Penguin Books Australia

Q & A with Dave Hackett

What do you prefer writing, or drawing?

I've always been a scribbler, and I love to draw all kinds of things, but writing is such a new thing to me. I wasn't planning on being a writer, but somewhere along the track, the whole thing just snuck up on me and now it has both it's big hairy arms around me and won't let go.  My brain is going a zillion miles an hour, all day, every day, with cool words to use, new ideas and storylines. I'm glad that writing has chosen me to visit, because right now I can't get enough of it!

How did you begin drawing?

I started when I was about 7, by copying cartoon drawings from a puzzle book someone had given me. From there, I just stepped-up the freak-o-meter - I began changing their hairstyles, giving the faces massive beards, and eventually heading towards toilets and live animals as hairstyles.

What's the coolest thing about being able to draw?

Having the freedom to create anything my brain can come up with! A goat with seven legs, a shiny jump-suit and a disco-fever afro is all in a day's work.  

How did you end up on TV?

After visiting squillions of schools and libraries, Network Ten's 'cheeZ tv' saw a newspaper article about me, and invited me onto the show, where I popped up regularly for 6 years. Then Disney Channel wanted a bit of scribbling action aswell, and I've been grooving up their whiteboard ever since! 

How did the idea for UFO , your first novel come about?

We were crammed into the back seat of our family fun-wagon every Christmas holidays, and there are only so many parent-induced road trips you can be involved in before your head starts to explode. Luckily, when mine did, the pieces landed on a blank page, and with some careful moulding and squooshing, they turned into an early version of UFO.

How did you pass the time during the trips?

Poking my sister with a stick was fun. Winding the window up and down. And up. and then down again. Six or seven hours of that can be quite fulfilling.

Have you ever taken your own kids on a family outing?

We've driven to sunny Queensland a few times, to the wonderous town of Tamworth (can I get a big 'Yee-ha'?) and across bits of America with them, and soon we're strapping in for a trip to Victoria. A solid month of seatbelts, sing-alongs and in-car food spills. Can't wait.

Do your kids get bored?

So far they haven't spontaneously combusted as a result of boredom, so we must be doing something right. If things look grim, I can always impress them with an impromtu ABBA medley. I can go for hours on that little tangent.

Have you ever gotten into trouble with your cartooning?

I've done lots of 'can you draw a picture of me and my girlfriend' type stuff at fetes and carnivals, and if the person you're trying to draw is incredibly freaky-looking, it can be a bit of a challenge knowing whether or not to draw the hairy cluster of warts they have on their chin or to leave them off. That's when I put up my 'gone to lunch' sign and run far, far away.

What's the one talent you would love to have and why?

I'd love to be able to play the guitar. Drums, too. Not just nerdy little drums - I'm talking big, massive, 1980's hair-metal style drum kit! There's a rock god within me, and if he decides to come out any time soon, I hope he gives me some warning first. That kind of thing could cause a scene.