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New kid’s book tackles the pesky problem of hiccups

Local creatives John Weber and Adrian Guenther have joined forces to publish a whimsical, easy-to-read kid’s book called Hiccup Ben.

This cleverly illustrated how-to on ridding oneself of those “pesky hiccups” celebrates problem-solving, family relationships, and the power of persistence through John’s catchy story about this malady and Adrian’s signature cast of characters.

The team is confident that the story’s playful narrative will keep children engaged while teaching them valuable lessons about teamwork and never giving up.

WBOI’s Julia Meek discusses the evolution of this project as well as its purpose with John and Adrian and how it resonates with kids of all ages.

You can learn more about Hiccup Ben and order a copy directly from Amazon.

Guenther's story board for Hiccup Ben
Courtesy/Adrian Guenther
Guenther's story board for Hiccup Ben

Here is a transcript of our conversation:
Julia Meek: John Weber, Adrian Guenther, welcome.

John Weber: Hi.
 
Adrian Guenther: Hello.

Julia Meek: So, a jazz musician with a side gig in actuarial science meets a dark-humored artist with a knack for clowning and boom, a great book is born all about the hiccups. So, very briefly, just how did this all come down?

John Weber: Well, my wife is a retired schoolteacher, and it was really important to her as far as reading. We have two sons, and from the time that they are very little, all the way up through middle school, we literally read to them every single night before they went to bed.

It was experience that I really enjoyed. So, along the way, and after reading so many books, I got an idea to write a book with the intention of having something that could be read at bedtime.

And this whole story about my son, Ben, came up, Hiccup. Ben. It's really kind of a play on words like hiccuppin'--like hicccuping, hiccupin'. So, yeah, I had the idea for the story. I kind of sketched it out maybe 10 years ago.

And my wife had always encouraged me to do something more with it. And you know, it just kind of sat there. And then Adrian and I have gotten to know each other.

We had lunch, and obviously I knew Adrian was painting, but when I shared with him this idea of this book, he got very excited and said, Let's do it. And we did.

Julia Meek: Okay. Now things in common, there's the "dad-dom," there's the crazy sense of humor, there's the insurance day job, because you each have your variations on that, so together, you took the plunge into the kids book world. What is it about the medium that compels you so?

Adrian Guenther: Well, for me, I've always loved children's books. I'm flipping through titles in my head right now. Hundreds of them in my past, and my kids, I've got four kids and two grandkids. You've got your staples, The Hungry Caterpillar, and The Giving Tree makes me cry, so I don't read The Giving Tree. (all chuckle)

John Weber: Good Night Moon.

Adrian Guenther: Dude, have you read The Giving Tree?

John Weber: Oh, yeah.

Adrian Guenther: You will cry.

John Weber: I have.

Adrian Guenther: They say so much, and it's at such an important part of life.

And I think, in today's world of computers, tablets and all these things, I use my tablet too many hours a day, and I have a four-year-old grandson. He's using his tablet.

But I see a kid with a book in their hands, and it makes my heart happy. Showing them that there's something you can hold in your hands, sit on the lap.

There's that bonding. You're close with the kid when you're reading, it's just beautiful.

Julia Meek: It's a story that only the two of you have together at that moment.

John Weber: It's like a performance for the kid, yeah. And it's intended to be personal, a bonding experience.

Julia Meek: Okay, so once you two got together for the purpose of making this book, what had to happen next?

The styles of art and writing, the attitudes, did they all mesh? Was there a modification that had to happen? What did we have to do?

John Weber: I think it was incredibly easy. I mean, I've known Adrian, I love music, and I have a very strong creative side.

And when we set out with this, it wasn't with the goal of having any kind of commercial success. It's like, let's just get these books in our hand for our kids, and that's what we intended to do.

But I had the story. I just needed someone to bring it to life. And really, it turned out amazing. And I think his artwork is perfect for the story, but it was really just finding somebody that was eager to do it with me, you know?

And that's, that's what really got the ball rolling, a joint, shared
enthusiasm for the project.

