Gary Clement: Adults Can Read Middle-Grade Too

Gary Clement is a Canadian artist, cartoonist, illustrator, and writer. He’s the author and illustrator of several children’s books, among them The Great Poochini, which earned Canada’s Governor General’s Literary Award in Children’s Literature—Illustration, and most recently illustrated My Winter City, written by James Gladstone. His illustrations have appeared in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and many other newspapers and magazines across North America. Follow him on Instagram.

Gary Clement

In this post, Gary discusses the process of writing his new middle-grade graphic novel, K Is in Trouble, his hope for readers, and more!

Name: Gary Clement
Literary agent: Hansen Literary Agency
Book title: K Is in Trouble
Publisher: Little, Brown Ink (the graphic novel imprint of Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Release date: January 16, 2024
Genre/category: Middle-grade graphic novel
Previous titles: My Winter City; Swimming, Swimming; The Great Poochini
Elevator pitch: If Franz Kafka had grown up in 1960s Toronto and attended Associated Hebrew Day School, he would be me or … if I’d grown up in 1890s Prague and attended Deutsche Knabenschule Boy’s Elementary School, I would be him.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I have long admired the work of Czech German writer Franz Kafka. My initial intention was to write/draw a nonfiction graphic novel about the events of his childhood that formed the tormented, hilariously absurd, idiosyncratic worldview of his adult writings.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication?

The short answer is approximately four years from the writing of the first story during a brief residency at The Center for Cartoon Studies till now. But I was recently going through some old sketchbooks and found notes and sketches for K dating back to at least 10 years ago!

And did the idea change during the process?

I had intended to write/draw a nonfiction graphic novel about Franz Kafka’s childhood. Instead, I ended up with a stew made of ingredients from Kafka’s childhood, my own childhood, bits and pieces from Kafka’s fictional universe, and stories of my own invention.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I think my greatest surprise was when my agent asked me who my intended audience was. What she actually asked me was, “What shelf does it go on?” I answered, somewhat unconvincingly, “Adult Fiction.” She immediately set me straight and told me, very firmly, that it was for middle-grade readers. I absolutely agree with her.

But adults can read it, too.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

There are always surprises in the evolution of any creative process I have ever undertaken! Stories and drawings always evolve from the earliest versions to the final draft and when I think of it, that is really no surprise at all. Things that I thought were indispensable were cut to improve narrative flow and new plot elements were added to enhance it.

And I ended with an entirely different book than I had originally intended.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

First: I hope that anyone who has ever felt maliciously tormented, unjustly persecuted, or unfairly treated by teachers, peers, or parents will discover that they are not alone.

Second: I have forever been inspired by artists such as William Steig, Maira Kalman, and Edward Gorey, who merged their wonderful pictures with equally wonderful language. I hope my words and pictures resonate with middle-grade (and adult!) readers.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Hold on to ALL your notes!

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