How did the collaboration come about?

We met as undergraduates at Columbia College here in New York City, and found a mutual interest in creative and roundabout ways of expression and talking about issues of the world. We both came from artistic backgrounds, Ricardo as an illustrator and Bowman as an assistant to his artist dog. One day the phrase “I Don’t Want To Blow You Up!” popped off during a conversation we were having about terrorism and racial profiling, and Boom! A children’s book? Yes!

Why a children’s book about the government’s War on Terror?

Children are part of the War on Terror as intimately as adults, just like they’re part of the War on Drugs when their parents are locked up over a joint. Having already tackled the challenging topic of marijuana education for children It’s Just a Plant, we found fears surrounding the War on Terror were similarly based on false and inflammatory propaganda. Why not, as Malcolm X said, speak right down to earth in a language that everyone can easily understand? Furthermore, harassment, detention, and all the other insidious aggressions perpetrated through the course of this war, affect not only the adults who have been targeted, but their families as well, including children, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, brothers and sisters.

The title of the coloring book may sound shocking to some people, but its basic message of showing acceptance towards others seems to be age-old and non-controversial. So were you surprised by the reluctance of Congressman Keith Ellison to appear in the book, and even more so by the cease and desist demand from Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his lawyers?

Surprised, confused, and disappointed. Granted, it’s a provocative title, dealing with a serious issue. But how else can you deal with incendiary issues without pushing the bounds of comfort? This isn’t a comfortable issue in the first place! So, aside from Mr. Ellison or Mr. Abdul-Jabbar specifically, we’re disappointed that anyone in a position of power and influence would want to absolve themselves from taking a firm stand in this age of fear and hysteria. When that happens, it’s the powerless, the nameless, who end up taking the brunt of suspicions and oppressive actions.

Magic Propaganda Mill has a reputation for mixing social activism with art, but you have placed a lot of emphasis on directing your messages toward kids. Why is it important for you to reach out to young people?

(Ricardo, director of MPM, answers): In part because I remember my own youth, and how influenced I was by popular culture. It really sculpted my world, more so (sadly) than much of the schooling and education that I also grew up with. So, in the vacuum of pop culture that commands so much of kids’ attention today, I want to cultivate interesting, provocative, and fun educational projects. Furthermore, I just get fed up with some of the dumbed-down information that we pass on to kids today when dealing with “grown-up” issues.

Parents in New York City would generally seem to be more liberal and therefore more open to sharing this book with their children. How difficult is it to reach out to those parents and children in the more conservative, so-called Red States?

Fundamentally, the principles we’re talking about are shared over the divide you speak of. Wanting your children to feel safe, to learn about other cultures, and to be realistic about the actual dangers of the world are ideals that we believe to be universal. We’re currently developing an educational module to supplement the book’s message; hopefully, this will provide additional tools for parents and teachers to help kids explore the issues our book brings to light.

For more information, or to order the book, visit www.blowyouup.com.

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