Interview with Matt Myklusch, author of Jack Blank & The Imagine Nation

Today we are thrilled to have Matt Myklusch, author of Jack Blank and the Imagine Nation on our blog. Recently I was able to ask Matt a few questions about his debut novel. If you haven't picked it up yet, I highly recommend it!!

Here's a synopsis of Jack Blank-

Jack Blank doesn't know who he is or where he comes from. He doesn't even know his real last name. All Jack knows is his bleak, dreary life at St. Barnaby's Home for the Hopeless, Abandoned, Forgotten and Lost. Everything changes one morning when Jack receives two visitors The first is a deadly robot, straight out of one of Jack's favorite comic books, that tries his best to blow him up. The second is an emissary from a secret country called the Imagine Nation, where all the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world orginate-including Jack. Jack soon discovers that he has an amazing ability-one that could make him the savior of the Imagine Nation and the world beyond, or the biggest threat they've ever faced (taken from the back of the ARC).

If you were a citizen of Imagine Nation, what "super power" would you have or would you want to be?

Growing up, I used to think about this quite a lot. As a comic book fan, it kind of comes with the territory. When I was a kid, I thought Wolverine was really cool and wanted to have claws like his. Now that I'm an adult, I know better. I mean really... what am I going to do with claws? I don't want to cut anybody. I'm a lot more practical in my approach to this sort of thing now. As the father of a two-year old boy, with another baby on the way, I want the power to stop time... so my wife and I can sleep. Oh, how we miss sleep.

What do you admire most about Jack? Why?

I think my favorite thing about Jack is his courage and determination. People are constantly telling him that his life is going to end up a certain way, and there's nothing he can do about it. They say his future is what it is, and that is that. The standardized tests Jack takes at school even predict he will grow to be a "toilet brush cleaner" of all things. Jack doesn't buy into any of it. Even when he gets to the Imagine Nation, and people have very different concerns about his future, Jack doesn't back down. He has this courageous underdog quality about him that I love. Babe Ruth said, "you can't beat the guy who never gives up." That's Jack.

How would you describe Imagine Nation to someone who didn't believe?

The Imagine Nation is the comic book world come to life— the secret home of super-heroes, super-villains, ninjas, aliens, robots, magic and more. All the fantastic and unbelievable things in our world... all the impossible stories you've ever heard... they have to come from somewhere. This is the place. People just like you have seen it, walked its streets, and been inspired by it. I'm talking about people whose names you know. Musicians, writers, thinkers, leaders... they all stood on the shores of the Imagine Nation and took its wonder back to the Real World. The only difference between you and them is that they believed the impossible was possible. Or maybe, there’s no difference at all. It’s up to you.

You have a wonderful cast of characters in Jack Blank. Which character surprised you the most in terms of character growth from when you first starting writing the story to when you were finished writing it?

Jazen surprised me the most because he was originally two different people. In addition to Jazen, who brings Jack to the Imagine Nation, there was another character who took care of Jack once he got there. When I was done writing, it was clear that neither character was getting enough face-time in the story, and since they both served the same purpose plot-wise (and in their relationship to Jack), it made sense to combine them. Doing that created a far more robust and interesting character than either one of them was on his own. Truly a situation in which the whole was greater than the sum of its parts.

Your writing for Imagine Nation is brilliant. What or who inspired you to start writing?

Wow, thanks for the compliment! I don’t know when I decided to start writing really, I just know that I’m easily inspired. Whenever I see something I like, I always end up saying to myself, “I want to do something like that!” I feel that way about movies, books, comic books… everything. It probably started when I was a little kid, and would always draw pictures like the ones in my comics. I spent a lot of time coming up with my own super-heroes, many of which eventually found a home in the Imagine Nation. Inspiration comes from everywhere.

I liked that Jack has a love for comic books, and his favorite characters all live in Imagine Nation. Did you share that same love for comics books when you were Jack's age? If so, who was your favorite character?

I was a huge comic book fan. I still am. For my favorite character, I have to go back to the one whose powers I wanted so badly back in the day— Wolverine (even if I don’t have any use for his claws as an adult).

Thanks so much for having me on the blog!

Thank you so much for joining us today Matt! If you do develop the power to stop time, please share your secret with us!!

A few other notes:

Matt will be signing books in Westfield, NJ TOMORROW- Saturday, 10/9 from 2-4pm at:

The Town Book Store

270 E. Broad St.

Westfield, NJ 07090

(Corner of E. Broad and Elmer St.)

908-233-3535

www.townbookstore.com

More info at:

http://twitter.com/mattmyk

http://www.JackBlank.com

Thank you Matt and Simon & Schuster, we have a fabulous Jack Blank prize pack to giveaway. We have a finished copy of Jack Black and the Imagine Nation AND a very cool comic illustration of Jack Blank drawn by Matt!

To enter, please fill out this form. This is open to US residents only. One winner will receive the prize pack.