Ray Bradbury, ninjas, and cartoons

by Exhibiting Author Grant Goodman

“I have never listened to anyone who criticized my taste in space travel, sideshows or gorillas. When this occurs, I pack up my dinosaurs and leave the room.”

-Ray Bradbury

I will never forget the first time I read that quote.

I got to see that Ray Bradbury—one of my literary heroes—was still proud to love the same things that he loved during his childhood. That was a huge relief.

Starting in late middle school and early high school, the world puts pressure on you to grow up, move on, and be more serious. I didn’t wind up taking that path. I kept watching cartoons, playing Pokémon, and saving up money from my first job (as a martial arts instructor) to buy manga and comics.

Those were the things that kept my creativity alive then and they are still the things that keep my creativity alive today.

When I first gathered the ideas for my Agent Darcy & Ninja Steve novels, I knew that I wanted to make books that felt like cartoons or comics. They were going to be tales that you could enjoy if you were between the ages of 8 and 800. They were going to have spy tech and ninja gear. Also, there had to be robots, because robots are always cool.

My books are my tributes to the amazing pieces of animation, gaming, and artwork that have shaped my imagination.

I’m looking forward to sharing them with you at this year’s Gaithersburg Book Festival!