Kenny and the Dragon Tour pics

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Kenny and the Dragon Tour pics

October 18, 2008

Ah, life on the road is mostly…well…road. Airplanes, taxis, trains, you name it – most of the time you are in transit going from one event to another. But once you arrive at the store (or school) and see the expecting faces, the road weariness washes away and the adrenaline takes over. Here are some of my fav moments from my recent Kenny and the Dragon tour…when I actually remembered I had a camera with me.

Memphis, Tennessee was the starting point, and my hotel was dow the road from SUN records(!) I was very inspired seeing the modest start of Elvis’ legendary career. It reminded me of growing up in my little scrubby beach town of Jupiter, Florida with dreams of becoming a kids-book guy. Thankyouverymuch!

Here I am drawing for the kids at St. George’s School in Germantown, Tennessee. With a school name like that, I HAD to make a stop and share Kenny with the students.

Before my event at Square Books in Oxford, Mississippi, I had a chat with local literary legend, William Faulkner. He didn’t say much, just stared…

A total highlight on this tour was sharing Kenny with the students of Sophie B. Wright Charter School in New Orleans. Here I am with the school librarian and local author/volunteer Whitney.

My first leg ended at the Decatur Book Festival near Atlanta, Georgia. Despite the 90+ degree weather, I still brought it fashion-wise. It may look like I am reading to the audience here, but I am actually about ready to drop from heat stroke.

Adam Rex, (one of the many fab authors attending the festival), and I battle over who will be remembered for Planescape, Magic cards and children’s books. He sucker-punched me after this photo was taken…then stole my glasses.

…Here I am doing an interpretive dance to Kenny at Ms. Nelson’s in California.

And lastly, I ended each event with requests of drawings which were then given away for all who attended. I always thought that the Spiderwick salamanders could use a little sun screen…I sure could have in Georgia.

Thanks to everyone who came out to support me, it really validates why I do what I do.

PS-fear not San Francisco friends, I will make up those dates and see you early next year.

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Tony DiTerlizzi: Never abandon imagination.

Imagination is a world of possibility that exists within each of us. It is what makes us uniquely human. It is our creative fingerprint that touches and influences the world around us. Imagination is essential to art and science; to innovation and prosperity. It gives us hope, calls us to action and leads to change.

Whether it’s fairies, dragons, robots or aliens, all of my children’s book characters are siblings born of my imagination – an imagination strengthened through years of encouragement from family, teachers and friends. While so many others abandoned it during their transition from childhood to adulthood, I fiercely held onto mine, hoping for a day when I could share it to inspire the next generation of dreamers. Innovators. World changers.

Imagination empowers us to envision and create a reality of what could be. We must hold it dear, foster it and never abandon it.

Kenny and the Dragon Tour pics

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Tony DiTerlizzi: Never abandon imagination.