazing...

In case you thought this was for fun...

...you might like to watch this incredibly serious message from one of the Trapped By Monsters authors Sam Enthoven.

Be under no illusions. One of the authors will get eaten on Saturday, this is no joke...

More about the authors: Andy Briggs

How about this for a great day job: comic book writer, scriptwriter (including the script of FOREVERMAN with his brother Peter for comic book legend Stan Lee) and now the author of the Hero.com and Villain.net series of books. Yep, it's probably OK to be a bit envious of author Andy Briggs, appearing on stage as part of Trapped By Monsters this Saturday.

The books are split into pairs - if the superpower-loaded good guys of Hero.com start to get on your nerves, you can always turn to the school-bully Jake Hunter, invited to take over the world through email invitation, in Villain.net.

With books 5 and 6 imminent, we asked Andy a few questions about writing, superheroes, comics and strange powers that shoot insects out of your mouth...

Q. You've written comics and graphic novels. Why are HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET novels, and why superheroes?

I’m a huge fan of comic books and graphic novels, and I’ve written a few - but the chance of writing a book was too great an opportunity to miss. The books allowed me to expand on ideas that I couldn’t get across with a few pictures on a comic book page. Artwork is great medium to get an idea across quickly, but by writing a book I could elaborate the details and allow the reader the chance to create the pictures in their mind - and for every reader, those images will be slightly different. That’s something you simply can’t do with a graphic novel.

Q. One of the big differences between HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET is that HERO.COM pictures a team of friends, while Jake in VILLAIN.NET is going it alone with no aid but his manipulative mentor Basilisk. Is the contrast between the team of heroes and the lone villain intentional?

There is an old mafia saying - keep your friends close, and your enemies closer. In a way, that’s exactly what Jake is doing, even if it is unintentional. By hanging around with the bullies in school, he knows he won’t be bullied. He never really regards his friends as true friends, they’re just people he hangs around with who lead him into trouble. Ironically, the one time he really does need to rely on his “friends’ they stab him in the back (and if you haven’t read the book yet, I don’t want to say anymore!). Of course, this means the only person Jake feels he can trust is the manipulative Basilisk.

On the other hand, Toby and Lorna not only rely on their friends, but they couldn’t function as a team without those close bonds of friendship. Jake struggles through life because he can’t form these trusting friendships. However, in RISE OF THE HEROES you can already see those bonds of friendship straining...

Q. There are some very strange superpowers in HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET. I'm thinking specifically of the power Jake accidentally downloads that gives him the ability to shoot insects out of his mouth. How did you come up with all these powers? Are they useful in some context, or are some of them just weird?

I have to admit that I’m tired of reading comics or watching movies where the heroes (and villains) have exactly the right power for the occasion. I wanted to do something a little more fun. Hero.com and Villain.net allow people to download a variety of powers - which means our heroes can have different powers at different times... but not necessarily the correct ones. I wanted my characters to have the wrong powers for the task in hand. Sometimes they are completely useless (such as when Pete fires bubbles from his fingertips, or realizes he’s downloaded x-ray vision instead of laser vision) - other times they have to improvise with the powers they have.

I had a lot of fun creating stupid and completely gross powers. However, I think that no matter how dumb the power seems there will always be at least one time they turn out to be the perfect power to save the day.

Q. The team in HERO.COM often succeeds despite their superpowers, not just because of them. Could you tell us a little about what it means to be a hero, even without superpowers?

I have always felt that being a hero is all about attitude. You can have a million superpowers, but if you don’t have the skill or intelligence to use them - they’re no use at all. More importantly, you can be a hero without any superpowers - they’re all around us, for example: firefighters, soldiers and doctors. Doing the right thing and saving the world take courage. Okay, it’s a little easier if you can fly and zap the bad guys, without being a true hero at heart, no amount of powers or gadgets will help you win.


Q. The main character in VILLAIN.NET actually seems like someone who has a lot of leadership potential. One of the things I love about VILLAIN.NET is that you describe the ways the characters justify their actions. Jake seems to be asking all the right questions, but the answers he comes up with always seem to lead him down the path of villainy. Is there a chance he could still emerge a hero?

The greatest villains in the world are the ones who believe they are doing the right thing - it might not be the best news for the rest of us, but they think what they are doing is correct. Jake doesn’t see himself as a villain. He’s doing what he thinks is fun, not necessarily right and even he knows when a villain, such as Basilisk, is pushing things too far.

