Aaron Blabey facts for kids

Aaron Blabey (born 1 January 1974) is a famous Australian author of children's books. He was also an actor before he started writing.

He has created three very popular book series for kids. These include Pig the Pug, which is about a funny, grumpy dog. Then there's The Bad Guys, a graphic novel series about a group of scary-looking animals trying to be good. And finally, Thelma the Unicorn, about a pony who pretends to be a unicorn.

By December 2022, Aaron Blabey had sold about 35 million books. His books have been on The New York Times best-seller list for over 120 weeks. The Bad Guys even reached the number one spot on that list in July 2019.

In April 2022, an animated movie based on The Bad Guys was released by DreamWorks Animation. Aaron Blabey helped make the movie as an executive producer. The film was a big hit, opening at number one in the U.S. and becoming one of the highest-earning animated movies of 2022.

In May 2019, Netflix announced they were making a musical movie of Thelma the Unicorn. Aaron Blabey is also an executive producer for this film.

Before becoming a full-time author, Blabey was an actor until 2005. He was well-known for his main roles in TV shows like The Damnation of Harvey McHugh (for which he won an award) and CrashBurn.

About Aaron Blabey

Aaron Blabey was born in Bendigo, Australia, on January 1, 1974. He married Kirstie Hutton in April 2000. They have two sons.

Aaron Blabey supports The Alannah and Madeline Foundation. This group works to keep children safe from violence. He was also an ambassador for them from 2012 to 2015.

Aaron Blabey's Career

Acting Roles

Aaron Blabey appeared in many TV shows and movies during the 1990s and early 2000s. He also performed in plays.

In 1994, he won an Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor for his role in The Damnation of Harvey McHugh. He was also nominated for another award in 2000 for his role in the TV series Stingers.

Becoming an Artist

In the mid-2000s, Blabey stopped acting and started focusing on painting. He had six art shows across Australia between 2004 and 2006.

First Children's Books

In 2006, Aaron Blabey decided to write and illustrate children's picture books. His first book, Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, came out in July 2007. This book won an award from the Children's Book Council of Australia in 2008. It was also recognized by the Smithsonian Institution.

His second book, Sunday Chutney, was published in 2008. It was also nominated for several awards.

Other early books include Stanley Paste (2009) and The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon (2011). The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon won several awards, including the Patricia Wrightson Award in 2013.

His book The Dreadful Fluff won an award for Best Designed Children's Cover in 2013. He also released Noah Dreary that same year.

In 2014, his book The Brothers Quibble, which is about brothers who argue, was chosen for National Simultaneous Storytime. Over 500,000 children read it at the same time on May 27, 2015.

Popular Book Series

Pig the Pug Series

In 2014, Aaron Blabey signed a deal with Scholastic Australia. This led to the creation of Pig the Pug. This funny picture book is about a rude and selfish dog named Pig, who often argues with his friendly friend, Trevor the dachshund.

Pig the Pug became very popular in Australia and has been translated into many languages. It led to a whole series of books, including:

• Pig the Fibber (2015)
• Pig the Winner (2016)
• Pig the Elf (2016)
• Pig the Star (2017)
• Pig the Grub (2018)
• Pig the Tourist (2019)
• Pig the Slob (Blob) (2020)
• Pig the Monster (2021)
• Pig the Rebel (2022)

Millions of Pig the Pug books have been sold worldwide, especially in the USA and Australia.

Thelma the Unicorn Series

The second book from his deal with Scholastic was Thelma the Unicorn. This picture book is about a simple pony who dreams of becoming a unicorn. It also became a best-seller, along with its sequel, The Return of Thelma the Unicorn. Millions of copies of these books have been sold.

In June 2019, Netflix announced they were making an animated musical movie of Thelma the Unicorn. Aaron Blabey was an executive producer for this movie, which was released on May 17, 2024.

The Bad Guys Series

In 2015, Aaron Blabey also released the first books in his best-selling graphic novel series, The Bad Guys. This funny series follows a group of scary-looking animals—Mr. Wolf, Mr. Snake, Mr. Shark, and Mr. Piranha. They try to change their bad reputations by doing good deeds.

