My Book COP Origin Story Blog Post #1

Hello dear members,

My name’s Mike Allen from Book COP, which is short for Book Classics Originals & Parodies. I am an author, artist, producer and content creator.

I discovered my passion for art and creating, during my first semester at boarding school, in the early 90s. This was pre-mobiles, social media and apps. Spending extended periods away from home was challenging as an adolescent. It was an international boarding school, a melting pot for children of retired and budding entrepreneurs. My roommate was an amazing illustrator. Neither of us had a Gameboy but he had a stack of Marvel and DC comics. We became friends and I started learning how to draw by trying to recreate his pictures. My first attempts were not very good at all.

Many students spent their free time reading comics or playing football. I got fed up with borrowing comics from my classmates, so I decided to create my own from scratch. This is where my writing journey began.

I created my first action/fantasy comic for my personal use. One day, I left my comic in the canteen by accident. To my surprise, I discovered that it was missing. I asked around and retraced my steps, hoping to find a clue. I was informed by the head cook that it had been passed on to another student. This led me on a hunt for my comic around the entire school. By the time I had reached the student who was currently reading it, it had been passed around by at least 125 students in my dormitory.

I was so embarrassed, but to my surprise, everyone who had read my comic was asking if there was a sequel to the comic or urged me to make one. They loved it! They loved the action, the quirky comedy and the magical elements. It was extremely popular. Having no writing experience, most of my early material ended on a cliff hanger, because I could not think of a suitable ending. This actually worked in my favour. I wrote several more comic titles and each one was even more successful than the last. Prior to my missing comic fiasco, I was a lone wolf at my boarding school, but my comics made me very popular. I could no longer rest in the shadows. It was worth it. I made many remarkable friends during my time at boarding school. Some of them recently reached out to me, after discovering my social media and latest book promotions.

My favourite genres include: fantasy, action, horror, comedy and sci-fi. I am primarily a fantasy fiction writer. My interests outside of writing include: films, reading, directing, gaming, running, yoga, cooking, wildlife and music.

A unique signature with regards to my writing style is the unexpected humour. I think some of the best comedic moments can be found in the most serious situations and scenarios. I believe that one can find irony and humour in almost any situation, if you look hard enough.

If this is your first time visiting Book COP, may I extend a warm welcome and my deepest appreciation for your time. Explore our library and subscribe for freebies relating to your favourite titles. As a valued subscriber, you will be privy to a deleted scene from your favourite titles, latest updates regarding future projects, and information on how you can connect with me through other projects.

I look forward to seeing you again.

Mike Allen

Book COP