"Wimpy Kid" creator Jeff Kinney talks about his day job
After Jeff Kinney failed to get his cartoons picked up by a newspaper syndicate, he posted his content online instead.
Within a year of its debut, Kinney had 12 million readers for the online version of 鈥�Diary of a Wimpy Kid,鈥� which follows the story of the comically awkward pre-teen Greg Heffley using a lively, graphic novel format.
As his legions of fans already know, Kinney鈥檚 success as a cyber sensation has also made him a huge force in that most traditional of venues, the printed book. The fifth volume in his 鈥淒iary of A Wimpy Kid鈥� book series, 鈥淭he Ugly Truth,鈥� was released last month with a first printing of 5 million copies, selling more than 375,000 copies on its first day of sale. The 鈥淲impy Kid鈥� series is a fixture on national bestseller lists, and the books have been sold in more than 37 countries in 35 languages. A 鈥淒iary of a Wimpy Kid鈥� movie premiered this year, and a second film adaptation will hit theaters next March.
For Kinney, there鈥檚 no real reason to choose between new media and the traditional variety, since his various media platforms seem to be mutually enriching each other.
鈥淚 think of them as two completely different markets,鈥� Kinney said of his online readers and his book readers. 鈥淗aving it online for free hasn鈥檛 limited the market for the books.鈥�
Before the first 鈥淲impy Kid鈥� book was published in 2007, the story gained a readership online at , where it still appears.
When Kinney landed a multi-book deal for 鈥淲impy Kid鈥� with publisher Harry N. Abrams in 2006, 鈥淚 insisted that it had to stay online. I could see the tremendous reach of the web,鈥� Kinney said in an interview from his home in southern Massachusetts.
These days, despite his success as an author, Kinney continues to pioneer new Internet content as the full-time design director of a Boston-based Internet publishing company where he started in 2007.
As described on its web site, is a place where children 鈥渃reate a 鈥楶optropican鈥� character to travel the many islands of Poptropica and use gaming literacy to enjoy a narrative that is often rooted in factual history.鈥�
Kinney puts it a simpler way. 鈥淲e aspire to tell great stories,鈥� he said of , which draws 10 million unique visitors each month.
Why has an internationally successful author kept his day job?
鈥淭he potential for the web site is just boundless,鈥� Kinney said. 鈥淚 want to continue to be a part of that. I also like the rhythm of a 9-to-5 job. I like to have as normal a life as possible.鈥�
Once his shift is done, Kinney returns home to a wife and two sons 鈥� a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old.
Although his sons will continue to grow, Kinney has reached a different decision about Greg Heffley, the 鈥渨impy kid鈥� of the book series who, in 鈥淭he Ugly Truth,鈥� finds himself at the uncomfortable edge of puberty.
As the series goes forward, said Kinney, Greg鈥檚 age will remain the same.
Danny Heitman, a columnist for The Baton Rouge Advocate, is the author of 鈥淎 Summer of Birds: John James Audubon at Oakley House.鈥�
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