27 pages • 54-minute read
The Bad Guys: Episode 1
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Background
Authorial Context: Aaron Blabey
Aaron Blabey is an Australian author and illustrator celebrated for his humorous and engaging children’s books and graphic novels, particularly The Bad Guys series. Blabey’s career began in acting, where he played the lead role in the Australian television drama, The Damnation of Harvey McHugh. He later shifted gears and began painting and illustrating, and was successful there as well, leading him to his current career as a children’s author.
In 2007, Blabey began his career as a children’s author with the publication of Pearl Barley and Charlie Parsley, which won the Children’s Book Council of Australia Award in 2008. He continued to build his reputation with works like Sunday Chutney (2008) and The Ghost of Miss Annabel Spoon (2011), which won the Patricia Wrightson Award in 2013. Pig the Pug was published in 2014 and saw massive acclaim, and The Bad Guys series has sold 55 million copies, been adapted into a DreamWorks animated film, and amassed a worldwide following of loyal young readers. It also made the New York Times bestseller list, hitting the number one spot. In his work, Blabey strives to make reading fun, entertaining, and a little absurd. He enjoys creating unlikely characters in unlikely scenarios and usually sticks with personified animals as his protagonists. Blabey also works as an ambassador for The Alannah and Madeline Foundation, established to protect children from violence. Blabey was named a National Literacy Ambassador in 2012 for producing work that encourages reluctant readers to turn the page.
Series Context: The Bad Guys
The Bad Guys is a graphic novel series of 20 books written and illustrated by Aaron Blabey. The series follows four predators who go on missions to push back against the negative stereotypes about their species. Mr. Wolf is the initiator of this transformation, which has rough beginnings and takes place gradually. They discover that doing good actually feels good, even if the world still sees them as monsters. The characters never fully lose their predator instincts, and this dichotomy produces humorous and unusual situations as the team works to keep one another in check. The series ends with the implication that even after so many adventures together, they still have a long way to go in self-improvement; with this ending, the series offers a lesson that life is about constant improvement of the self and the world, learning as much as possible along the way.
The first title in the series was published in 2015 and saw wide success among young readers who found the books approachable, funny, and easy to read. Its impact lies in making complex ideas—like redemption, identity, and friendship—accessible and entertaining. By centering the story on misunderstood villains, Blabey encourages young readers to think critically about labels, behavior, and the possibility of change. The series also acts as a transition for young readers between reading picture books and chapter books. Blabey uses cartoon-like illustrations in a comic-style format, simplistic and fast-paced plotlines, and typical kids’ humor (like fart jokes). The Bad Guys was originally published in black and white and was recently re-published in full color. With its humorous tone and appeal to young readers, The Bad Guys is in conversation with other similar works like Dav Pilkey’s The Adventures of Captain Underpants (1997) and Kara Lareau’s The Infamous Ratsos (2016).
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