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Brobot re-released in full COLOUR

Originally published in 2016, Brobot is back with a new full colour edition!

With colouring by Paulina Gamez and new covers designed by Rebecca Mills, this new edition looks deliciously schmick.

It even comes with an extra bonus story!

About BROBOT

Sally Tinker – the world’s foremost inventor under the age of twelve – is fed up with her smelly, sticky, stinky baby brother Joe. Her new invention – Brobot – is just as a brother should be … until the remote control breaks and Brobot goes haywire. Can Sally keep Joe safe from her out-of-control creation? Get set for some sci-fi silliness in this hilarious junior graphic novel.

About the bonus story: SALLYMANDER

Sally and her friends take a time machine trip to the Middle Ages to meet a royal ancestor. But when some leaking time machine fuel creates a fiery monster, Sally has to put things right – otherwise she might just rewrite world history!

This bonus story was first published in the School Magazine, but has been reformatted into an action-packed 70-page graphic novella in the back of Brobot.

Buy Brobot (colour edition) now:

*signed copy* – PAPER BIRD
BOOKTOPIA
DYMOCKS
READINGS
QBD

Secret Agent Mole book 3: Dr Nude is out from today

Woohoo! I can’t believe it’s here already – the epic conclusion to the Dr Nude saga. He’s been a villain since the start of the series, and Max and the team finally get a chance for a proper rematch.

Here’s the official synopsis:

Dr Nude’s anti-gravity Doomsday Device is ready to blow. Max and the team have to stop it or the entire Earth could be split in two … and then they’ll never get their secret agent licences! But first, our heroes need to sneak into a fancy-dress party. Will they have good disguises? You bet. Will the disguises work? Probably not, no. Is Max prepared for what he’ll find in Dr Nude’s lair? Goodness no. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure you’ll be prepared either, dear reader. You have been warned. Time to rock and mole!

I can’t wait to hear what readers think about this one … I’m mighty happy with how it turned out, and I hope it makes you laugh your socks off.

Buy Secret Agent Mole book 3: Dr Nude

BUY A SIGNED COPY
BOOKTOPIA
DYMOCKS
ReADings
QBD

April school holiday events

I’ve got three events coming up this April school holidays.

Details below!

Apr 6 – Right Way Down book celebration

Come and help celebrate the release of Right Way Down, a brand new ⁠children’s poetry collection from WA authors.

WHEN: Saturday April 6th, 10:30am
WHERE: Rankin Gardens, car Hamersley Rd and Rokeyby Rd, Subiaco, WA
BOOKINGS: FREE but required, via eventbrite.

Apr 7 – Double book launch + workshop

You’re invited to …
⁠
… a DOUBLE BOOK LAUNCH + cartooning workshop!⁠
⁠
Help me celebrate the release of two new books: ⁠

Apr 10 – Bunbury Grandfamilies Fun Day

A celebration of family, this community event has a special focus on the role that many grandparents and grandcarers have in our children’s lives.

Bunbury Wildlife Park comes alive with a host of stall holder activities, rides, entertainment, music, animal experiences and more importantly – fun!

I’ll be there running a Comics-Making stall. Bring your grandparents along and make comics together!

There’ll also be:

  • Special guests and performers
  • Meet and feed the animals
  • Animal photo experiences
  • Circus performances & workshop
  • Bouncy castle & rides
  • Sideshow alley
  • Train rides
  • Bubble play
  • Face painting
  • Arts, crafts and games
  • Competitions
  • Nature play activities and more!

WHEN: Wednesday April 10th, 10am-2pm
WHERE: Bunbury Wildlife Park, 7 Prince Philip Dr, South Bunbury WA
TICKETS: via eventbrite

New interview on the Good Reading podcast

Earlier in Feb I got to chat with Gregory Dobbs from the Good Reading podcast, all about my picture book Stellarphant and the upcoming colour rereleases of Brobot and Gastonauts.

As Greg puts it, we chat about “the great characters [James] has created – Sally Tinker (the world’s foremost inventor under the age of twelve), Joe Tinker (full-time baby) and Charli Stevenson (foremost biologist under the age of eleven). We explore the hilarious and often quite smelly adventures they get up to, along with Sally’s amazing range of inventions. There’s also a few Dad jokes along the way.”

INTERVIEW
Stellarphant, Brobot and Gastronauts
Good Reading Podcast
with Gregory Dobbs

Events for March

To get email notifications of future events, you can either:
– head to my blog and subscribe to new posts via the little box on the right.
– sign up for my newsletter, The James Foley-o, and get all my news and events in a quarterly email.

Mar 16 – ‘Right Way Down’ book launch

Join us to celebrate the launch Right Way Down, a collection of children’s poetry from 38 brilliant WA writers!

