Marc Brown Author and Illustrator Project Kathryn Davis

Arthur Opening Theme - YouTube Arthur | PBS Kids Marc Brown Studios

Marc Brown was born in November of He attended Cleveland Institute of Art in He majored In painting and was financially supported by his grandmother Making about two to three dollars a week. Brown created Arthur while telling his son a bedtime story The Arthur series was his first success as an author and it was eventually a spin-off TV show on PBS. His first success as an illustrator was What makes the Sun Shine? Before he was a successful author and illustrator he held various jobs such as a truck driver, short-order cook, soda jerk, television art director, and a costume set designer.

Brown’s grandmother put much emphasis on bedtime stories. One night he was telling his son, Tolon, a bedtime story after he asked for one about an unusual animal. “I don’t know why, but I thought of an aardvark. I didn’t know that would turn into a book.”

Arthur’s Nose was the first of the Arthur series ever published and the first book Brown had ever written. (1976) Can you see how different he looks in this illustration than how he looks in books and on television today?

Arthur’s Nose won the Children’s Choice Award from the Children’s Book Council/International Reading Association. After the first book was a huge success, other authors and illustrators contacted him and his career exploded. Consequently, Brown published 100 additional Arthur books and even some in Spanish. What makes the Arthur series so irresistible? Arthur is a third-grade student and faces the everyday challenges of school, parents, siblings, friends, and pets. These books are geared toward younger students that reflect daily life. Therefore, for elementary students, Arthur is someone they can relate to. Interestingly, most of the characters are a reflection of Marc Brown’s personal life.

After his huge success with the Arthur series, Marc Brown and his wife decided to branch out and try something new; the Rex and Lilly series. However, this series wasn’t as successful because of all the publicity the Arthur series was getting, alone. They soon stopped publishing books together and Brown focused on Arthur.

The Arthur series is averaging about $50 million dollars each year from books, CD- ROMS, apparel, toys, games, lunch boxes, etc. “Arthur approaches problems…with no magical powers, and no secret weapons. And children know when you’re not being truthful.” “I had a modest, no frills childhood.”

On September 2, 1996 the first Arthur show was televised on PBS Kids. Arthur became one of the highest-rated shows on PBS Kids for several years since its debut, averaging almost 10 million viewers weekly in the U.S. It is aired in a total of 83 countries; PBS in the United States, Radio-Canada, Knowlege and TVOKids in Canada, ABC1/ABC2 and Nickelodeon in Australia, and BBC One/CBBC in the UK. It is the longest-running children's animated series in the U.S., and the second longest- running animated series in the U.S., behind The Simpsons. The show has won five Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for outstanding television. Other projects Marc Brown has been involved with are chapter books of Arthur written by Stephen Krensky, a separate series of Arthur’s sister, D.W. Marc Brown is still involved writing Arthur books and the making of Arthur’s World television series

Arthur’s Nose, Arthur’s Valentine, Arthur’s Eyes, The True Francine, Arthur’s Halloween, Arthur’s April Fools, Arthur Goes to Camp. ( International Reading Association) *Children’s Book of the Year of the Child Study Association of America *Children’s Choice Awards of Children’s Book Council *Notable Book Award *American Library Association *Boston Globe/Horn Book Honor for Illustrations *Library of Congress Book of the Year

Arthur’s Nose Rex and Lily Arthur’s Baby

Family Values (DW Series, Arthur’s Family Vacation) Children’s Responsibility (Arthur’s New Puppy) Fitting In (Arthur’s Glasses, Arthur’s Nose) How to be a good friend (Moose & Goose, Rex and Lilly Schooltime) How to be a good student (Arthur Meets the President) Dinosaur Divorce: A Guide for Changing Families

Brown Marc Rex and Lilly: Schooltime. Little, Brown and Company. Brown, Marc Arthur’s Family Treasury. Little, Brown and Company.