At a visit to the University School in Milwaukee this week I had a chance to visit what might be the most interesting, inspiring art room I’ve ever seen. The art teacher, Mr. Geniusz (pronounced “genius”) has created a classroom that’s a work of art in and of itself. The picture above doesn’t begin to do it justice.

I saw an inflatable banana filled with air from 1963. I saw towers and bridges made from popsicle sticks and a life-sized cow designed to fit over a bike. And I saw trains everywhere. One train ran back and forth along a wall-length art history timeline, while others circled overhead in the rafters. Some were part of sculptures, others were sculptures themselves. Everywhere I looked there was something new to discover, and everything in the room looked like it would be fun to try to make.

I can’t tell you how much I wanted to sit down at one of those tables and get to work.

The good people over at Geek Dad have just posted a really nice interview with me and Larry about Benjamin Franklinstein Meets the Fright Brothers.

GeekDad interview

An awesome Backbeard picture from my visit to Eagle Point Elementary today.

I just stumbled upon this YouTube reading of Backbeard: Pirate for Hire by a pirate named Harvey the Corpsman (love the name!). Great job, Harvey. You’re welcome aboard the Five O’Clock Shadow any day.

Yesterday, the UPS man arrived with the first copy of Benjamin Franklinstein Meets The Fright Brothers, hot off the presses. (Larry doesn’t even have his copy yet.) I’m very excited about this one!

It picks up where the first book left off, but I think we were really able to take it in some interesting new directions. Look for it in stores in just a couple weeks.