Daniel M. Davis is the unique mind behind Steam Crow, "a Phoenix, Arizona company that creates quirky, imaginative characters and strange stories for people with a monster imagination." Davis will bring his cast of colorful robots and monsters to the Bookmans Youth Tent at the Tucson Festival of Books on Sunday, March 15th, from 10-11 a.m. and 1:30-2 p.m. Steam Crow will also take part in the Local Author Event in the Bookmans Main Tent on Sunday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Steam Crow has illustrated and published three books: Caught Creatures, KlawBerry: Good Girl, Bad World, and After Halloween, and is the creative force behind Monster Commute, a daily web comic about monsters and commuting (of course).

BOOKMANS: What sparked this lifelong obsession with monsters and robots? Was it a specific book, movie, or comic book? Something else?

DANIEL M. DAVIS: As a kid, I was very monster-centric. I don't know what got it started, but I always drew trolls, giant kaiju, and monsters of all sorts. It was likely seeing the old Sinbad and Godzilla movies on Creature Features that really got me going.

BOOKMANS: Why do you think kids respond so well to monsters and robots, or Steam Crow's cast of creatures in particular?

DAVIS: It's probably because these fantastic creatures seem like they could (and maybe should), be real. My six year old continues to do reality checks with me: "Are dragons real?" I sadly have to say "no", but he doesn't really want to accept that. I tell him that dinosaurs were real, and that's about good as it gets.

BOOKMANS: It's obvious from your work that you have an incredible eye for detail; your books and web comic are very distinctive. Did this "world" emerge organically or was it important to you that it was tangible and fully realized at the start?

DAVIS: I think that the main points of the world (a monster world just on the other side of our own world) were there from the start; it's the details that I continue to build on over time. I enjoy the process of creating, so it would be sad to spend 10 years working on this project in the dark, waiting until the world was fully developed.

BOOKMANS: What would you say your major influences are as an artist and as a writer?

DAVIS: Mike Mignola, 70's Saturday morning cartoons, Harryhausen films, Dungeons and Dragons, Japanese Kawaii culture, vintage advertising, candy, Dr. Pepper, Alphonse Mucha, Rhode Montijo, George Orwell, Tolkien, Gygax, and on and on.

BOOKMANS: Your web comic, Monster Commute, was inspired by your daily three-hour commute, but it's interesting how you don't go the easy route (pun intended, sorry) of being over-the-top angry, even with The Authority lurking. Your trademark wry, whimsical (and dark) humor is intact. How are you liking the process of a daily web comic?

DAVIS: I love it. It's not always easy, but I enjoy sticking with a set universe and characters far beyond what I'd usually do with a book. So, I've paced myself. The character arcs are just barely beginning, even after 120 strips. I've found that by including all of the things that I'm interested in as a writer (monsters, robots, world building, mythology, dystopian governments, fantasy, odd humor, Americana, steampunk) I'm keenly interested in the world of Monstru. I'm pretty sure that I've never worked so hard on anything before.

BOOKMANS: When we went by the Steam Crow booth at Comic Con International in San Diego, it was unmistakable. You just knew there was good stuff and a good time to be had at this particular booth. Do you get that from people often?

DAVIS: It's interesting. Yes, we get people who almost run to our booth, when they see the rivets, the rusting copper sheets, and the earthtone colors. Some people go crazy for that, and are almost instant fans. But we also don't get a second look from other people too; it's like they don't see us. There are so many kinds of people at a convention, all looking for something different. I'm okay with that fact, now.

BOOKMANS: Do you enjoy the con experience?

DAVIS: For me, it's the greatest. It's a carnival, a circus, and an artist's market, all in one. I get to meet new people, but also see old friends and other artists that I'm friends with. There is nothing quite like it, and it's when Steam Crow gets to connect directly from the audience.

BOOKMANS: What can people expect from Steam Crow at the Tucson Festival of Books?

DAVIS: Um, funny hats? We won't have a place for our big display, but we'll be there reading each of our books, handing out flyers about the Monster Commute, and generally meeting new people. If you're reading this, we should meet.

Visit Steam Crow's website. Davis also founded and runs Tiny Army, dedicated to fostering a network of support and encouragement for Arizona's illustrators.