BREAKING NEWS! DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER

Hold on Tight, this Winter has Bite


USA TODAY, the #1 paper in the country with a 1.8 million circulation,

broke the news this morning that

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER

the sixth book in the game-changing series by Jeff Kinney,

will go on sale November 15, 2011, with a 6-million copy first printing—the largest to date!

They are also the first to run the cover, which will be “ice blue.”

Please see the full press release attached and below. We expect all major daily trades to follow today and tomorrow.


FIRST PRINTING OF MORE THAN 6 MILLION COPIES OF

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: CABIN FEVER,

BOOK 6 IN THE #1 BESTSELLING SERIES BY JEFF KINNEY,

FROM AMULET BOOKS

NATIONAL LAYDOWN IS TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 15, 2011

SUMMER “SNOWBALL” EVENTS WILL THRILL AND CHILL FANS



New York, NY, June 16, 2011—Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, revealed today in a major press announcement the title, first-printing quantity, and cover of the sixth Diary of a Wimpy Kid book. CABIN FEVER will have the largest first printing of any title in the series to date, with more than 6 million copies, making it the largest print publishing release of 2011 when it goes on sale Tuesday,

November 15. The cover color is ice blue, which complements the red, blue, green, yellow, and purple of the first five #1 bestselling books. Cabin Fever follows the sales and publicity momentum of the

March 2011 release of the #1 bestseller the Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, a journal filled with interactive pages and space for readers to record their own stories. In Cabin Fever, the Heffley family is stuck indoors during a blizzard. But will they weather the storm?

“A very tough New England winter inspired me to snow the Heffley family in for the holidays,” said Jeff Kinney. “‘Cabin fever’ refers to the claustrophobia Greg feels, as well as the broader theme of the book. . . that you're trapped by the identity you create for yourself.”

Six summer “snowball” events will be announced in July. Featuring the oversized Wimpy Kid Snow Globe that premiered at BookExpo in New York in May, and much more, the events will thrill fans with treats and special book previews. The wide reach of the release of the title will continue in August as kits with branded materials are mailed to booksellers and librarians to help build awareness and excitement.

“This is clearly the most anticipated book of 2011, with the largest initial print run,” said Michael Jacobs, President and CEO of Abrams. Jeff Kinney’s millions of fans are eager with anticipation, and the release of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever will be an elating experience for them. We’re thrilled to bring millions of kids—and their parents, caregivers, librarians, teachers, and friends—the book this fall, and believe that our laydown of Cabin Fever will help make this holiday season a great one for booksellers. Our pre-sales and marketing campaign over the next few months will help build that excitement and anticipation for our laydown of Jeff’s next number-one bestseller.”

Books in the core Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney include Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (2008), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2009), Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (2009), and Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (2010). Jeff Kinney has also written and illustrated The Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary. The series is a fixture on the USA Today bestseller list (the first book in the series has remained in the top 150 for more than 200 weeks) and the Wall Street Journal and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists. It has also remained consistently in the top spots on the New York Times lists since publication of the first book in the series.

More than 50 million Diary of a Wimpy Kid books are in print in the United States and Canada. The books have been sold in more than 36 countries in 35 languages around the world. Published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, Kinney’s work has been widely praised for its ability to turn reluctant readers onto books. Jeff Kinney was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in the world. The first movie based on the books, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, grossed more than $75 million worldwide in box office sales, and the second movie, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, was the #1 movie at the box office in its opening weekend in theaters. The book series won Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards in 2010 and 2011, and Jeff Kinney was nominated for a Children’s Choice Book Award in 2009, 2010, and 2011. Books in the series have won numerous awards voted on by students and teachers in schools around the globe. In March 2011, the first-ever Wimpy Kid Island, Wimpy Wonderland, debuted on www.poptropica.com.

# # #

For more information, interviews, or images, please contact:

Jason M. Wells

Executive Director, Publicity and Marketing

Abrams Books for Young Readers/Amulet Books


MORE PHOTOS WIMPY KID MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY BALLOON






Earlier this summer Jeff Kinney and his trusted team ( Charles Kochman, Jason Wells and myself ) took a trip to the Macy's Studios just over the Hudson river in New Jersey. Here they make all the floats and balloons that are seen in the parade Thanksgiving morning. It was like visiting Santa's workshop.






Jeff Kinney and team arrive at the Macy's Studio in New Jersey

Who knew the balloons started out as clay sculptures?
This was the first time Jeff was seeing his creation, Greg Heffley in 3D




Jeff works on the design of Greg's mouth





The original drawing by Jeff Kinney for the balloon. ( Below )

Macy's drawing of Greg in 3D


Sculpting tools




First a 3D clay sculpture is made.