Julia Meek: Dads and humorous and clever, creative guys.

Adrian Guenther: Well, for me, I instantly fell in love with the story that John had created. It was universal. It was timeless, and it rhymed. (all laugh)

It was just poetry, and there weren't too many words. So, I went home after a nice taco lunch and painted the cover, or a version of the cover.

So, you talked about, like, how did we get through the creative...you know, I said, does the character look like this? And he had, you know, some feedback, and I adjusted.

Didn't really want to be too influenced by the actual person, Ben, the Son, but he's in there, you know. I got to really be pals with your son through this process, by the way.
 
John Weber: Yeah, yeah. But I will say, and I really thought about this reading it out loud thing, and I threw a few big words in there.

You know, and I took a lot of time reading it to myself, just because I had a very specific kind of cadence in the way that I wanted it to flow.

Julia Meek: And with your reputation as a dad on the line, how did your own kids react to the project?

John Weber: Like I said, they'd been hearing about this for 10 years. So, I think one of the biggest things, one of the biggest things for me to them is the tenacity and not giving up on your dreams.

That was the important thing. And they both have kind of, like had heard the story for a long time, so I think that they thought it was interesting.

You know, one of the things I didn't think to do until we were very far along, I said, Ben, I hope you're okay with us putting this book out, you know, it's about you, you know. (all chuckle)

And the funny thing that's in here too, is the brother is, is Jonah his older brother. And I don't think we mentioned Jonah in here by name at all, but he knows.

So, both of my kids were happy to do it. They're used to me kind of being off on some adventure of some type, and so they were very supportive of it.

And even more special is my older son and his wife were expecting our first grandchild in April. They'll have a little boy, and it'll be a little early for him on this, but it's waiting for him, you know, to hear about his dad, you know.

Julia Meek: And now Adrian, your own quirky sense of humor, both on and off clown duty, and you do have the distinction of being the last Happy the Hobo in that franchise, which is really quite something, that is seemingly in every pore of your existence. Just. How did you channel it for this task?

Adrian Guenther: Well, the first thing I did was, so, this is a series of paintings. These are acrylic paintings. Each two-page spread is a single painting

. I was always imagining that the entire book's worth of panels on the wall, and I got a giant paint brush, cans of paint, rollers, and I painted Ben's face.

And it was, you know, huge, over 22 canvases. I ended up using 19 of them by the end of the day. And so then that forced me into structures in the background, and then it was a lot of sketching.

And you've mentioned, you notice I like to hide things in there. I want to give you a reason to look at the canvas, something to reward you for your attention and diligence.

John Weber: And I think Adrian's artwork really does that, because there's a lot in here that people will never notice unless they were told, or unless they go through it many, many times.

There's lots of, lots of hidden things in there to keep, keep people engaged. You won't get it all the first time through, at least visually.

Julia Meek: Since both of you do have creative side gigs, music and art, how is this outlet different, would you say?

John Weber: I think it's different in that Adrian and I are both creative people. I mean, we have a side that's always thinking and always coming up with new things, and I think music is that.

But it really started with me with the goal of producing something that somebody would enjoy reading and could spend time with their kid.

So it came to me through lots of reading into my children, and then had the idea, there, you know, out of the creative process.

I've been playing the saxophone since I was in fifth grade, so I've got, like, 50 years under my belt. So, that just feels so natural, although I'm never satisfied.

And you know, this, I think it was easier. I wasn't worried about screwing it up, because my idea of good was just a book that somebody would enjoy reading. That was the bar for me.

So this was easier. It was more fun. I didn't feel the pressure. Wasn't a jam session playing giant steps, you know?

Julia Meek: How about you, Adrian?

Adrian Guenther: For me, it felt like work for a while, when you get down to it, because I'm, um, I paint daily, and I paint a lot of different subjects,

And so to be so focused on the same thing, but then at the end of the day, I like this better, because I can give this to somebody, and it's 19 paintings in one.

It's not an Instagram account. Yeah, I love it. If people would look at the paintings in real life, go to the galleries or whatever and see them there, but just having them, it's really for my grandkids.