As for leadership potential, I think that’s a great question! I guess Jake works as a leader because he is a lone wolf; he’s on his own, surrounded by untrustworthy people. He is conscious that he has nobody to watch his back. Toby, Lorna, Pete and Emily work better together as a team; they don’t necessarily need a leader - and if one of them was to become a leader, arguments would ensue and things wouldn’t get done.

The way both sets of characters operate has their own advantages and disadvantages, and I like playing with this in the books.

Q. Basilisk is always telling Jake that there is something "in his blood" that makes him an ideal supervillain. This introduces a theme of biological origins of behavior. Your books also feature "Primes," people who were born with superpowers. Primes provide the models for the downloadable powers on the websites. Could you tell us a little about this tricky subject and how you decided to deal with it?

I always liked the idea of having heroic (or villainous) figures from history having superpowers. For example, all those Greek mythological heroes and villains must have had something special about them, why not superpowers? That’s where the idea of Primes originated, people naturally born with these amazing abilities. I wanted to steer clear from traditional comic book powers, which are usually granted after bizarre accidents (such as being bitten by a radioactive spider, for example). Accidents can trigger powers within Primes, but they are latent powers. The websites allow anybody not fortunate to be a Prime, to enjoy superpowers.

Jake’s DNA is entangled within the Villain.net website - that gives him the unique ability to combine superpowers and make new ones that have never been seen before. This is the reason that BOTH the HERO Foundation and the Council of Evil are keen on getting their hands on Jake so they can experiment on him. Jake himself uses his abilities for his own personal ends. He’s not necessarily evil. Basilisk would love to convince Jake that he’s evil, because then, Basilisk can use him for his own nasty plans.

Q. Some comic book superheroes, teenage superspy books (no names!) take themselves pretty seriously, but humour is a big part of HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET. Why the funny stuff?

If you can fly and see through walls, sure, there’s going to be a lot of action - but you’re also going to have a lot of fun! I think there are too many superhero stories out there that take themselves deadly serious and from the very beginning I thought it was time for a change. You can usually find something to laugh about, even in the darkest of situations - this is called gallows humor, it’s what makes us all human.

Q. Both HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET contain really interesting explorations of bullying. In HERO.COM, Pete discovers that the self-confidence he gains through using his superpowers helps him to stand up to bullies without them. What advice would you give to young people experiencing bullying in their own lives?

Bullying sucks - there is no getting around that fact and nobody should ever have to put up with it. Being a victim of bullying is a self-confidence killer, and a power trip for the bullies - who are usually very insecure themselves. Always speak out, never suffer in silence - tell somebody you trust: a parent, guardian, teacher - whoever it is, don’t be afraid of telling somebody. The quicker you do; the quicker it’ll stop!

Q. There's an interactive website that goes with HERO.COM and VILLAIN.NET:
http://www.heroorvillainbooks.com/ . It's a lot of fun, even if it doesn't give any superpowers. Did you get any input in the design of this site? Can we expect the content to change as the books evolve? The concept of these books would make a great game.

I was able to offer a lot of input into the website. One thing I was particularly keen on creating were the “making of” video blogs. I wanted to give a half-serious peek into how you could write your own book. I wanted them to be a little like the behind-the-scenes extras you get on DVDs.

The game is fantastic fun, and I’m really happy with how that turned out. For any Facebook users out there, there is a secret version of the game you can add to your profile and challenge your Facebook buddies. You can find that by following the link on my website.

Q. What superpower would you pick from HERO.COM and VILLIAN.NET?

This is the question I am asked most frequently! I can say, without hesitation, I would cheat and download two: flying and invisibility.

Q. Who's your favorite superhero?

That’s such a tough question! There are only a few that I don’t actually like, however, I was primarily brought up on Spider-man comics. As a kid I was a reluctant reader and it was through these comics that I started to enjoy reading. I find it amusing that I’m now a professional writer and I was lucky enough to work on a movie with Stan Lee - the co-creator of Spider-man, the very man who got me interested in reading. That was a dream come true.

Q. When will the next book in the series be released? Can you give us any hints about what to expect throughout the rest of the series?

It looks like we’re heading for a January 2010 release for Hero.com: Virus Attack and Villain.net: Dark Hunter. They continue the stories of our characters, but there are plenty of twists and turns. What is more, the next books link to each other, and the first two, like a jigsaw. In one book, you get a picture of the overall story, but the more you read, the more you keep adding pieces and get a bigger picture. The next two books will see characters zigzagging between books and affecting the stories even more than they do in the first ones. The stakes get bigger, friendships are strained, and Jake finds himself in the toughest of situations...

