Mark Crilley

Photo © Mary Moylan

Mark Crilley was raised in Detroit, Michigan. After graduating from Kalamazoo College, he traveled to Taiwan and Japan, where he taught English for nearly five years. It was during his stay in Japan that he created Akiko.

In 1998, Mark Crilley was named to Entertainment Weekly’s “It List” of the 100 most creative people in entertainment.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

I had to draw pictures for a living or I’d go crazy . . .

I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to be an author or illustrator until I was 28 years old! I taught English in Taiwan and Japan for five years—and seriously considered spending the rest of my life overseas—before finally realizing I had to draw pictures for a living or I’d go crazy. At first I was writing mainly just to give myself something to illustrate. Only recently have I come to see myself as a ‘real’ author.

Ever since I discovered that there were people out there willing to pay me to make up stories and draw strange creatures all day, I knew there was no turning back. “This,” I thought, “is the job for me.” And I still think that, every day.

He taught me to push myself harder, to hold myself to a higher standard . . .

I was very fortunate to be among the last people to study under David Small, the 2001 Caldecott Medal Winner, back when he was still an art instructor at Kalamazoo College. In fact, I was there just after he’d completed Imogene’s Antlers and saw all the original artwork. David definitely was a huge influence on me as an illustrator. He taught me to push myself harder, to hold myself to a higher standard.

When I was growing up, all my favorite writers and illustrators could be found in one place: Mad magazine! Looking back, I think you can definitely see the influence. Still, my mother did make sure that I saw all the great children’s books, and I recall being especially wild about a lavishly illustrated edition of Pinocchio.

I’m one of those writers who believes in total spontaneity . . .

Just sit down and make it up as you go along. Of course, this doesn’t really fly in the world of children’s books, so I do have to plan my books out as best I can. Still, I think a lot of the really good ideas come unexpectedly, popping up out of the blue when you’re halfway through the story.

How can I make this story different?

I start with a general sense of the sort of story I want to tell—a journey into a mystical land, for instance—then ask myself the questions I need to answer to write the story: Who is the main character? How does he/she get to the mystical land? How can I make this story different from all the other stories that follow this pattern? The real trick is to get beyond the obvious ideas to the truly unusual ideas. This requires time, thought, and lots of long walks.

Akiko is mainly based on Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz and Alice from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

I wrote the first story while living in Japan, so I chose a common Japanese name—Akiko—as the name for my “Alice.”

Akiko has a knack for getting along with pretty much anyone, so I think the two of us would get on swimmingly. She would probably describe me as “a pretty nice guy, but he needs to get out more often.”

I hope there is a quiet theme in the Akiko novels about the important role a child plays . . .

I initially felt I was writing for a general audience: the sort of men, women, and children who read Calvin and Hobbes. Now I’ve read enough interviews with other children’s authors to realize we all think we’re writing for a general audience.

Truthfully, I don’t think too much about the age of the reader, more about the sort of reader I’m trying to reach: someone who likes imagining other worlds, going on adventures, laughing on one page and being frightened on the next.

I think there’s a natural “all ages groove” that writers can get into, and before long you’re doing it without even thinking.

Some days I’m convinced my books have no message whatsoever and are simply pure fluff from start to finish! Still, I hope there is a quiet theme in the Akiko novels about the important role a child plays in the world, and how, in many instances, a little kid has more sense than the adults surrounding her.

PRAISE

AKIKO ON THE PLANET SMOO
“[A] stylish debut.”—Publishers Weekly

“The action is fast-paced and nicely illustrated . . . and Crilley’s easy-reading, conversational style is appealing.”—Booklist

