The hardest adventure may be creating the next adventure.
Michael, better known as My 8-Year-Old Self, has completed his first Space Dog comic. Now he is determined to create a second issue. But every idea feels wrong, and his drawings refuse to turn out the way he imagined.
As creative block and self-doubt begin to take over, everyday childhood experiences blend with the imagined world of Space Dog. The result is a funny and heartfelt story about perseverance, imagination, and learning to keep trying when inspiration disappears.
Take a Look Inside
About Mike Ivy
Above: Mike Ivy's surviving childhood Space Dog comic books
Mike Ivy is an Austin-born author, illustrator, and retired art teacher who taught in Pflugerville ISD for 25 years. His love of drawing began in childhood, when Star Wars and Peanuts inspired him to create a handmade Space Dog comic series—and a one-boy comic-book empire with an audience of one. Years of teaching, along with inspiration from artists such as Charles M. Schulz and Edward Gorey, eventually led him to create My 8-Year-Old Self. In My 8-Year-Old Self and the Sophomore Slump, Mike brings Space Dog back to life while exploring creativity, self-doubt, perseverance, and the challenge of making something new. The book marks a full-circle return to the imaginative world he began creating nearly fifty years ago.
Below is a then-and-now comparison. The characters may have changed over the years, but the childhood imagination behind them remains at the heart of the series.
Then: An original Space Dog drawing, circa 1979.
Now: A finished illustration from My 8-Year-Old Self and the Sophomore Slump.
New to the My 8-Year-Old Self Series?
Do I need to read Book 1 first?
My 8-Year-Old Self and the Sophomore Slump continues the story begun in Book 1, but new readers can enjoy the adventure on its own.
Book 2: The Sophomore Slump
Join Mike Ivy's 8-year-old self on a funny, imaginative journey through creative block, childhood uncertainty, and the determination to keep making art.
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