I will be buried under a pile of about 1000 paintings, and they're gonna just set it on fire on a raft, the Maumee River, St. Joe River, maybe, St Joe.

But this will, will be something that, that my great grandchildren will love, you know? The big deal was reading it to my granddaughter. She's almost two, and I got to the end, and we got our pictures on the back, and she saw, she saw me on the back of the book, and was amazed.

I was an instant celebrity for appearing on the back of the book we were reading. And I'm just gonna...I'm done! That's all we needed to accomplish.

Julia Meek: (laughs) It's yours. Nobody can take that away from you. Now, slightly edgy art, big kid words, hidden graphics.

Is it easy to get and keep kids attention on this slightly offbeat path that you two have taken? And what about the parents and grandparents?

John Weber: Yeah, so we're new into this. I almost think that people will fall into two camps. They're either really, really gonna like it, or they're not gonna like it.

When we were working on this, I shared some of the drawings with family, people, and not everybody gets Adrian's art. I mean, let's just be candid about this.

Adrian Guenther: This is true.

John Weber: But I love it. And I asked somebody at work what they thought of the book when I first got it out, and they described the artwork as chaotic.

And the thing I would say is that's perfect. So as far as keeping people engaged, I think that the challenge is, you know, it's different.

And I think the creative types and people with a sense of adventure are gonna enjoy. It's gonna be timeless. I hope.

Adrian Guenther: Well, there will always be hiccups! (all laugh)

Julia Meek: Now, being a parent or an educator sure is not getting any easier with the challenges of this 21st century.

So where does a good old kids read on involuntary bodily functions fit on that timeline? Do kids still relate? Is it difficult to keep perennial?

Adrian Guenther: No, not at all. I mean that's, that's the beauty of John's story. And I actually put my very favorite definition of Hiccup Ben in the book.

So, he's studying, you know, he's trying to learn everything he can about the hiccups. His teacher writes on the board, "They are a myoclonic jerk of the diaphragm." (all laugh)

And so, I mean, like, just from, from that moment on! Anyway, if you tell, if you tell a kid that, I mean, I remember, I'm still 12 inside my heart, and that cracks me up!

John Weber: And you know, my ultimate expected goal would be achieved if someday I talked to a parent and then somebody liked the book and they said, you know, you know, my son or daughter got the hiccups and they wanted me to pull on their tongue because of your book, you know, or I caught them drinking hot sauce!

All safe methods. You know, if it can inspire some kids to deal with the problem that they have, you know, then that'll be the ultimate win.

Julia Meek: Okay, Adrian actively seeks the occasional pop culture mashup, you like to call it Adrian. Is that how the two of you regard such a project as this? Or has it unleashed something more?

Adrian Guenther: I think this is different than a pop culture mashup. This is real people. This is my friend's kid. This is a family story about a real kid, and I think that comes out.

But I do like, it's my own culture in here. So, I put characters from my own mythos or whatever. There's a Gorilla at Large in it, and I spent probably the most time painting Gorilla at Large.

Who's Gorilla at Large? Well, it was a film from 1954... horrible film. But for some reason, in 1980 whatever, he went 3D. My 12-year-old friend Marcus and I still joke about Gorilla at Large, because they were giving out 3D glasses and hyping it up.

So, he's in this book because he needs to live on. Loch Ness Monster's in there. There's a couple of UFOs.

There's a Muppet, but half his face got cut off. He's the band leader. So, yeah, there's some pop culture in there.

 Julia Meek: And plenty of Mash Up! (all chuckle)

John Weber: And Julia, you know, one of the things I wanted to mention as well, and maybe this goes with the pop culture mashup, but when I first had the idea for the book, you know, I wasn't sure how it would be illustrated, but I never imagined this.

But now that I've had the book, and we've got it all put together, going back to the goal of a book people will come back to and enjoy over and over again.

And I feel like if Adrian's drawings are a little chaotic, they are a little edgy, there's a lot going on visually there, which I think is important.

