Bodybuilding Story for Kids

dsade

dsade

NutraPlanet Fanatic
For all you parent-types, I just hired an illustrator to handle pictures for my "Russel the Mussel" story, which is a children's story with a message about keeping in shape and living healthy/training.

I would imagine it will be available for purchase pretty soon (within 8 weeks), but I would like get an idea of demand, to see how many copies I should do for the first run.

Any input here?
 
Im manager at a gym and id pick up a copy and put it in our book collection in child care. We have a lot of kids that read while their parents are working out. Seems like it would go hand in hand with gym kids.
 
Is there any market you have NOT tapped into yet? lol

From dog health care products to children's fitness stories...you are a Rennaissance man.
 
That is so true Bio! The Porn industry with slick pleasures :lol:, the beach gurus, the gym gurus, the dog lovers, parents and there kids. Oh yea and the coffee lovers as well!!

:bow28:
 
My kids like the story so it should do well. All of my kids are fitness oriented. You have to hit them young in this day and age.

Mine are in Sunday bootcamp and martial arts M,W,F. But like all kids they need help in the junk food category;) So stories help to reinforce what they learn by watching me in the gym and what the teachers tell them when they train!
 
I train in our basement, and I have both kids down there with me at different times. Our son is 5, and he love to copy us and do his own "workout". He would definitely be into a story like this. Also have an 8 month old girl who will hopefully follow in big brothers footsteps.

Great Idea guys.
 
Initial meeting with the illustrator went well. He looks like he works quickly, so timeframe for release looks like about 4 weeks. This is going to be a busy summer for us.

We're also going to be donating a portion of proceeds to various charities to help childhood illnesses/disease, starting with the American Heart Association, via Jayden's Fund (in honor of Jayden DeLuca, daughter of the VP of BB.com, who died of a heart related defect a little over a year ago.)
 
hit up the local libraries matt! i have connections throughout the state, so if you have problems, let me know. I can give you specific names to talk to at various places.
 
What a great idea! I'm a second grade teacher so I'm definitely keen! The kids in the area I teach aren't so well off, nutrition and exercise aren't a big priority outside of school. We're always trying to incorporate healthy living in the curriculum. We had a 'ride to school day' the other day where the students had to try and use a different mode of transport to get to school other than the car. About a third of the 350 kids at the school participated which was great. We've also brought in 'Fruit Friday' which means every Friday the kids in my class bring in a piece of fruit or a vegetable which I cut up and put on a big plater for everyone to share. For a lot of these children, this will be the first unprocessed item of food they've had all week!

dsade, please PM me with details etc. when you have copies of the finished product :)
 
Here is the initial drawing by my illustrator. I asked him to beef up Russel a bit, and add some muscle mass, to differentiate him from the rest of the mussels.

I think the sneakers are uber cool. Should I put some product placement in there? Maybe a Nutraplanet t-shirt, or a bottle of Atomic Meltdown? :)
 

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picture looks good, great idea, and absolutely awesome to hear about the donated funds. hope this goes well, I will def pick up a copy for my kid...when I have one in ten years, haha
 
Is there any way he can incorporate a torso on Russell? Or does that take too much attention away from the fact that he is a mussel? He definitely does need some beefing up. Looking good though! Keep us updated :)
 
Cub said:
Is there any way he can incorporate a torso on Russell? Or does that take too much attention away from the fact that he is a mussel? He definitely does need some beefing up. Looking good though! Keep us updated :)
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He e-mail another beefed up picture and it looks better. I think a torso would take away from the fact.
 
Cub said:
Is there any way he can incorporate a torso on Russell? Or does that take too much attention away from the fact that he is a mussel? He definitely does need some beefing up. Looking good though! Keep us updated :)
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The updated pic I just received has a beefed up torso and arms. It's just hard to see with the angle of this one.
 
d, mussels are usually vertical not horizontal. might be better to try and get it like that, otherwise he looks like an oyster or a clam. just my $.02
 
macedaddy said:
d, mussels are usually vertical not horizontal. might be better to try and get it like that, otherwise he looks like an oyster or a clam. just my $.02
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Hmm...maybe not a bad point. I know it would be harder to emphasize the face with a vertical shell (might come across obscene).

I will see what my artist thinks...but I have already approved.
 
The horizontal works. its your license to be as artistic/creative as you like and you are probably correct, it won't look the same.........
 
Wow, Mace...that is the first time I have ever seen you with mussels.
 
Damn...that picture is making me hungry.
 
arizonanewbie said:
Nicely done. If you need any help, I have a cousin who wrote an award winning children's book and he might have some ideas.
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I appreciate it...I'll have you take a look at the final product and see if he can make some suggestions.

This illustrator is a dynamo...all the mockups are done for all illustrations, and he hit the perspective and concept perfectly. We should actually have final illustrations done in a few weeks, and sale copies within 6 weeks.
 
dsade said:
I appreciate it...I'll have you take a look at the final product and see if he can make some suggestions.

This illustrator is a dynamo...all the mockups are done for all illustrations, and he hit the perspective and concept perfectly. We should actually have final illustrations done in a few weeks, and sale copies within 6 weeks.
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I'll pick one up for the kids at sunday school.
Can we see a pic of the jacked russel?
 
bulls**t said:
Can we see a pic of the jacked russel?
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He gave me a hard copy today, and should have me the scanned mockups by end of the week. I will upload them here.
 
The guy is actually very cool...wife and new child, Harley, tats, and a surprising sensitivity to the nuances of story. I am, so far, extremely impressed with his professionalism and talent.
 
I have a son who's almost 3 months old (10 more days!) I'd definitely buy one for him. It'll be a while before he can actually read it, but I'm sure he'd enjoy looking at the cartoon-ish pictures for right now. I'd read it him once he started getting a little bit older.

Very cute idea, dsade.
 
MuscleGuyinNY said:
I have a son who's almost 3 months old (10 more days!) I'd definitely buy one for him. It'll be a while before he can actually read it, but I'm sure he'd enjoy looking at the cartoon-ish pictures for right now. I'd read it him once he started getting a little bit older.

Very cute idea, dsade.
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Aww where are the baby pics???
 
Here's page 1, complete with text formatting. This is going great so far and looking for a release date in June!!
 

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Last Illustration was approved today!

I have to do some pre-press formatting, then off to PRINT!!!
 
Cover art finished, and going to print today!!
 

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Trauma1 said:
Lol - oops, little typo.

Yeah well the book looks good too.
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HAHA...dealing with the nightmare called "FTP Uploading" right now...I need a beer.
 
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