Saturday 8 November 2008

Introducing 'The Schnoops'


I've always been fascinated - and driven - by creating something from nothing, turning a random idea, a quirky scribble in a notepad into a tangible product. My business OHM has helped clients realise the potential of ideas, launching new products and ventures.

For a number of years I have had the idea about creating a new intellectual property for children. Indeed, I found a notebook from 2002 where – on holiday in Turkey – I articulated such a goal. Coincidentally, on that very holiday I met the son of
Oliver Postgate, the creator of the children's series Ivor The Engine and The Clangers, and I was inspired by the power of such creations.

Back in 2005, when my first son was born he had a handful of soft toys that got me thinking. It inspired a bunch of characters I created; five animals with distinctive personalities (above is a picture taken from an early proposal document I drafted). I dreamed of doing something with this little world I had created so I asked my friend, a children's writer
Fiona Cummings if she would work with me on an idea. Working together we developed the characters and storylines and Fiona very patiently started writing a series of books 'The Extremely Very Scrambled Up World of Little Doogs'. Three years after that first lunch meeting at The Spencer Arms in Putney, after many coffees, peppermint teas, glasses of wine and not forgetting Fiona's obligatory champagne, The Schnoops is Born!

The first book in the series is published by Matador in early 2009 and we've just launched a website where readers can find out more and download the first three chapters of the book free of charge.

Keith Chapman, the creator of Bob the Builder, Fifi and the Flowertots and co-creator of Roary the Racing Car was good enough to say this about the project: “Extremely, very excellent adventures by Fiona Cummings and Ian Sanders. Little Doogs and his chums are great fun and are destined for stardom.”

This has very much been a project I have kept under wraps; but in pursuit of The Work Me being The Real Me, it’s now well and truly out of the bag – visit
www.theschnoops.com

And a big thank you to Fiona for all her hard graft in the long gestation of the project!

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