Where did you first come up with the idea for Chippy Chasers?
Well, I’ve always had an affinity for seagulls because I love chippies as much as they do. The difference is I can buy them and they have to steal them, so I like to watch them try and steal chippies. I remember one day watching them try and steal them from a family down at the park that were having a picnic, and thinking we need to work on these strategies, because this is very basic, it’s chaotic, they need to go back and plan this out. And that sort of planted the seed for the idea, which eventually grew into – well – what if they got so good that they actually robbed the fish and chippies spot, the whole place, and that’s basically it.
Sam, who is your favourite character, and why?
I’d have to go with Steve-O as my favourite character. Not only because he appears in a lot of my other animations in different forms, but because he’s sort of the ultimate come-back story, and I like a good come-back story. Also, it’s Steve-O the seagull, but if you don’t know him too well, it’s Steven the seagull. Steven Seagull . . . Steven Seagal, look at him – it’s the same thing. It’s based off Steven Seagal. I’ve always liked that.
What was the best part about creating a book for kids?
I think the older we get our imagination takes a back seat a little bit. Whereas with kids it’s at its peak, and so, they really get lost in stories. Writing a book for kids for me is a super powerful form of storytelling.
And on the flip side, what has been the most challenging part to write or draw?
Just a lot of drawing… I draw with my finger on my iPad, because when I got my iPad (I’ve got the iPad 1), they didn’t have a stylus for it, so I’ve just gotten good at drawing with my finger. I think originally it was 350 pages, but we had to get that down to about 245. So, just heaps of drawing.
And aside from Steven Seagull, are there any other gems in Chippy Chasers for the grown-ups too?
Yeah, there are a few potato gems… I prepared that joke. Basically, I try and make a lot of my animations where they sort of appeal to adults, but are suitable for kids, so there are heaps of gags that lots of adults will hopefully appreciate too.
What advice would you give to someone that is looking into getting into illustrating?
Just have fun. Don’t put pressure on yourself. Experiment. I think creativity is about having fun, experimenting and exploring different things. And if you keep doing that you’ll eventually come up with your own style. And, be yourself when you’re creating.
Chippy Chasers: Chippy Jackpot is out now.
Sam Cotton is an actor, writer, illustrator and animator. He was born in Nambour and grew up in Queensland. His acting credits include the lead character, Ben in Diary Of An Uber Driver, Bruce in Rosehaven, Adam in Mr Inbetween and Chippy in Bluey season 3. Sam’s animations are hugely popular and combine hand-drawn illustrations with real-life footage. He has over 3 million followers on social media and his videos have accumulated over 44 million likes on TikTok alone.
Sam loves birds and chips.
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