72andSunny has published its first book, called "The Ghost of Bobby." It's written by former advertising executive and Glasgow/London-based writer David Miller, with full-color illustrations throughout by artist Julia Kuo. Miller spent 30 years working in advertising, and was most recently Managing Director of Wieden+Kennedy Amsterdam. He has also held senior positions at W+K Tokyo, Leo Burnett Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul, and J. Walter Thompson Hong Kong. Must see moody book intro movie inside! Why don't all ghost stories have little clips with them? ‘The Ghost of Bobby’ tells the tale of a 19th century English family whose twin children, Sammy and Thomas, are forced to embark on a journey of terror against a sinister man named Skeats. Skeats pursues the family from the streets of London to Paris and back, fortunately always under the ever-watchful protection of a powerful and mysterious ghost dog named Bobby. Dedicated to Miller’s daughter, the real-life Sammy, the story was conceived late one weekend afternoon in Amsterdam during a violent thunderstorm as Miller hid under a creaky old bed with his daughter Sammy. Sammy loved her father’s ghost stories, but the tale of Bobby was always her favorite. At the time, Miller had just left a six-year post as the Managing Director of a prominent Amsterdam ad agency. After many years in advertising, he decided to pursue other ventures, including spending more time with his family and something he’d always dreamed of doingãwriting a book for his daughters. He wanted the book to be a keepsake and to teach his children about valuable life lessonsãgood versus evil, conviction and the power of imagination. With a shared vision and passion for telling compelling stories, Miller and former colleague John Boiler, who co-founded 72andSunny in 2004, decided to realize the novel together. Boiler enlisted the help of 72andSunny designers, artists and strategists, and ‘The Ghost of Bobby’ was published in 2007. ‘We definitely learned some of the ins and outs of the publishing industry along the way, but we have a ton more to learn,’ said Miller. ‘We’re without a doubt outsiders in the literary world, but we’re fortunate to have been able to publish this book without having to follow any rules. Only after running off 300 copies of ‘The Ghost of Bobby’ did we realize that in real-world publishing, you have to have things like ISBN numbers, and other things like that. All we wanted was to get our story out there, and have the characters come alive in people’s imaginations.’ Miller’s own Dickensian life provided ample creative fodder for ‘The Ghost of Bobby.’ Born in Glasgow, Scotland, Miller left school at 16, and spent his teen years tending bar and working the nightshift at a psychiatric facility, before talking his way into a job in advertising at the age of 17. After a few years at a Glasgow agency, Miller packed up and moved Hong Kong, where he worked in a toy factory before climbing the ranks to take on senior roles at the biggest agencies in Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, including J. Walter Thompson, Leo Burnett and Wieden + Kennedy. By the time he finally ended up back in Europe, Miller was father to daughters Sammy and Jade. The book also has it's own website at http://www.theghostofbobby.com/
Buy The Ghost of Bobby by D Limond Miller at Barnes&Noble