Behind the Balloons: Dan & Jason Interview Each Other about Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Escape from Balloonia
In this special Q&A, Dan and Jason interview each other about the latest book in the Blue, Barry & Pancakes series, Escape from Balloonia.
Behind the Balloons: Dan & Jason Interview Each Other about Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Escape from Balloonia
About Dan & Jason:
Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson are best pals who met in high school in a small town in Vermont, USA—and they’ve been writing, drawing, and laughing together ever since. For nearly 30 years, they’ve created everything from animated TV shows and commercials to award-winning graphic novels… not to mention a really killer ziti. Their emerging reader series Blue, Barry & Pancakes blends absurd, rapid-fire adventure with big-hearted friendship, all wrapped in wild humour that keeps kids (and adults) coming back for more.
Dan: Okay Jason, let’s get into it. If someone’s never read Blue, Barry & Pancakes, how would you describe it in one sentence?
Jason: Three best friends go on wildly ridiculous adventures, screw up big time, and somehow don’t totally destroy their friendship. At its core, the series is about how no one’s born knowing how to be a good friend. You mess up, recognise it, and try to do better—ideally while battling inflatable giant gorillas.
Jason: Alright, your turn—where did these characters even come from?
Dan: We’re always drawn to odd couple dynamics. We started sketching this big fuzzy rabbit and this tiny angular frog, and something about the contrast just clicked—it was instant cartoon chemistry. But it still felt like we were missing something.
Then you pitched the idea that maybe they were visiting a friend—this wiggily little worm—and everything snapped into place. That worm became Blue, who evolved into this culture-loving, highly emotional overthinker. And suddenly, we had a trio that felt real.
There’s a lot of us in Blue, Barry, and Pancakes. I think I’ve got a heavy dose of Barry—chaotic energy with a heart buried under an overactive brain—but I wish I had more Pancakes in me. You’ve got Pancakes’ relentless optimism… with Blue’s artistic flair.
Jason: I’m putting that on a mug. “World’s Most Optimistic Bunny.” We’ve gone too deep.
Dan: So, Escape from Balloonia is the second book in the series. How’d we land on a planet made entirely of balloons, inhabited by “play time”–obsessed Balloonions?
Jason: We wanted to explore the complexities of how kids play, especially in groups of three. Trios are a fascinating dynamic in child development. It’s common for one kid to feel left out, another to try steering things their way, and a third to get caught in the middle. Navigating those social dynamics—learning to compromise, take turns, and include others—is a big part of growing up.
Naturally, we expressed that by launching our characters into space, crash-landing them on a planet made entirely of balloons, and throwing them into a gladiator arena ruled by balloon creatures. You know, classic childhood stuff.
Dan: Classic. So—we’re constantly dreaming up new Blue, Barry & Pancakes stories. How do we keep the series feeling fresh?
Jason: For us, it’s all about character. We’ve locked in their core personalities— Blue is the lover of all things culturally fancy: poetry, rare beach ball collections, the long and storied history of shovels. He’s the dreamer, always searching for meaning and beauty—even in totally ridiculous places. Barry is our high-strung strategist. He’s always planning, building, scheming—trying to solve every problem with a complicated contraption and a 47-step checklist. And Pancakes? Pancakes is pure energy. She just loves moving—dancing, pogo-sticking, wrestling, cartwheeling through life. She’s all heart, all motion, all-in.
So in a way, they represent three different sides of all of us: the dreamer, the thinker, and the doer. We just happened to put them in a tree house together and gave them jetpacks.
We’re always throwing them into new situations and seeing how those sides clash, grow, or team up to save the day. And if we’re laughing while we make it, that’s usually a sign we’re onto something fun.
Dan: Speaking of laughing—what’s your favorite Blue, Barry & Pancakes moment so far?
Jason: Any time Barry tries to give a speech. I love when he announces, “An idea is forming…” like he’s discovering fire. It’s basically us—trying to make something magical out of nothing but two goofy brains, some pencils, and lots of paper.
And Pancakes? I love when she gets weirdly intense. She’s all happy-go-lucky until someone pushes her too far—then WATCH OUT. There are some deep emotions under all that fuzzy yellow fur.
Okay, what’s been your most surprisingly emotional moment?
Dan: The endings! We always wrap the books with a moment of real connection between the three of them. It sneaks up on you. You’re laughing—and then boom, feelings.
Jason: Dangerous territory. Feelings.
But honestly? That’s what sneaks up on you in these books. One minute there’s a balloon alien squished under your butt, and the next—bam—you’re in the middle of a real emotional moment. That’s what makes it work. The feelings hit harder because you’ve been laughing the whole way there.
Alright, real talk: what was the journey to publication like?
Dan: We pitched it as a graphic novel series for early readers—super visual, super fast, and really fun. Our amazing agent totally got the vision. And once we started, it just took off. These stories just pour out of us.
Jason: Do we have more Blue, Barry & Pancakes books coming?
Dan: We do! Lots more adventures ahead—more questionable decisions, more friendship-related drama. We’ve got three words for our readers: the universe’s best ice cream, talking stalagmites, time travel hats, and giant robots. …Okay, that was way more than three words. But you get the idea.
Jason: Last one—what do you hope kids take away from these books?
Dan: That it’s okay to be weird. That friendship is messy. And that big yellow fuzzy bunnies might not be the best listeners, but they’re loyal when it counts.
You?
Jason: Same. And also: never go to a second location with an inflatable alien. That’s just common sense.
Dan & Jason: Thanks for letting us share a little behind-the-scenes Balloonia with you. We hope our books make kids laugh, think, and feel a little less alone—especially the weirdos. (We see you.)
Blue, Barry & Pancakes: Escape from Balloonia by Dan Abdo and Jason Patterson / 9780861549047 / 3rd April 2025 / For ages 5+
Views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the Federation.
