In Episode 5 of Our First Fears, designer and bestselling author/ illustrator Jay Cooper takes us on a tour of his night-terrors, which leads us down some dark paths of 1970s and 80s children’s entertainment. He takes us through the magic of Smurf-land, into a Labyrinth haunted by David Bowie’s goblins, past the island where Maurice Sendak spent time with his Wild Things, and into Jay’s own office studio where he once welcomed stress-induced shingles as a result of trying to impress his collaborator and pal, author Maureen Johnson. 

It’s a Gen X phantasmagoria, and you won’t want to miss it! 

Some of Jay’s work includes Styx and Scones, The Last Comics on Earth, and Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village, all of which are available now at your favorite local bookshop. 

(Please use discretion if listening to this podcast with young folk – there’s one bloody story in which a puppy is *rudely* murdered, but it’s like, only 30 seconds and easily skippable...)

Follow the Our First Fears podcast on social media sites @ourfirstfears. And feel free to reach out at [email protected].