In January 2018, The Bad Guys series appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list. It stayed on the list for many weeks and reached the number one spot in July 2019. By December 2022, over 25 million Bad Guys books had been printed worldwide.

In March 2018, DreamWorks Animation announced they were making an animated movie based on The Bad Guys. The movie was released on April 22, 2022. Aaron Blabey was an executive producer. The film stars famous actors like Sam Rockwell (Mr. Wolf) and Awkwafina (Ms. Tarantula).

A special holiday show called "A Very Bad Holiday" was released on Netflix in November 2023.

In March 2022, the movie's director said he would love to make a sequel. In 2024, DreamWorks Animation confirmed a sequel is coming on August 1, 2025. The original cast will return.

Cat On The Run Series

In January 2022, Aaron Blabey announced a new book series called Cat on The Run. The first book, Cat on The Run in Cat of Death!, was released in September 2023. This series takes place in the same world as The Bad Guys. It's about the world's most famous cat video star trying to prove she's innocent after being framed for a crime.

Awards and Recognition

Aaron Blabey has received many awards for his work:

• 1994: Australian Film Institute Award for Best Actor in a TV Drama for The Damnation of Harvey McHugh.
• 2008: Children's Book of the Year Award: Early Childhood for Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley.
• 2012: White Ravens Award by the International Youth Library for The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
• 2013: Patricia Wrightson Prize for Children's Literature for The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
• 2013: Best Designed Children's Cover of the Year for The Dreadful Fluff.
• 2013: The Children's Peace Literature Award for The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon.
• 2016: INDIE books award for Best Children's Book for The Bad Guys.

List of Books Written and Illustrated

• Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, 2007
• Sunday Chutney, 2008
• Stanley Paste, 2009
• The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon, 2011
• The Dreadful Fluff, 2012
• Noah Dreary, 2013
• The Brothers Quibble, 2014
• Pig The Pug, 2014
• Babies Don't Suck, 2014
• Thelma the Unicorn, 2015
• Pig the Fibber, 2015
• The Bad Guys (Episode 1), 2015
• Piranhas Don't Eat Bananas, 2015
• The Bad Guys (Episode 2 - Mission Unpluckable), 2015
• I Need A Hug, 2015
• Pig the Winner, 2016
• The Bad Guys (Episode 3 - The Furball Strikes Back), 2016
• Don't Call Me Bear, 2016
• Pig the Elf, 2016
• The Bad Guys (Episode 4 - Attack of the Zittens), 2016
• Busting!, 2017
• The Bad Guys (Episode 5 - Intergalactic Gas), 2017
• Guff, 2017
• Pig the Star, 2017
• The Bad Guys (Episode 6 - Alien Vs Bad Guys), 2017
• The Bad Guys (Episode 7 - Do-You-Think-He-Saurus?), 2018
• Pig the Grub, 2018
• The Bad Guys (Episode 8 - Superbad), 2018
• The Bad Guys (Episode 9 - The Big Bad Wolf), 2019
• Pig the Tourist, 2019
• The Return of Thelma the Unicorn, 2019
• The Bad Guys (Episode 10 - The Baddest Day Ever), 2019
• The Bad Guys (Episode 11 - Dawn of the Underlord), 2020
• Pig the Slob (Blob), 2020
• The Bad Guys (Episode 12 - The One?!), 2020
• The Bad Guys (Episode 13 - Cut to the Chase), 2021
• Pig the Monster, 2021
• The Bad Guys (Episode 14 - They’re Bee-hind You!), 2021
• The Bad Guys (Episode 15 - Open Wide and Say Arrrgh!), 2022
• Pig the Rebel, 2022
• The Bad Guys (Episode 16 - The Others?!), 2022
• The Bad Guys (Episode 17 - Let the Games Begin!), 2023
• Cat On The Run in Cat of Death!, 2023
• The Bad Guys (Episode 18 - Look Who's Talking!), 2023
• The Bad Guys (Episode 19 - The Serpent and The Beast), 2024
• The Bad Guys (Episode 20 - One Last Thing), 2024

Film and TV Appearances

Movies

Television Shows