Interview with Diary of A Wimpy Kid Author Jeff Kinney

Jeff Kinney is the author of the popular children’s book Diary of the Wimpy Kid series.  From its origins as a series of online cartoons, Diary of a Wimpy Kid exploded onto the pop culture scene when Jeff Kinney’s first “novel in cartoons” was published in 2007. Diary of a Wimpy Kid spent almost three years on The New York Times’ children’s bestseller list – there are 75 million copies in print in 37 languages. The book captured the imaginations of an army of formerly “reluctant readers,” and launched countless video reviews, social networking fan groups and parties celebrating the release of each new Wimpy Kid book.  Kinney had originally targeted adults through the book’s nostalgic look at middle school life as told through a narrator with Walter Mittyesque-fantasies of greatness, but kids immediately connected to his blending of the subversive and edgy with the fun and wholesome.

I had the opportunity to interview the Jeff Kinney at a Parent Roundtable after previewing The Diary of Wimpy Kid: Dog Days. As someone who has interviewed a few celebrities in recent years, I have to say that I found that Mr. Kinney was a engaging, funny and so incredibly down-to-earth interviewee.

 

Interview with Jeff Kinney, Author of Diary of Wimpy Kid Series:

Melinda from Lookwhatmomfound.com:  When did you realize “I made something good?”
Mr. Jeff Kinney: What’s funny was that I didn’t think that the books would get published. I eventually decided that I would put them online first. I wrote about 1,300 pages and I figured that it didn’t have a chance –because I had experienced three years of being rejected by cartoon syndicates.
I thought that the book was too strange. As far as when I thought it might catch on was pretty early on. I think it was about two or three weeks after it came out it became a New York Times bestseller. It started at the number seven position. And then, it went eight, nine, and then I thought for sure that it would drop off. And then, it recovered and it’s stayed on continuously for five years. Amazing.
Mr. Jeff Kinney: The run has been shocking to me. Everything in my life is really strange. In a good way.
Mr. Jeff Kinney: By strange I mean because it’s been all in one chunk. From that moment that the book got published until now, it’s gets crazier and crazier.
One day I’ll be able to look back and say, “Wow, that was a neat time in my life.”

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NYC Single Mom:  I have a couple of questions for you.  First is you used to be, or maybe you are still, a game designer?
Mr. Jeff Kinney:  Yes, I still design.
Blogger:  Does that have any influence on the books or the characters?
Mr. Jeff Kinney:  Yes, I work for Pearson.  I have a regular full-time job and I created Poptropica.com.
Mr. Jeff Kinney:  On Poptropica, there are all of these themed islands where we get to tell different stories in different genres.  It’s a lot of fun. And a lot of times, it’s a huge privilege. For example, we might do an island about Greek mythology, and we know that this is probably the first time a kid will be exposed to that subject matter.  I feel like it’s a real privilege to reach that many kids.

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NYC Single Mom:  There were two scenes I found to be quite poignant. Both where the “We’re disappointed in you”  comments came into play. I thought that was just so well done.   I’ve never actually said that to my daughter because I think it is kind of crushing. But, it was just the kids perspectives — the parents saying, “I’m disappointed in you,” I thought that was brilliantly done from both kids’ perspective and the family.
Mr. Jeff Kinney:  That’s good. That was a line that I actually suggested to the producers because I remember one time I was in middle school, and there was a teacher who liked to talk to the class about his personal life.  He had a beard, and then he shaved it off and he said, “When I shaved off my beard, my wife said it was like sleeping with another man.”  And I said, “Well, how would she know?”
Mr. Jeff Kinney:  And all of the kids laughed.  And then, my teacher, instead of getting mad at me or sending me to detention, he said, “Jeff, I’m so disappointed in you.” It was the worst thing he could have said to me and really stuck.

Diary of A Wimpy Kid: Dog Days opens August 3. Synopsis: During his summer vacation, “Wimpy Kid” Greg Heffley, the hero of the phenomenally successful book series, hatches a plan to pretend he has a job at a ritzy country club – which fails to keep him away from the season’s dog days, including embarrassing mishaps at a public pool and a camping trip that goes horribly wrong.

Check out the trailer for  Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

 

Visit the Wimpy Kid sites! Create your own Wimpy Kid character from the movie Diary of a Wimpy Kid at Wimp Yourself!

Like Wimpy Kid on Facebook and Follow @WimpyKidMovie #WimpyKidDogDays

Disclosure: NYC Single Mom was not compensated for this post. NYC Single Mom and her daughter did preview the movie.