FCBD24 Interview: InvestiGators: Class Action Sneak Peek!

Get a sneak peek at book 8 in John Patrick Green's bestselling InvestiGators series! Mango and Brash have always been a class act but can these alligator detectives convincingly go undercover as middle-school students to protect a team mascot? And is it a coincidence that the school is the same one Agent Mango (just barely) graduated from? Find out in Class Action!

We caught up with the series writer John Patrick Green to learn more about what inspired the extraordinary characters, what we can expect from their upcoming titles, AND to rifle through some really fun rapid fire questions! 

Free Comic Book Day (FCBD): Set up your title for those that might be new to your comic book: What will new readers need to know before diving into your Free Comic Book Day issue? 

John Patrick Green: InvestiGators is about Mango and Brash, two alligators who solve crimes while wearing vests. But these aren’t normal vests, they’re Very Exciting Spy Technology. Their V.E.S.T.s have all sorts of gadgets that can pop out and help them when they’re on a case. Their latest adventure, Class Action, finds them going undercover as students at Mango’s old school, to investigate a mystery involving the school mascot. 

FCBD: What are some of the core themes present in your book? What do you hope readers take away from your title?

John: This book deals with peer pressure, standing up for yourself and others, and is also about being true to who you are. With a dash of school spirit thrown in. I hope readers take away that just because others may have expectations of you, the only ones you have to live up to are the ones you make for yourself.

FCBD: What part of the book was most fun to write?

John:The parts where we get to meet Mango’s parents were a lot of fun to draw. Less fun were all the crowded classroom and hallway scenes!

FCBD: Can you share some of the inspiration behind certain characters, settings, etc.?

John: Many of the characters, locations, and incidents are inspired by my own experiences as a child in elementary school. Nothing directly, but I think some stuff kids today will still relate to.

FCBD: If you could meet your characters, what would you say to them?

John: Hmm, I’d probably tell them to stop lollygagging and get back to solving mysteries!

FCBD:Looking to the future, is there anything you can tease about what’s coming up for the title and its characters?

John: There are plenty more adventures for Mango and Brash on the way!

FCBD: Many newcomers will pick up comics for the first time on FCBD – what was the first comic you remember reading?

John: Aside from newspaper comic strips like Garfield and Peanuts, I remember early on reading my brother’s copies of Spider-Man and G.I. Joe.

FCBD: What is your favorite part about working in the comic book industry?

John: I pretty much get to stay home and come up with funny stories and draw for a living, so that part’s pretty great!

FCBD: Tell us why everyone should read comic books!

John: Comic books are able to tell stories differently from how prose books or other media do, and that’s fascinating to me. And these days there are so many comics in different art styles, different narrative genres, covering different subject matter, fiction, non-fiction, mainstream, underground—there’s a comic for every type of reader out there!

FCBD: Now, we have a series of rapid-fire questions for you! They’re, ya know, mostly related to comics... Answer as quickly as you can and try not to over think it!

Do you listen to music while you’re creating?

John: No, I usually have TV shows playing in the background, though.

What’s your favorite comic book genre?

John: Hmm, I don’t know if I have a favorite *genre*. I am drawn to how a story is told. If the sequential art is engaging, then any genre will captivate me.

Are you more productive in the morning or at night?

John: Both! Whenever the mood strikes me, really, or when a deadline looms.

What do you and 10-year old you still have in common? 

John: Probably our sense of humor and our albuterol inhalers.

If you were a comic book character, would you rather be the hero or the villain?  

John: Hero! Or perhaps a villain who gets a heroic redemption arc?

Everyone in the world gets to choose a power, but the more people that choose the same power, the weaker that power will be. What do you choose? 

John: If I choose the power to shapeshift into anything, would that mean that more people picking that power means the shapeshifting is less convincing or just that there are fewer things I could shapeshift into?

If there was one fictional item you could have in real life, what would it be?  

John: Universal healthcare!

If you were sucked into a game like “Jumanji,” which game would you at least want to be put into?  

John: Is there no escape? Like if I was sucked into Tic-Tac-Toe, am I stuck in there forever, or do I get out when I win? What happens if I lose? I mean, I’d say Monopoly, but at least in that game there’s the possibility of buying a house…

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