I’ve always been a particular fan of author/illustrator/cartoonist Ben Hatke.  From the moment I first laid eyes on a little graphic novel by the name of Zita the Spacegirl, I was well and truly hooked.  Now Ben’s working on a couple different projects and he’s been making the internet rounds talking about them.  Today, here at A Fuse #8 Production, he discusses the book Miracle Molly.  Here, in his own words, is what Matt has to say about the title, as well as a little sketch art to give you a taste of what’s to come:

The Story Behind Miracle Molly

(With Art!)

Different stories call for different formats—this is something I’ve become increasingly aware of as a storyteller. Zita the Spacegirl was always going to be a comics story, and while Julia’s House for Lost Creatures started as a graphic novel, I quickly discovered that it couldn’t have been anything other than a picture book.

Sometimes it’s difficult to tell what format suites a story best. I’ve written and drawn four graphic novels now, and two picture books. When I set out to tell a new story about a little fox-tailed girl named Molly, I was surprised to find myself working on my very first prose novel. I’m excited! And, I admit, a little nervous.

Miracle Molly is a heist story set in a middle school, featuring a benevolent trickster who is not all she seems to be (the fox tail maybe tips you off). It’s a sort of Ocean’s Eleven-meets-Matilda romp, with plenty of twists and turns and surprises along the way.

And maybe a bit of magic to boot.

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Ben Hatke is the #1 New York Times Best-Selling author of the Zita the Spacegirl trilogy, as well as the picture book Julia’s House for Lost Creatures. His next book, Little Robot, will be in stores September 2016.