I'd like to extend my warmest congratulations on the release of your new book, "The Puckford 7: Fantasy Ice Hockey Adventure"! It's thrilling to see this captivating story hit the shelves, especially with its unique blend of fantasy, adventure, and hockey.
As an author and artist, you've created a truly immersive experience for readers of all ages. The full-color illustrations and masterful storytelling make this book a must-have for any hockey fan or fantasy enthusiast.
Could you please tell me more about what inspired you to write "The Puckford 7"? How did you balance the fantasy and sports elements in your story?
I'm also curious about your artistic process. How did you create the stunning illustrations that bring the world of Puckford Falls to life?
I wish you all the best with your book and look forward to hearing more about your future projects!
Thank you Lisa for your kinds words. I was living in Los Angeles when Wayne Gretzky was traded to the L.A Kings in 1988. I was so inspired by the "Great One" it rekindled my Love for Ice Hockey growing up in St. Louis as a kid and a die hard Blues fan. I created TOON ON ICE Hockey Comics in 1989 to present a fun, fantasy concept to help promote the NHL. In the mid 90s I wrote the Puckford 7 as a movie treatment to pitch to animation studios such as Warner Brothers. A writer for WB hacked my story using my Christmas Card design I did for USA Hockey, A snowman in net with a couple kids and they made Jack Frost. The Puckford 7 sat on the shelf since.
2021 I had surgery and thought, I'm not going to sit on my duff and not do anything. So I began rewriting The Puckford 7 as a 10 Chapter Christmas Story and doing rough drawings for characters and the scenes. I had it all in my head, I just needed to put in on paper. My dog Lucy a black lab had passed away recently, so I wrote her into the story as herself as one of the P7 characters. Made working on the book more fun keeping her spirit alive. She was 17 when she died, so I made her #17. My Uncle Phil and best friend Mick died from Cancer recently as well so I made them characters. The Ice Angel and Demon Ice Machine Stellar Master. They were big hockey fans and close to my heart. The brothers I never had.
I illustrated the entire story and hated it. So I took another year to illustrate it all over again. It was originally supposed to be 12-20 illustrations. In the end I did over 80-100 illustrations. Team logos, designed the fantasy world. It was the hardest project I've ever done but just spilled onto the page with passion. The Puckford 7 is THE best work I've done to date. A relief to get out of my heart, head and soul. There's never been many hockey fantasy stories out there, It was my time to shine with a lot of hard work. I met a children's book author named Pat Blankenship and random one day doing an Uber from the airport. She answered every question I had about how to set up my book and which print service to use Ingram Lightning Spark or Amazon KDP. My first job as a teen was at Ingram Book Company sweeping the warehouse at night. Now they're printing my book. How cool! Pat hooked me up with her set up guy Jess @ Spiro Graphics. Truly wonderful to work with and he really helped the finished product. I had no clue how I was going to set up my book before I met Pat. Funny how the Artistic Angels are always looking out for you.
The final print books are amazing to hold in your hand. I set up a Premium Full Color Hard Cover Glossy version and a Full Color Premium Matte Soft Cover version at Lightning Spark. And to utilize Amazon and their fast shipping Amazon KDP is printing my Full Color Premium Glossy Soft Cover and Kindle Version. When you are super creative, there's always a little fantasy and a lot of imagination that naturally applies to everything. The Puckford 7 is my contribution to the wonderful world of books, encouraging young readers with the magic of cartoons and the visual arts. My ultimate goal now is to have The Puckford 7 animated into a cartoon series of mystery adventures or a full length feature film.
Thanks for taking the time to chime in and leave your kind words. ~ Michael
Michael, thank you for sharing the inspiring story behind "The Puckford 7"! It's clear that this project is a labor of love, and your passion shines through.
I'm intrigued by your goal to have "The Puckford 7" adapted into an animated series or feature film. What steps are you taking to make this vision a reality?
Also, I'm curious about your plans to promote "The Puckford 7". Do you have any upcoming events, book signings, or marketing strategies in place to reach your target audience?
Looking forward to hearing more about your promotional plans and future projects!
Michael Fischer: I became a better guitar player because I became a better listener. I became a better writer when I became a better reader. My personal life's silly little adventures create the best material.
Moe, Larry and Curly! Lol I would invite my Mother and Father who have since passed and my little Sister so the family could get together one more time for belly laughs and Moms cooking, the kinda food that sticks to your ribs.
All of the above! Look, when I was a kid, we freaked out when calculators came out. Kindle's and Fire HD tabs are great for reading and audiobooks. Although I prefer to hold a nice book in my hands.
I would love to write mystery horror stories! I grew up on Hammer Films, Universal Monsters and Alfred Hitchcock. What you don't see scares you. Masterful writing has been lost in motion picture special effects and the visual experience.
A slight difficult part of my artistic process is shutting out the noise of the world to work. Then it's all financial, my time and making sure I have enough Cokes and chocolate to get through the night.
I like to proof read what O wrote all night in the morning when I get up. When I'm into my writing zone, it's up all night sleep all day. Plenty of sleep helps keep me fresh.
When I was in the 4th grade, I loved the Encyclopedia Brown Mystery books. Simple and fun stories like growing up with your neighborhood friends who had a tree house.
I have a couple dream goals before I die. One is seeing my book The Puckford 7 fully animated on the big screen. #2 is hang gliding over with Carmen Elektra over Malibu before I die.