Author Bookshelf
		Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000 Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley eBook Akiko and her crew–Spuckler Boach, Mr. Beeba, Poog, and Gax–are competing in an intergalactic race from one side of the universe to the other. Along the way they have to make it through the narrow passages of the Labyrinth of Lulla-ma-Waygo, the notorious Almost Black Hole of Luzbert-7, and the deadly... Read More
		Akiko and the Alpha Centauri 5000 Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley Trade Paperback Akiko and her crew–Spuckler Boach, Mr. Beeba, Poog, and Gax–are competing in an intergalactic race from one side of the universe to the other. Along the way they have to make it through the narrow passages of the Labyrinth of Lulla-ma-Waygo, the notorious Almost Black Hole of Luzbert-7, and the deadly... Read More
		Akiko and the Journey to Toog Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley eBook “Poog’s in trouble.” Just three simple words, but they’re enough to launch fifth-grade Akiko and the rest of her crew—Spuckler Boach, Mr. Beeba, and Gax—on their next mission. And it just might be their most important mission yet: To save the planet Toog, home of their good friend Poog. Someone’s out to... Read More
		Akiko and the Journey to Toog Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley Hardcover “Poog’s in trouble.” Just three simple words, but they’re enough to launch fifth-grade Akiko and the rest of her crew—Spuckler Boach, Mr. Beeba, and Gax—on their next mission. And it just might be their most important mission yet: To save the planet Toog, home of their good friend Poog. Someone’s out to... Read More
		Akiko in the Sprubly Islands Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley Trade Paperback Akiko and her extraterrestrial crew–Spuckler Boach, Mr. Beeba, Gax, and Poog–are back! Unfortunately, they’re also lost. If they’re to complete their mission to save the kidnapped Prince Froptoppit, their only hope is to find the mysterious Queen Pwip of the Sprubly Islands, who may be able to help them. First, however... Read More
		Akiko on the Planet Smoo Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley Trade Paperback When fourth grader Akiko finds a spacecraft hovering outside her window one night, she begins the adventure of a lifetime. She is whisked off to the planet Smoo to lead a team searching for the King of Smoo’s kidnapped son. Akiko the head of a rescue mission? She’s afraid to be... Read More
		Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor Written by Mark Crilley eBook Akiko and her crew — Spuckler Boach, Mr. Beeba, Poog, and Gax — have faced dangers unimaginable to the average fourth-grade earthling. Now their mission is finally coming to an end. At last they’ve reached the castle of Alia Rellapor — but that doesn’t mean that things have gotten any easier... Read More
		Akiko in the Castle of Alia Rellapor Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley Trade Paperback Akiko and her crew — Spuckler Boach, Mr. Beeba, Poog, and Gax — have faced dangers unimaginable to the average fourth-grade earthling. Now their mission is finally coming to an end. At last they’ve reached the castle of Alia Rellapor — but that doesn’t mean that things have gotten any easier... Read More
		Akiko on the Planet Smoo Written by Mark Crilley eBook When this fourth-grader comes home from school one day, she finds an envelope waiting for her with no stamp and no return address. The message inside reads Dear Akiko: We are coming to get you. Meet us outside your bedroom window tonight at 8:00. Don't forget your toothbrush. How could anyone... Read More
		Akiko in the Sprubly Islands Written by Mark Crilley eBook In this companion novel to Akiko on the Planet Smoo, fourth-grade earthling Akiko and her odd team are on a journey to save the kidnapped Prince Froptoppit from the evil Alia Rellapor. Unfortunately, on their way to Alia Rellapor's castle, the group has gotten lost while sailing over the Moonguzzit Sea... Read More
		Akiko and the Great Wall of Trudd Written by Mark Crilley eBook Akiko's back! No longer simply a shy fourth-grade girl, she's become an intergalactic leader, taking her band of would-be heroes on a quest to find a kidnapped prince! Armed with a map showing the way to Alia Rellapor's castle, Akiko, Mr. Beeba, Spuckler, Gax, and Poog are nearing the end of their... Read More
		Akiko: Pieces of Gax Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley eBook Akiko's always prepared for something out of this world, but when she goes on a pleasure trip to Gollarondo with Poog, Mr. Beeba, Spuckler Boach, and Gax she can barely believe her eyes--Gollarondo is a city that was built completely upside down! Forget sight-seeing. All Akiko wants to do is keep... Read More
		Akiko: The Training Master Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley Hardcover When Akiko’s Smoovian friends, Poog, Mr. Beeba, Gax, and Spuckler Boach, swing by to pick her up in an astroshuttle, she’s feeling bored with her “normal” life and more than ready to go—anywhere. What she doesn’t know is that King Froptoppit has enrolled them all in the Intergalactic Space Patrollers Training... Read More
		Akiko: The Training Master Written by Mark Crilley Illustrated by Mark Crilley eBook When Akiko’s Smoovian friends, Poog, Mr. Beeba, Gax, and Spuckler Boach, swing by to pick her up in an astroshuttle, she’s feeling bored with her “normal” life and more than ready to go—anywhere. What she doesn’t know is that King Froptoppit has enrolled them all in the Intergalactic Space Patrollers Training... Read More
		Creatch Battler Written by Mark Crilley eBook Billy Clikk’s just your ordinary, run-of-the-mill . . . hero? A guy whose hobbies include skateboarding, extreme mountain biking—and a brand of snowboarding he wishes would include a few good old-fashioned body slams. Unfortunately, 12-year-old Billy’s boring home town of Piffling, Indiana, will probably never host the X Games. But that... Read More
		Creatch Battler Written by Mark Crilley Trade Paperback Billy Clikk’s parents are never home at night. He wonders why so much of their work is done after dark. Are they really exterminating insects? Or is their business a cover for something more sinister? When Billy catches his parents in the act—saving a small island from an invasion of something... Read More
		Rogmasher Rampage Written by Mark Crilley eBook After months of intensive training, Billy is finally ready to go on his first solo creatch op for AFMEC (Allied Forces for the Management of Extraterritorial Creatches). Godzilla-like monsters are menacing the Chinese mountain village of Hua Qing. Billy is more than fired up to fend them off–until he discovers that... Read More