Andy appears live on stage - trying not to be eaten - as part of Trapped By Monsters, 1pm on June 20th - to reserve tickets, click here.

One week to go, and excitement building. If you want to see some more of Chris Bradford ham-sandwiching US-ninjas, spreading the Young Samurai message, and teaching American kids how samurai swords can cut through bodies like butter...watch the following video.

Beware though - some scenes may be unpleasant if you are eating...

More about the authors: Ali Sparkes

Ali Sparkes knows her name is funny. And sounds like a warning ("wear protective goggles"). But, hey. It could be worse. ALI PHARTS for example. ("Wear a nose clip").

Ali is an author of children’s books including The Shapeshifter series (Oxford), The Monster Makers series (Scholastic), Frozen In Time (Oxford) and Dark Summer (Oxford). So far. She’s writing a lot more.

We asked a few pointed questions about her books, what she's working on next and what she's doing in a dark cave with lots of male authors...

Q: How come you’re an author, then?
A: Don’t really know. I think it’s just a thing that was always in me – like shingles. A dormant virus that eventually got a hold of me. I always wrote stories for fun, but as I was intending to be a world famous actress and singer, I didn’t pay them much attention. But I ended up becoming a journalist and then a radio presenter and then, finally, gave into fate and started writing children’s adventure novels.

Q: Why are you the only female in a cave full of blokey authors who write scary or disgusting books aimed at boys (as well as girls, who, as we know, will read anything)?
A. It’s been worrying me too. I’m not sure how this happened, but it’s probably because all my stories so far have also been seen as very ‘boy friendly’. That, and I appear to have the mind of an 11-year-old boy. But I’m definitely a girl. I’ve had babies and everything.

Q: OK – quickly – name four favourite characters out of the books you’ve had out so far!
A. Dax Jones, my lovely Shapeshifter, but also his nemesis Spook Williams (whom I secretly really like), Aunt Thea in Monster Makers (who is a fit, funky, fabulous aunt who takes risks…) and Cuddlemite, also in Monster Makers, who loves people so much he cuddles them to death without realizing it.

Q. What are you scared of?
A. Big moths flying in my face, rollercoasters, Joe Craig and Invisible Fiends by Barry Hutchison (not published yet, but just you wait...)

Q. What have you got coming out in future that nobody knows about yet?
A. A series called S.W.I.T.C.H which involves a mad old lady scientist, twin brothers, a dog called Piddle and a spray which can switch humans into bugs or spiders or… well… you’ll have to wait. Out in 2010 I think…

Ali appears live on stage - trying not to be eaten - as part of Trapped By Monsters, 1pm on June 20th - to reserve tickets, click here.

More about the authors: Joe Craig

Trapped By Monster author Joe Craig writes the backside-booting, page-turning techno-thrilling stories of teen assassin Jimmy Coates. The books are devoured by boys 8+ and you can find out much more on the official Jimmy Coates website. But for now, ahead of his appearance in Abingdon on June 20th as part of Trapped By Monsters, we put a few questions to the sushi-loving author...

Q. Let's start at the beginning: Where did you get the idea for Jimmy Coates?
The idea developed over a period of a few weeks in February 2003. I was trying to come up with a story where every event turned out in a surprising way. I love thrillers – where you never know what’s going to happen next, but you just have to find out. I thought it would be fun to have a character who didn’t even know what he was going to do next himself, because something inside him was taking control – and then I decided that whatever it was inside him, it should be pretty sinister.

I was drawn to the idea of a boy being on the run because of what he is. In other words, it’s not because he knows something, or because he has something his enemies want – that would be too easy for him. Jimmy is stuck in a worse position – he can’t get rid of the evil, because it’s part of him.

Q. The first book in the series is Jimmy Coates: Killer. When you started it, did you have the entire plot in mind or did you develop it as you went along?
Both! I spent several months working on the plot before I wrote a single word. I drew diagrams, pictures, scribbled on thousands of scraps of paper (now I’ve learned it’s much easier in a notebook).

When I eventually started writing, the plot continued to evolve. I had to focus on the specific elements of each scene (the chases and the fights, for example, required careful acting out – but only with models). Essentially, the plot remained the same. Some points became more significant, and others, which I thought were going to be major events, shrunk.

Q. A lot of authors write from their own experience. I'm guessing you aren't a government robot - but is anything in your books true?
I’m not a government robot. Or am I? That’s the thing – I don’t know. I couldn’t know. You don’t know that you’re not a government robot. How could you?