Jennifer Palmer awaits Jeff's carving instructions







A figure is added to show scale

Charles Kochman lends his keen eye to the process

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID MACY'S THANKSGIVING DAY BALLOON









Jeff Kinney and team arrive at the Macy's Studio in New Jersey



Jeff works on the design of Greg's mouth




New York, NY, September 30, 2010—Get ready for Jeff Kinney’s Wimpy Kid as you’ve never seen him before! Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, and Macy’s announce the 2010 debut of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon in the 84th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Paradeâ. Stepping off on Thursday, November 25, 2010, the Macy’s Parade is broadcast nationally on NBC-TV, from 9 A.M. to 12 P.M., in all time zones. In 3-D for the first time, Wimpy Kid is one of two new giant character helium balloons that will debut in the legendary Parade lineup this year, joining 13 other helium giants. The Parade is part of a series of initiatives celebrating the release of the fifth book in the series, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth, which is on sale Tuesday, November 9, 2010, with a first printing of 5 million copies.

“I’m incredibly excited that Diary of a Wimpy Kid has been chosen to be a part of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” said Jeff Kinney. “When I think of all of the iconic characters that have flown in years past, I feel humbled and honored that my character will be a part of the Parade’s history.” ABRAMS president and CEO Michael Jacobs added, “Kids and adults alike will be delighted to see and experience their favorite children’s book character rendered ‘larger than life.’ We are thrilled Wimpy Kid will be shared with millions—in person and on TV around the world—at a grand new height.”

In addition to seeing their favorite character take a larger-than-life form, Wimpy Kid fans are encouraged to enter a sweepstakes to win a trip to New York to see the Diary of a Wimpy Kid balloon up close. Open for entries on September 30, one lucky winner and three guests will celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday in New York along the Parade route. The winning entry will receive airfare for four people, a hotel room for two nights, and VIP grandstand tickets to watch the Parade live as it makes its way down the streets of New York City. Full details and an entry form can be found by going to www.abramsbooks.com/wimpykidsweepstakes. Entries will be accepted through October 30, 2010.

“The Macy’s balloon line-up will once again reach new heights this year with the debut of Diary of a Wimpy Kid,” says Amy Kule, producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Jeff Kinney’s character is iconic for the millions of children who empathize and relate with his trials and tribulations. We are excited to welcome him into the Macy’s Parade family and can't wait to see the smiles of children everywhere when they see him take flight on Thanksgiving Day.”

For more than 80 years, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has been the official kick-off of the holiday season. Every year, the

Parade is seen by more than 3.5 million people who line the streets of New York and more than 50 million people who tune into NBC to watch the giant balloons, one-of-a-kind floats, the nation’s best marching bands, hundreds of cheering clowns, and a host of celebrities ring in the holidays.

Since publication of the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in April 2007, more than 37 million books are in print in the United States, and the books have been sold in more than 30 countries around the world. Published by Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, Kinney’s work has been widely credited for its ability to turn reluctant readers on to books. In 2010, the movie adaptation of Diary of a Wimpy Kid grossed more than $60 million in box office sales, the book series won a Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award, and books in the series won numerous awards voted on by students and teachers in schools around the globe. In 2009, Jeff Kinney was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in the world. A second movie is in production now and is expected to be in theaters March 2011.

Books by Jeff Kinney include Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, Diary of a Wimpy Kid Do-It-Yourself Book, and The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary. The next book, Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth, goes on sale Tuesday November 9, 2010. The series is a fixture on the USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists, and has remained consistently in the top spots on the New York Times lists since publication.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid. This Fall . . . Everything Changes.



Amulet Books, an imprint of ABRAMS, revealed today that the fifth volume in Jeff Kinney’s bestselling Diary of a Wimpy Kid series will be on sale nationwide Tuesday, November 9th, 2010. The cover will be purple, which follows the red, blue, green, and yellow of the first four installments. Summer and fall promotions leading up to the release will be announced in July with the cover and title of the book.

“I feel like everything in the series has been leading up to the fifth book, which is about change and the different ways Greg and his best friend, Rowley, deal with it,” said Jeff Kinney. “To me, this book is the lynchpin in the series, and I’m excited to be writing it.”


This new book follows the momentum generated by The Wimpy Kid Movie Diary, a nonfiction book with all-new material by Jeff Kinney that, with over 2 million copies in print, has topped the Wall Street Journal’s nonfiction bestseller list since publication.

Twentieth Century Fox’s live-action Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, which debuted in theaters March 19, 2010, generated over $61 million in ticket sales. A second movie is due in theaters March 25, 2011. A 16-month wall calendar with photographs and dialogue direct from the first movie is in stores this summer.

“Since April 2007, Jeff has written and illustrated two books a year,” said Charles Kochman, executive editor of the Wimpy Kid series. “Despite the demands of making the second Wimpy Kid movie, Jeff has been working hard to ensure his fans have a new Wimpy Kid book this year, and to remind readers with Book five why they fell in love with Greg Heffley and Rowley Jefferson.”

Behind the Scenes at the DIARY OF A WIMPY KID Movie Premiere!



Yesterday over national press and 800 New York City area children were invited by Twentieth Century Fox and The National Education Association to the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York for an advance screening of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie, in theaters Friday, March 19.


The theater was filled with laughter—and fear of the dreaded cheese touch—as Jeff Kinney, Zachary Gordon, who plays Greg, Robert Capron, who plays Rowley, and Katherine Patterson, beloved author of Bridge to Terebithia and the 2nd National Ambassador of Young People’s Literature conversed during a Q&A with the excited crowd.

