It’s the Book Birthday of
Gyro and the Argonauts! aka the BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN*:
*About a Kid Named After a Sandwich
(Volume 1 /Andrews McMeel Publishing)
and we are celebrating with
Emmy Award-winning TV Writer and New York Times bestselling author Joshua Pruett!
About the Book
In this totally (mostly) true story of the first “Greek Geek,” we meet Gyro (pronounced hee-roh) on his journey to become a hero. Gyro (like the sandwich) learns there’s so much more to the maligned monsters of mythology (such as the CYCLOPS, the MINOTAUR, and even MEDUSA herself), and so much less to his favorite heroes (including Perseus, Heracles, and Pegasus) than he ever dreamed.
“With big laughs, big heart, and big monsters, Gyro and the Argonauts is timeless fun for everyone!”
—– Max Brallier, sandwich expert and
author of the #1 New York Times bestselling series The Last Kids on Earth
*****
“…a hilarious, adventurous, and nail-biting twist on Greek mythology tropes with a well-developed cast of zany characters …Gyro is the new hero we all need: courageous, monster friending, and true to himself.”
—Demetra Brodsky, award-nominated author of Last Girls and Dive Smack (and actual Greek)
About the Author
Currently working on the widely anticipated return of Disney’s Phineas and Ferb, Joshua Pruett is a TV writer and part of the creative team for Milo Murphy’s Law (Disney Plus); Phineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe; and the Emmy Award-winning The Last Kids on Earth (Netflix).
Among the books he has coauthored are Shipwreckers: The Curse of the Cursed Temple of Curses; Or, We Nearly Died A Lot, with Scott Peterson; and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, The Last Comics on Earth, with Max Brallier, illustrated by Jay Cooper and Douglas Holgate.
Let’s ask some questions!
Inspiration
Q 1. Where did the idea for Gyro and the Argonauts! aka the BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN*: *About a Kid Named After a Sandwich – come from?
Joshua Pruett: The big inspiration for the book came from watching old movies with my parents like Clash of the Titans and Jason and the Argonauts. I was super obsessed with the worlds, characters and creatures of Greek mythology and very focused on the monsters.
The spark that lit the flame for this book was when I discovered that it was in fact Greek hero Bellerophon and not Perseus, like in the movie Clash of Titans, who rode the flying horse Pegasus.
What if?
That started me on a path of doing research on how Greek poets would remix and rewrite these epic tales! It occurred to me that if a character, particularly a Greek geek, discovered that everything he thought he knew about the world around him was wrong, this could be a really strong shape for a story.
Q 2. It sounds like you were a “Greek geek” when you were a kid. Tell us about young Joshua.
Joshua Pruett: I was and still am a huge geek about mythological monsters, horror movies, comic books, Doctor Who, etc; I am a geek about a lot of things.
I love spending time reading and researching and being immersed in the fantasy worlds that I grew up with because I genuinely feel like stories are equipment for living, and science fiction, fantasy, adventure and horror stories doubly so.
Characters
Q 3. They say each book is a tiny bit autobiographical. Which character in Gyro and the Argonauts! Is the most like you?
Joshua Pruett: The short answer is I am definitely Gyro. When I was rewriting this book, I discovered that a lot of my main character’s arc mirrored my own experiences working in animation and meeting people who I had idolized and then discovering that some of them did not exactly meet my expectations.
I learned the hard way that there are some drawbacks to meeting your heroes and that not everyone on your journey is going to be supportive of all that you are and all the things that you aspire to.
But I would also say that each of these characters has a certain amount of Josh-ness to them, particularly the Narrator who speaks using my voice and some of the monsters tend to express so much of my own feelings about life.
Favorites
Q 4. Which was your favorite chapter to write?
Joshua Pruett: My favorite chapter to write was probably when, spoiler alert, Gyro finally meets Medusa the gorgon. They start to build a sort of older sister little brother dynamic or aunt and nephew dynamic, that really surprised me as I was writing it.
It’s a very unconventional sort of connection between this young vulnerable but ambitious kid and a Titan who has been there and done that. The joy of that relationship is how they relate to one another, and how they each have something that the other person really needs.
Plus there’s lots of heart and humor and shenanigans. I liked their dynamic so much it actually influenced where I plan on taking the story next in book 2!
Oooh! We can’t wait!
Q 5. How is your work in film & TV, as a writer on projects such as Doctor Who, Phineas and Ferb, and Milo Murphy’s Law similar to your work as a Children’s Book author? How are these two paths different?
