A mix of ICKY and CUTE with Dave Atze

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Dave, welcome to the blog!

Thanks so much for having me!!

Belly Button Fluff can be described as a super-cute yet icky adventure of curiosity, and creativity, which is certainly intriguing and fun! What else can you tell us about this title?

Perhaps a giggle, a laugh and an awwww as well. It’s a perfect mix of icky and cute so you don’t puke from an overdose of either.

How did the idea appear, and ‘accumulate’, in your mind?
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I used to wear a fluffy jumper at my old job and was always fascinated by the ever-growing accumulation of belly button fluff. Team that with a love of drawing super cute characters and Scarlett Von Scruff was born.

Best known for your illustrative talent, how did you find the process of both writing and illustrating – this being your debut as an author?

Why, thank you soo much! Writing is tough and I’m no “Shakin’Spear”. I can spin a good yarn but my grammar is lacking. Praise be to my editors! The true heroes. I love to draw and that will always be my passion, but to draw what I want to draw, I also gotta write the words.

What has been the most rewarding part of creating Belly Button Fluff?
Having an idea that has been in my head for years finally come to life and now I can share it with the world.

Favourite spread in Belly Button Fluff?
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Actually, it’s the endpapers in the Hardcover book. The colours and feeling of the scene really make me feel warm and fuzzy.

Tell us about the path to publication for this title.

I wrote BBF while out running on my local bush trails. I had most of the images worked out pretty early, so I just needed some rhymey words to pair with my visual story. Having worked with Big Sky Publishing for about 6 or 7 years as an illustrator I cheekily said in a convo “Hey what if I had written a funny book and was kinda ready to hear you tell me how bad it is?...”

And now it’s published, Ha!

Which other humorous children’s books or funny authors / illustrators do you enjoy or gather inspiration from?
Mark and Rowan Sommerset are a hilarious combo!! If you haven’t already, check out The Little Baa Baa books, you won’t be disappointed.

What are your top tips for aspiring authorstrators?

Wow, I’m totally stealing the title Authorstrators!! Gold!!

Create! And NOW!! Get it out of your head and on paper. Never before could you self-publish a book so easily, crowdfund and get it out in the world. Once people can see a physical thing you’ve done, they will know you are serious and work should come much easier.

What’s next for you?

More Scarlett for sure! But now the writing part of me is out in the world I have many more silly stories to tell. Stay tuned.

Do you have an online presence?

@daveatze on everything
And daveatze.com
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Thank you for joining me on the blog, Dave!
 
And Thank you xx