Questions for Gary Wedemeyer, co-author of "My Very Own Mayberry Coloring Book"
What inspired you to create this book?
I’ve been a fan of The Andy Griffith Show for as long as I can remember. I think the last coloring book dedicated to this show was done back in the mid 60’s, and quite frankly, it wasn’t great. So, we thought it was about time.
There are thousands of sitcoms. Why The Andy Griffith Show?
In our opinion, it’s the best TV show ever created. It’s full of iconic characters and it is wholesome, clean, family entertainment. They laughed with each other and not at each other. Every show had a moral and all the problems were solved in 30 minutes. I still watch every day. I know all the lines by heart, and I still laugh. That, in itself, says something about the show.
What can you tell us about the book?
It is really just a fun walk down memory lane. There are 84 pages to color. All the main characters are represented as well as some of my, and my co-author, Mark O’Neill’s, favorite episodes. Mark’s son John was also a great help. He gave us a “younger person’s” perspective. He sees the show through “new eyes” and catches things that us older guys might have missed.
These caricatures of Mark’s are fantastic. How do you two get together?
We actually met on the internet. As I said, I’m a fan and a collector of the show and I’m always looking for neat little items for my collection like coloring books, comic books, autographs, etc. One day I came across a caricature on eBay that Mark had done of Floyd and it was the best I had ever seen. The idea of a new coloring book had been on my mind for years. I’m a graphic artist by trade but I just don’t have the talent for this that Mark has. So, I contacted him, pitched my idea, and here we are!
So, other than the initial idea, what was your role in the process?
I did the layouts, captions, and most of the backgrounds. A few tweaks here and there. Mark does his drawings with pen and paper, so I digitized the images and cleaned them up a little. I mostly just tried to stay out of Mark’s way and let him do what he does so well!
Who is your target audience?
Well, naturally, fans of The Andy Griffith Show, but also fans of classic TV. And being a coloring book, hopefully some younger people may like it as well. Heck, I’m 65 and I still love to color! I don’t think there is a fan base any bigger than TAGS fans. This show has been on the air for over 60 years! There is a festival held in Andy’s hometown of Mt. Airy, NC every year attended by thousands of fans.
Were there any challenges to overcome with this book?
The biggest challenge we faced was getting it down to only 84 coloring pages! There are so many characters, scenes, situations that come to mind when you think about The Andy Griffith Show, it was just tough to narrow it down so you wouldn’t have to have a truck to carry it around!
Do you have a favorite character? Episode?
Boy, that’s hard to narrow down. I guess my favorite character would be Brisco Darling, played by Denver Pyle. He was funny without really trying to be. My favorite episode is “Convicts at Large” for a couple of reasons. First, any time you got Floyd and Barney together it was hilarious! Secondly, Jean Carson, who played “Naomi” in this episode and was also “Fun Girl Daphne” in several episodes was a close personal friend. She was a very special lady.
What message or theme do you hope people will take away from your book?
We hope it will take them back to a simpler time. I’m old enough to remember that time. It was a time where people really cared about each other. We didn’t lock our doors and we knew our neighbors’ names. We didn’t need to ask for help, people just showed up. Sadly, that time has passed, but hopefully this book will bring a little of that back.
Are there any other coloring books in the works?
Mark already has several other coloring books available at BearManor Media. I urge folks to check them out. Also, I’m pretty sure he has a few other ideas he’s kicking around. All I can say is STAY TUNED!