Charles Kochman ( Editor)

Jeff in front of the cameras


Zach and Robert a.k.a. Greg and Rowley just arrive.

They were amazed and excited to see
there names on the movie poster that
they were seeing for the first time

800 kids line up to get in.

Zachary and his mom Linda Gordon

Kid reports ask Zach the tough questions

SLJ's Rocco snaps a shot of Jeff Kinney


Q&A with the actors and Jeff

Charlie gets the cheese touch


Zachary and Robert explain the Cheese Touch




Executive Editor—Charles Kochman

Art Director—Chad W. Beckerman

Publicity Manager—Jason Wells


Jeff Kinney, Katherine Patterson, Zachary Gordon and Robert Capron

In store March 16th

WIMPY KID DOG DAYS: ICE CREAM TRUCK


Designed by Jeff Kinney and Chad W. Beckerman— Our first Ice Cream truck design.

In keeping with the new book’s summertime setting, a custom “Wimpy Kid” ice cream truck will visit 40 U.S. libraries over the course of 30 days beginning August 3, promoting “The Dog Days of Summer Reading.” Beginning in Sacramento, Calif., the truck will wind its way through California, Nevada, Arizona, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Washington, D.C., Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Connecticut before ending its tour in Boston, Mass. Additional tour details are available at the Wimpy Kid Web site.—Publishers Weekly


WIMPY KID ICE CREAM TOUR TRUCK. IS IT COMING YOUR WAY?
Check the map.
Click Here.

The Big Reveal: The cover of DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: Dog Days



New York, NY, July 23, 2009—Amulet Books, an imprint of Abrams, reveals today the title, color, and cover of the fourth book in Jeff Kinney’s bestselling series with press outreach and a special online reveal available only on www.wimpykid.com.

DIARY OF A WIMPY KID: DOG DAYS has a yellow cover, which follows the red, blue, and green of the first three bestselling books. It releases in a one-day national lay-down on Monday, October 12, and will have a first printing of 3 million copies. Following the astounding sales and publicity momentum of Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw, one of the biggest book releases of 2009, Dog Days is poised to bring the Wimpy Kid series to new sales and media heights.
“I didn’t want my fans to have to wait a year for a new book,” said Jeff Kinney. “I’m very excited about Dog Days, because it takes Greg out of the school setting for the first time. It’s been a lot of fun to write about the Heffley summer vacation.”
To promote literacy and libraries alongside the release of the new book, a custom-designed and branded Diary of a Wimpy Kid ice cream truck will tour to over 40 libraries over a 30-day period to promote the “Dog Days of Summer Reading.” Starting in Sacramento, CA, on August 3 and concluding in Boston, MA, on August 29, the truck will deliver free ice cream to fans as it traverses the country. The tour will include a social media tie-in chronicling fan enthusiasm in each city, and offer Q&A broadcasts with Jeff Kinney at random stops along the route. The complete schedule is available through a link on www.wimpykid.com.—Jason Wells Publicity and Marketing Director ABRAMS

The Evolution of a Wimpy Kid Cover-Part One


First of all, let me get something straight: This is a JOURNAL, not a diary. I know what it says on the cover, but when Mom went out to buy this thing I SPECIFICALLY told her to get one that didn't say "diary" on it. Great, All I need is for some jerk to catch me carrying this book around and get the wrong idea.

These are the opening lines to Diary of a Wimpy Kid and the foundation of the cover concept.


When I started work on Wimpy Kid, Jeff's dream of taking his online comic into print had become a reality and it was my job to make sure my design lived up to this dream.

At first glance this project seemed to be easy. I wouldn't have to find an illustrator, I already had one and a concept was already in the works. All things that might lend themselves to solving the cover problem quick.
Not so.

What I didn't realize was that the passage above does a lot more than open up the book it directs what the cover should look like almost literally. This initially caused some trouble. Only because it limits what can be done, I felt trapped in away.

Here are some of the problems I faced.

1. Greg states that even though the book says diary on it it is a diary at all.
a) If it's not a diary how do we show this idea?
b) How do we make it look like a diary and make it pop? In other words make someone pick it up.

2. Who would write "of a Wimpy Kid." Most likely written by Rodrick Greg's brother. So How do we put this on the diary surface being that the diary was bought by Greg's mom?

3. What surface will the Illustration of Greg be drawn on. Remeber that since everything has a reason in reality for being there so does does this element and must be treated as such.

4. How to do all this an make the cover iconic.

Images:

Top photo shows the two journals and materials that were used in making the 'Diary'.

Image on the right depicts the first two comps made for the cover.

The black version is the first comp made for the cover by Jeff Kinney in the very early stages of the book way before it was bought by Amulet Books.

The red version ( color palette taken from The Catcher and the Rye) is my first initial stab at the cover. Both have elements of what the cover would become but both are a far cry from what they would evolve into. I used the word evolve since the cover and my relationship with Jeff did just that evolve grow and form into something new.

Part two:
http://cwdesigner.blogspot.com/2008/01/evolution-of-wimpy-kid-cover-part-two.html

ev·o·lu·tion –noun
1.any process of formation or growth; development: the evolution of a language; the evolution of the airplane.