Spooky Creepy Critters - Daniel Camp, Author & Illustrator
Daniel Camp
What’s up with his latest book? How does his art reflect his personality? And what impact does he hope to make on readers through his work? Dan’s here to tell us all about it!
Intro by Tania Reitsma
From cannibalistic baby axolotls to thieving death’s-head hawkmoths, Daniel Camp’s latest book Spooky Creepy Critters teaches us strange and amazing facts about twenty-eight different creatures from bugs, fish to land animals!
Daniel has the gift and skills to make his subject matter funny, cute and creepy all at the same time—combining his unique aesthetic with his witty way with words to create something that both kids and adults will enjoy. As promised on the back of the book, Spooky Creepy Critters is truly educational and entertaining.
To learn about how Daniel’s book making journey all started, check out my previous article about the author and illustrator.
Today, let’s hear from Daniel about the creation of Spooky Creepy Critters, how his art reflects his personality, and what he hopes people will gain from reading his work.
I personally appreciate Daniel’s honesty about struggling with confidence sometimes—because I do too! And it’s so encouraging to see that he doesn’t let that get in the way of doing what he loves, developing his skills, and sharing it with others.
You’re really going to enjoy this article by Daniel Camp—I promise.
Bonus! Until November 10th, 2023, you can enter for a chance to win a free copy of Spooky Creepy Critters. Details at the end of this article.
Cover of Spooky Creepy Critters by Daniel Camp
Motivation to create Spooky Creepy Critters
I've always had a love for science, animals, and art. When I was in school taking digital art classes, I was always trying to find a way to use art to educate. One of my first animations I ever worked on was of the lifecycle of an amoeba. After making my "Halloween A to Z: Under the Sea," one of the most fun aspects for that book was doing research and sharing fun facts about each sea creature. I wanted to expand upon that and open it up beyond just sea animals.
Choosing the creatures
For Spooky Creepy Critters, I wanted to take my time with it and make it even better than my previous books. I started out picking various creatures I wanted to feature that I thought had interesting facts. I had many creatures in mind, but decided to keep it under 30 in order to get the book out in time.
Spookfish facts from Spooky Creepy Critters by Daniel Camp
Research
This book took longer than any of the others, mostly due to the research involved. I eventually sped up the process by using AI in the form of ChatGPT. I didn't use AI to actually write the book, but instead it was invaluable as a quick way to do research. I'd ask it a question like, “Please give me 5 fun facts about great white sharks." It would then instantly give me a bulleted list of five facts that I would cross-reference to make sure they were accurate. From there I would pick three facts that seemed the most interesting or would fit my style, and then rewrite them in my own words.
Adding humour and style
For each fact, I would do quick sketches to figure out what cute jokes I could tell to add some humour to the book. I also wanted this book to be more like a comic book/graphic novel, so I decided to work with panels for the first time which added structure and limitations. This presented an interesting challenge as I had to make the illustrations work in confined spaces—but you'll find I did manage to have fun by breaking the borders here and there.
I also wanted this to feel more like a traditional book than any of my previous attempts, so I added a fun table of contents in the beginning and some advertising for my other books at the end.
Death’s Head Hawkmoth facts from Spooky Creepy Critters by Daniel Camp
How my art reflects my personality
I'm constantly striving to develop my style and I feel it's a constant evolution. Lately I'm trying to use more angular lines vs smooth lines, but I tend to revert back if I forget. I like spooky things, so I think my art reflects that. I still try to make things cute and appealing but with a slight dark edge to it without being off-putting.
I have a quirky personality and like dark humor, but I'm also really shy and wear my heart on my sleeve. I think my art does a good job of mirroring who I am.
How I feel now that the book is out
I have mixed emotions. I'm excited and proud of it as I poured a lot of time and effort into it, but I'm also my own worst critic and constantly think my art is not good enough. At the end of the day, I just have to keep telling myself that I did my best and hopefully others will enjoy it. I'm excited about what I have coming up next and have to just keep pushing forward and not dwell on what's behind me.
Fennec Fox facts from Spooky Creepy Critters by Daniel Camp
What I want readers to experience when they read Spooky Creepy Critters
I hope readers find the book fun, interesting, and entertaining. I learned new things by making it and hopefully the readers will as well. The thing I'm most proud of is I had a simple idea, and decided to give it my all and make it into a tangible object that I can share with others. If that brings joy and inspiration to anyone, then my job was a success.
Back cover of Spooky Creepy Critters by Daniel Camp