Joshua Pruett: The most clear similarity is trying to craft a good, solid, entertaining story that connects with its audience!
Whether I’m writing an episode of Phineas and Ferb or breaking the story for the next Gyro and the Argonauts book, I’m…
- keeping lots of balls in the air
- keeping an eye on crafting strong characters
- building opportunities for warmth and humor and
- making sure I’ve stuck the landing and delivered a satisfying ending.
The biggest difference between those paths is that for my books, I get to make the final call on all the creative; on where the stories go or don’t go, who the characters are and what they do! It’s a privilege to work on series like Phineas, but writing my own books affords me the creative freedom to tell stories in more worlds, worlds that I get to create.
and Joshua Pruett.
Process: Pantser vs. Planner
Q 6. Does writing for TV/Film influence your process as a kidlit author?
Joshua Pruett: The biggest influence is STRUCTURE! Since I wrote my very first book, I’ve been a real PLANNER instead of a PANTS-ER (writing by the seat of your pants). I’m big on using note cards and making an outline in order to track my story and character arcs.
For me, it’s really important to know where I’m headed, toward a strong and satisfying ending, and when I plan ahead, like I do when I write for television and film, having everything figured out ahead of time makes for a better story! And, when I’ve established my story beats, what I’m working toward, there’s room for me to play and add jokes on the way, so it’s a good mix that really works for me.
Illustration Surprises
Q 7. We see that comic artist Amanda Castillo illustrated the chapter headers. Were there any surprises that Amanda brought to the book?
Joshua Pruett: Amanda added some wonderful context for the characters and world of Gyro. She was such a joy to work with, and nailed the vibe and feel that I was looking for. Amanda also totally killed it with the LOGO on the back of the book!
When we first launched her, I pitched a very silly idea of a sword going thru a Gyro sandwich, something goofy that at a glance would convey the wild tone and humor of the book. What she delivered was infinitely goofier than what was in my head.
*About a Kid Named After a Sandwich written by Joshua Pruett (Andrews McMeel Publishing)
Joshua Pruett: Amanda also delivered on a few of the more emotional moments, especially with Medusa. Can’t wait to see what she does with book two!
Cover Design designed by Anthony Holden for Gyro and the Argonauts! aka the BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN*: *About a Kid Named After a Sandwich written by Joshua Pruett
(Andrews McMeel Publishing)
Q 8. Can you tell us about the cool cover ?
Joshua Pruett: I would love to highlight the cover by my friend Anthony Holden, character designer and Annie Award-Winning storyboard artist on Puss In Boots The Last Wish!
For many many years, it had been my dream for Anthony to do the cover and I’m still so thrilled we could make it happen! Anthony’s style has a wonderful and joyful, anime-influenced look to his art and I thought that with kids reading so much manga these days, having a cover that appealed to them where they were, we’d have a much better chance of reaching readers! Anthony’s take on the monsters and the argonauts exceeded my expectations in every way.
What’s next?
Q 9. What’s next for you – in kidlit and/or tv/film?
Joshua Pruett: I’ve got some Phineas and Ferb graphic novels I wrote coming later this year. And I am hard at work on The Last Comics on Earth book four, Gyro and the Argonauts book two, my third Doctor Who audio book and more things I can’t even talk about yet! Stay tuned!
WOW! We will!
Takeaways
Q 10. What do you hope readers will take away from Gyro and the Argonauts!
Joshua Pruett: I hope readers laugh themselves silly reading Gyro, get excited during the action sequences and feel like they learned a little bit while having a really really great time!
Gyro is designed for reluctant readers, for read-alongs with friends and Mom and Dad and of course, curling up with a blanket and a pile of snacks and devouring Gyro’s first adventure on a fun-filled Saturday afternoon!
Endless thanks to Joshua Pruett for joining us on the blog today.
Happiest of Book Birthdays to Gyro and the Argonauts!
aka the BEST BOOK EVER WRITTEN*:
*About a Kid Named After a Sandwich !
To learn more about Joshua Pruett his projects, check out:
https://linktr.ee/JoshuaPruett
And follow him on:
@zombietardis.bsky.social
IG: @zombietardis
Up next on the blog: We’re celebrating…
MAKING LIGHT BLOOM: Clara Driscoll and the Tiffany Lamps
Illus. Julie Paschkis / Peachtree
with questions for kidlit author Sandra Nickel.
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