Following the launch: books will be available for purchase, enjoy light refreshments, browse the artwork of Briony Stewart, meet the book’s editors and illustrator, and grab a signature from one of the many contributors (including me!).

This event is a collaboration between Alphabet Soup Books and Fremantle Press. The book is sponsored by the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries.

Tickets to this event are free but essential (numbers are limited).

DATE: Saturday 16 March, 2024
WHEN: 3-5pm
WHERE: State Library of WA, Perth CBD
AGES: all ages
TICKETS: FREE, bookings essential

Mar 21 – Top Secret, Declassified Graphic Novel Techniques (online)

Join me for a look into the making of my graphic novel series Secret Agent Mole. I’ll take you through all the steps, from character design to script writing, from roughs to final artwork. Learn all my time-saving tips and tricks and put them to use in your next comic masterpiece!

This workshop is presented by the Cardboard Box Illustrators.

WHEN: Thursday 21st March, 12noon-1pm AEDT
WHERE: This workshop is hosted online via Zoom. Can’t make the live session? You will be able to watch a recording of this workshop for one week after the event!
TICKETS: $35. Book your ticket here.

Sally Tinker is back … in full colour!

Sally Tinker, the world’s foremost inventor under the age of twelve, is back!

She first appeared in my debut graphic novel – Brobot – released in 2016. The book was printed in black and white and just 112 pages long. Three sequels followed: Dungzilla, Gastronauts and Chickensaurus – each longer and more ambitious than the last – plus some full-colour short stories in The School Magazine. And that was it … or so I thought.

Then the wonderful team at Fremantle Press said, “Hey James … how about we rerelease the Sally Tinker comics in full colour?”

My instant and highly professional reply was, “heck yes!”

Then I looked at my diary and saw how busy I was already. I wouldn’t have time to colour them in. “Oh bottom,” I exclaimed in measured tones.

So Fremantle said, “what if we get some artists to help?”

And I remarked, “that’s a flippin’ excellent idea!”

So Freo asked an up-and-coming artist called Paulina Gamez to do the colouring, and the ever brilliant Rebecca Mills to redesign the covers. I reformatted the School Magazine stories to fit inside the new editions. And before we knew it, we had four revamped and beefed up graphic novels to release!

First up is Brobot on April 3rd, followed by Gastronauts on June 1st. Both feature new covers and extra stories. (No official release dates on the colour editions of Dungzilla or Chickensaurus, but rest assured they’re in the works). If you enjoyed Secret Agent Mole then you should love these comics too!

Pre-order your copies at the links below.

Brobot: now in colour!

Published by Fremantle Press, 3rd April 2024.
ISBN: 9781760993115 (paperback)

Buy online:

*signed copy* – PAPER BIRD
BOOKTOPIA
DYMOCKS
READINGS
QBD

Gastronauts: now in colour!

Published by Fremantle Press, 1st June 2024.
ISBN: 9781760993122 (paperback)

Buy online:

*signed copy* – paper bird
BOOKTOPIA
DYMOCKS
READINGS
QBD

Secret Agent Mole book 3 is almost here!

It’s not an April Fools’ prank … Secret Agent Mole book 3: Dr Nude is coming on April 1st.

Here’s the official blurb:

Dr Nude’s anti-gravity Doomsday Device is ready to blow. Max and the team have to stop it or the entire Earth could be split in two … and then they’ll never get their secret agent licences!

But first, our heroes need to sneak into a fancy-dress party. Will they have good disguises? You bet. Will the disguises work? Probably not, no. Is Max prepared for what he’ll find in Dr Nude’s lair? Goodness no. To be perfectly honest, I’m not sure you’ll be prepared either, dear reader. You have been warned.

Time to rock and mole!

Hats off to the brilliant Hannah Janzen for the epic cover design, to my wonderful editor Laura Sieveking, and to the whole Scholastic Australia team. I’m so proud of how this series has turned out!⁠

Pre-order Secret Agent Mole book 3:

BUY A SIGNED COPY
BOOKTOPIA
DYMOCKS
ReADings
QBD

Secret Agent Mole, now available in the UK!

That’s right! Max Mole and the team are reporting for duty in the home of James Bond – the United Kingdom.

It’s the very first time I’ve had one of my books picked up by a UK publisher and I couldn’t be more thrilled! Big thanks to Scholastic UK.

Please share the news with your friends and family abroad!

You can find Secret Agent Mole: Goldfish-Finger at the following UK stores:

BOOKSHOP.ORG (UK)
WAterstones (UK)
WH SMITH (UK)
BLACKWELLS (UK)
Amazon (UK)