By Christine Goold
“It’s completely ridiculous to do a series of 26 books,” says Karla Oceanak, author of the popular Aldo Zelnick comic novels, which are illustrated by Kendra Spanjer. “But it’s fun being a ‘world creator,’ to be puppet masters of Aldo’s world. And it gives us a lot of room to develop characters.”
That character list, so far, includes a bohemian grandmother (“Goosy”); an annoyingly athletic brother (Timothy); various caring parents, neighbors, teachers and relatives; a friend’s grandfather with Alzheimer’s (“Abuelo,” a former scientist from Mexico); a “school lunch lady who’s a guy” (Mr. Fodder); a gossipy gnome named Griswold; an increasing cast of multi-cultural classmates, and a bully/turned rock hound/turned friend (Tommy Geller).
“Tommy is one of my favorite characters,” says Spanjer, “because readers find out he’s not just a bully. He’s a ‘rock nerd,’ he comes from a good family, he’s Jewish … He’s three-dimensional.”
In fact, when envisioning new characters, both Spanjer and Oceanak try to create the opposite of existing stereotypes. For instance, Aldo’s school “lunch lady” is a somewhat disheveled, but friendly adult pal, based on comedian and actor Zach Galifianakis. Aldo’s art teacher Ms. Munroe is “a lady with dark hair and skin the color of turkey gravy,” with a voice “crunchy and also smooth … like butter brickle ice cream.” Aldo’s best friends include both picky eater Jack, and Bee Goode, who loves to grow vegetables in her own garden and whose parents own a vegetarian restaurant.
Aldo himself, an inveterate BLT-sandwich fan, even creates and draws his own comic strip in the books, featuring his favorite super-HERO-foods: Bacon Boy, Lettuce Lady and Tormado.
Of course it’s really Spanjer who creates these illustrations, as well as the hilarious cast of pets in Aldo’s life: Max, “the cutest mutt in town;” Bogus, the beta fish who “always seems to be thinking wise thoughts;” and Jack’s dachshund Slate, who is “blessed with more flatulence than most pets.”
To see illustrations of these characters and more, visit aldozelnick.com/about-aldo-zelnick.