Ralph began in Rochester, New York, home of George Eastman, founder of Kodak film.
Home of Susan B Anthony, Suffragettes…
and Frederick Douglass and the Abolitionists.
But yeah, none of them inspired Ralph the Elf…
Not George, not Susan B., not even Frederick…
It started with a six-year old pain-in-the-neck boy named Timmy. And his simple observation:
“Santa’s too big to fit in our chimney. How’s he get in, Dad?”
“You’re right, Timmy. He’s way too big to fit in anywhere. That’s why he sends in Ralph.”
“Who?”
“Ralph. Ralph the Elf.”
………
Slow-forward 25 years. Timmy’s working at a daycare center, helping run the fundraising department. Every day at 4 pm is UFO Theatre…that time of the day when you’re brain’s checked out (workwise) for the day, but protocol mandates that they stay until 5pm. Timmy, Sue the Money Writer, Laurie Queen of Special Events, Jeff Schmoozer. It’s the time when private tales, pointless trivia and personal travails rule the hour.
One afternoon around Thanksgiving the Theatre conversation turned to holiday traditions. Festivus of course. Glug. Cigarettes as our parents’ Christmas presents. Back when it snowed all December.
And, for whatever reason, Ralph the Elf.
“You really gotta write this story down, Tim.”
…….
So I took the story and ran with it. Added some details, tied it up with some twists. How hard could this be? I read kids books nightly to all three of our kids…Sam until he was at least 10, Sean into middle school, Sarah…Sarah wasn’t a big fan of listening to my voice. I figured it out once—3 or more books nightly, at least 320 nights per year, over 15 years give or take. Easily 10,000 readings, likely closer to 15,000.
How hard could it be to write one?
……..
It kept on twisting and contracting. 1,500 to1,200 to under a thousand. Added the “20 years later” ending with a wedding.
Now I just needed pictures. Perfect pictures.
Cue the Russian.
……
I put out an ad for children’s books illustrators, across America.
36 applicants.
Nothing but junk. Sorry, American Exceptionalists!
I went worldwide. And I got quality from India, Ecuador, Italy,Vietnam. But Sergey’s watercolors beat them all.
……
Three and a half months later, after revisions and emails and Google.docs.
And here it is.
From my word processor and Sergey’s brushes.
Into your hands.
Enjoy!
And, THANK YOU!