InvestiGators Creator John Patrick Green: How to Make Hit Graphic Novels!

AgentFraser to headquarters: We hit EPISODE 20!! 🕵️‍♂️🐊

We did it folks! Join the Fray celebrates our 20th episode with our biggest show yet!

Grab your high-tech spy vests and dive straight down the drain into a world of secret agent missions, hilarious crime-fighting reptiles and brilliant puns.

In this super special milestone episode of Join the Fray, host Fraser sits down with John Patrick Green, the New York Times best-selling author and illustrator behind the smash-hit graphic novel series, InvestiGators!

John takes us inside the top-secret creative process behind Mango, Brash and the rest of the gang. From his early days drawing for schoolfriends in class, to designing books for Disney and pitching to big publishers, John reveals what it really takes to turn goofy ideas into massive book series read by kids around the globe.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• 🎨 How John transitioned from graphic designer to best-selling author/illustrator.
• 🐊 The true origin story behind InvestiGators (and how a silly joke sparked a mega-series).
• 💡 John’s secret trick for generating ideas during everyday chores.
• 📝 The hardest part of writing vs drawing hundreds of comic panels.
• 🍊 Why Cilantro the Chameleon is orange (and how John handled editor feedback!).
• 🦹‍♂️ Why creating goofy villains like Daryl and the ‘Copybara’ is pure fun.

Whether you're an aspiring young artist, a fan of laugh-out-loud comics or just love super-secret agent adventures, this episode is absolutely jam-packed with inspiring stories for budding writers of every age.

#JoinTheFray#JohnPatrickGreen #InvestiGators #GraphicNovels #KidsBooks #AuthorInterview#ComicBooks #MangoAndBrash #DrawingForKids #IllustratorLife #PublishingJourney#KidsPodcast #PodcastEpisode20 #WritingAdvice #ComicArtist

Whether you’re into STEM, pro sports or moviemaking, Fraser is here to interview the experts and find out how you can join the fray. Hit 'Follow' on Spotify and ApplePodcasts for weekly episodes that make career exploration fun and easy for the whole family!

To share feedback on each episode, please leave a Commenthere on Spotify and follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/jointhefraypodcast

If you’d like to get in touch with your own career story,give feedback on this episode or even request an interview, email our team at jointhefraypod@gmail.com . We’d loveto hear from you!

🚀 PROVINCIAL RESOURCES & CAREER PATHWAYS Looking to turn inspiration into action? Check outthese helpful resources for students and parents:

• [Canada - BC] WorkBC Parents’ Guide: Discover career quizzes and labor market trends for the next decade.  WorkBC.ca
• [Canada - BC] EducationPlannerBC: The one-stop-shop for planning post-secondary paths at schools like BCIT, SFU, and UVic. EducationPlannerBC.ca
• [Canada - BC] Skills Ready: Focused on the "Skilled Trades" mentioned by BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey as the backbone of BC’s 2026 economy.  SkillsReady.ca
• [UK] National Careers Service (Parents' Guide): They offer a specific "Help a young person" section. It includes a "Skills Health Check" that parents can help their kids take.  nationalcareers.service.gov.uk/careers-advice
• [USA] CareerOneStop (Get My Future): A youth-focused portal designed for ages 14–24, but excellent for parents of 9–12 year olds to look at "Career Clusters. careeronestop.org/getmyfuture