Chris in his own words...

Dinotrux was inspired by a day stuck in traffic.  As I was passing through an area of road construction on the highway outside of town, I watched a great line of heavy earth-movers lumbering in the median, making groaning sounds, and carving out a new road in the dirt. They seemed eerily reminiscent of dinosaurs—and my imagination took over. What if these same earth-moving trucks had ancestors? What if all trucks had primitive ancestors that existed millions of years ago and then somehow evolved into the kind, helpful trucks we have today? What would they have looked like? What would their personalities have been like? And what in the world happened to them?

  Next, I had to invent the cast of characters. It was obvious to me that many pieces of heavy equipment already resembled certain species of dinosaur. The fun part was pairing them up and giving them corresponding names—like Dozeratops and Dumplodocus.  Of course, the other key was the design of these hybrids.  As a long-time antique car and truck restoration buff, I drew on my experience with the mechanics of axles, frames and differentials, and my knowledge of truck design, to create a brand new species.

  Now I had to write their story. I was determined to create a rough and tumble world in which these primitive trucks roamed. I gave each one of the Dinotrux a unique ability based on the specific job for which each corresponding truck was designed. But since these were far more primitive versions of the modern trucks they represented, the abilities would be untamed. Firesaurus (fire truck) breathes fire instead of putting it out. Rollodon (steam roller) crushes everything indiscriminately.  Cementosaurus (cement truck) …well…hasn’t yet learned to control his bodily functions. I thought of the endless fun children could have if they thought that leftover Dinotrux personalities remained in today’s trucks.

  The artwork was created, first, as detailed pencil drawings on paper. The drawings were then brought into my Mac where I could add color, paint, texture and make adjustments to composition. I wanted the colors to reflect the mood of this strange, ancient world.  I saw it as a darker place, and alternative reality where the air was thick from volcanic ash and the ground trampled from the feet of huge, heavy mechanical beasts. It was important to me for the artwork to capture the energy of these rambunctious creatures, so I used looser, more energetic paint strokes than I would have in my previous books.

  Finally, I discovered a parallel had emerged between these unruly characters’ behaviors and the behaviors of a child. Stubbornness, messiness, laziness, impatience, temper, etc.—these were all characteristics of a child who had not yet grown or evolved into a responsible member of society. Thus, the saga of the Dinotrux and their eventual redemption was the saga of childhood. This became the heart of the story. In other words, if the Dinotrux can learn to overcome their misbehaving ways—so can you!