What started out as a ‘real shot in the dark’ by two lads working nights at Sainsbury’s today sees their talent spring onto the shelves of nearly every high-street book store.
Thomas Rogers was studying games design and creative writing at Brunel University London back in 2014, when Snorp showed up.
More than the super-furry citizens of Planet Glum – Snorps are a family, a universe Tom and friend Aaron Moran hatched out over shifts at their Herne Bay supermarket.
Today, six years later, their amazingly imaginative illustrated children’s book, Snorp's Adventure, goes on sale for the first time online and in major bookshops across the UK.
Now 30 and living and working in Newcastle upon Tyne for games developer, Ubisoft Reflections, it sounds like their success is still sinking in. “I wake up and social media reminds me,” said Tom. “It’s even more mental when I see it in Amazon, Foyles or Waterstones. It feels like now the journey has just begun.”
Snorp started life as a video game when Tom was at Canterbury College. After gathering dust in a drawer, the character came back to life when a teacher girlfriend told Tom how few children at her school could read.
“I was shocked, I was in the third year of my university at this point and it just dawned on me, I had this character Snorp,” he explained. “So, I rang up Aaron and said hey, we have all this artwork – let’s do a children’s book.”
“We never gave up on this project and worked on it not even knowing we were going to get published. It was a real work of passion.”
The diversity at Brunel also made an impression. “It really opened my eyes to the fact you can have friends from many different cultures.” Snorp’s Tolkien-like tale is one of friendship and inclusion. Snorp loses his tribe and has to trust others. “I guess I put part of myself in there when I came to Brunel knowing nobody and making friends all over again.”
Whitstable-based artist and writer Aaron, 35, has worked in comics eight years. His debut graphic novel Flash Blind is followed by the semi-biographical Whispers: A book about mental health and horror Bride of the Ripper. Snorp’s Adventure is his first book for children.
Tom and Aaron’s publisher, Harry Markos, said: “Aaron has a number of books with us already and we are looking forward to working more with Tom. We can't wait to discover what they both have planned for the Snorp universe.”
Besides penning many more magical adventures of Snorp tribes travelling the universe, the creative has ambitions to start a children’s reading charity. “We wanted to help children across the world read and bring happiness. This mission hasn’t changed,” said Tom.
“Picture a child from a war zone, or an unhappy household. If Snorp’s Adventure for five minutes takes them out of that world, I would gladly give another six years of my life writing.”
Reported by:
Hayley Jarvis,
Media Relations
+44 (0)1895 268176
hayley.jarvis@brunel.ac.uk