Anything that would have been significantly softer, more like a cartoon or something, I think it would have been a good story.

And people might have read a couple times said, that's nice. But I think the artwork takes it to a whole 'nother place, and I'm really grateful that Adrian wanted to do this with me.

Julia Meek: So, it sounds like, by now, you can't imagine anything but Adrian's work.

John Weber: That's true. That's, that's exactly right, yeah.

Julia Meek: Now going forward, what is next up on your respective drawing boards?

John Weber: Well, it's interesting. Self-confidence is an important thing, right? And Adrian I, when we took the leap, I'm like, ah, who cares? You know, let's just do it. And so, we did it,

And it's good, but the next thing, it's like, hmm, is the bar raised? Because you've already done this once.

So, I'm not sure where I'll go with this, but I've got an idea for a whole series of children's books, myself. And basically, the series is called Every Day Is an Adventure.

You know, people talk to me and they ask me how you're doing, I've got three things. I say: Every day is an adventure. Luck favors the prepared. And no good deed goes unpunished.

But I like every day is an adventure. And so basically, what the purpose of this, Every Day Is an Adventure series would be, it'd be taking things and challenging perspective.

The first one I have in mind for that, this kid gets on the floor and he's playing with the dog, and he realizes that the dog sees the world differently than he does from like a foot off the floor.

It's like to encourage different perspectives and things like that. I don't know if I'll get it off the ground, but it's rolling around in my head, and I'd like to pursue that down the road.

 Julia Meek: Good luck with that. And Adrian?

 Adrian Guenther: Well, gosh! I've always thought I wanted to write a book, and I came up with titles. I can write book titles really good.

I had a three-book series thing, a whole...it was going to be awesome, I promise!

And I started sketching pictures of the characters, because I hate to write. John, you know, did all the writing. It was perfect. (all chuckle)

This time I'm writing; I met some characters in a painting I made. They're just, my heart's soft for them. It's these two clowns, and they keep losing their elephant.

I'm working on that actively right now, but the writing I'm stuck. John, so I might...

 John Weber: Well, who knows? We never intended that to be the case, but maybe this is the start of a partnership we'll see.

Adrian Guenther: Yeah, and I like, I like your idea. We've talked about that idea before, so when you have something written, show it to me. I will see what might come of it.

John Weber: Sure.

Julia Meek: And all we ask is that you keep us posted.

And since there is no denying that literacy and good social skills are incredibly important, not to mention a well-developed imagination, what do you hope everyone that reads this story takes away with them?

John Weber: I hope it makes them smile. I hope that they find it engaging. I hope it makes them think.

You know, there's a story, you know, and there's these cute ways of carrying hiccups. And I'm sure some people be well, Oh, what about this? Or what about that? Or I tried this, and it didn't work.

And also, with the art, you could spend a lot of time looking at each two pages, because there's interesting things in there.

Adrian Guenther: I hope that people notice that I sprinkled some ants throughout the story, Julia.

I think it's always important to add ants to paintings, and I do that for the crunch. (all chuckle) But I do want them to giggle. I want them to laugh at least once.

John Weber: Yeah, people to feel good, to enjoy it. I'm back again, but like I said, nothing would make me happier than, well, other than someone saying, my kid wanted me to jerk on his tongue because of the hiccups. Thanks a lot!

It was also for someone to say, you know, I really enjoyed reading that. You know, it's probably apipe dream, you know, to become to become somebody's favorite book, but we read it regularly, you know, we've read it quite a few times.

Julia Meek: John "JD" Webber and Adrian Guenther are author and illustrator, respectively, of the new kids' book, Hiccup Ben. Thanks for sharing your story of this delightful story with us, guys. Do keep them coming.

John Weber: Thank you.

Adrian Guenther: Thank you so much.

John Weber: Pleasure to be here.

A Fort Wayne native, Julia is a radio host, graphic artist, and community volunteer, who has contributed to NIPR both on- and off-air for forty years. Besides being WBOI's arts & culture reporter, she currently co-produces and hosts Folktales and Meet the Music.