Apart from that, there are elements in the book that are definitely true. These range from the small to the sinister. I’ll tell you a few of them.

Felix’s snacking. That’s me. His love of toast? Me. In fact I’m eating some right now. It’s not just Felix, though. I think all of the characters are elements of me. So in that respect, there is a lot of my own experience coming out in them (not that I have much experience of anything – I’m only 28 now, and my first book was mainly written when I was 23 or 24).

The tunnels underneath the streets of London? That’s all true. For example, there really is a disused tram tunnel that runs from Holborn Station down the length of Kingsway. That’s just one small part of London’s city beneath the city. It’s even true that some of the tunnels have been used for secret government purposes at various times. I have every reason to believe that some of them still are.

All the technology in the book is based on real technology, though I’ve embellished some things.
Also, the spy techniques mentioned are based on real techniques used by intelligence organisations around the world – including British Secret Services. And throughout history there have been secret government organisations getting on with the dirty work of running the country smoothly. I don’t mean distant history, either. I’m talking about the last few years and, who knows, maybe even the present day.

So yes, there is plenty in the book that is true – frighteningly true.

Q. Who are you writing for? Do you try your books out on children first?!
It’s primarily aimed at the 8 to 13 crowd. That’s quite a wide range, I know, but everybody is different. And I hope there will be people outside that range who enjoy it too. They might enjoy it on a different level, though. I hope so. Older readers might notice more of the undercurrents and more of the general questions I was thinking about when I wrote it. For everybody, I wanted it to be gripping, explosive and funny!

I tried the book out on one child – me! I count myself as a child when it comes to lots of things. The only person I am ever trying to entertain when I write is me. That might sound selfish, but I am very demanding, so I know that if I like it, it will be good enough. Besides, how could I expect anybody else to read my book if I didn’t love it myself?

Q. Have recent events in the world influenced your writing?
Great question. I think the answer is yes. However, I certainly don’t seek to write about events in the world. I’m interested in the general ideas and problems that have cropped up over and over throughout history. If I pick the right ideas, I hope what I write will always be relevant to events, simply because the same problems always recur.

Q. Were you a reader as a child? What were some of your favourite books?
I wasn’t really a reader as a child. So many great books have appeared in just the last few years that I would have loved, but they weren’t around when I needed them! I think if I were a child now I would definitely be a reader.

I started off with Dr Seuss, whose work I still love, and then read lots of Dick King-Smith. I also remember enjoying the series of books about the Bagthorpe family, by Helen Cresswell, though I can’t now remember a thing about them.

When I was about ten or eleven I stopped reading fiction and read books of sport statistics (I can still remember most of the stats, even though they’re out of date now). I also read film magazines from cover to cover.

I didn’t start reading fiction again until I was seventeen, but I haven’t stopped since!

Q: How do you relax?
I play football or cricket with my friends, I play the piano, listen to music, read, and watch movies. Or I invent new snacks that I then eat. I enjoy cooking - especially sushi.

Q: What is the best thing about being an author?
I get out of bed whenever I want. Or sometimes I don’t.

Q: If you could have one of Jimmy Coates’ special skills which would you choose?
The special skills I most want are ones that Jimmy doesn’t have. I want to be able to fly and make myself invisible. Actually, more than those, I want to be able to control objects using just my mind. I’d keep it a secret and become the world’s greatest ever sportsman.

Q. There are now 7 Jimmy Coates books - what's the one thing you'd say to convince us to go out and start reading them?Jimmy is on the run from the secret service because he was genetically engineered by them to have the abilities of the perfect assassin, but that’s not a future he wants! So the government is trying to eliminate him, while he has to fight to control his assassin instincts.I suppose if I could only say one thing about the series it would be this:It’s been described as ‘The Bourne Identity for kids’, which I take as the greatest compliment!

Jimmy appears live on stage as part of Trapped By Monsters, 1pm on June 20th - to reserve tickets, click here.

How cool is this?

The official launch date for The Way of the Sword, Chris Bradford's follow-up to Young Samurai, is July 2nd - but we've just learned that Puffin have brought forward the official launch of the book to...June 20th, for the Amazing Books for Boys event.

If you've never seen Chris Bradford live before, you're definitely in for a treat. About the only author you will ever see acting out the battle-scenes from his books, he'll no doubt be showing how to "ham-sandwich" a few ninjasalong the way, ably accompanied by the Oxford School of Martial Arts Display Team - Team Taurus.

And you'll be able to get your hands on The Way of the Sword for the first time anywhere in the world. Sore wa sugoi ne?