Most people know Tom DeLonge from his two popular bands, Blink-182 and Angels & Airwaves. This month the musician's fan base might skew a little younger as he releases a new passion project: his first children's book.
The Lonely Astronaut on Christmas Eve tells a sweet, rhyming tale of a sad spaceman and the aliens who decide to spread some holiday cheer. Illustrated by Mike Henry, the book is appropriate for all ages and is available in print and digitally. I called Tom to learn more about it:
Me: Hey, Tom! I thought your book was very charming and touching. How old are your kids?
Tom DeLonge: Well, thanks! I have an 11-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old boy.
So, do you make up stories for them, or are they too old for that at this point?
You know what's funny? I read them books — mostly to my son now — and I make (stuff) up as I'm reading it to him. I'll throw things in there that make no sense and are really funny. But now that he's learning to read, he catches me on it.
What are his favorite books?
To be honest, we spend a lot of time on ComiXology. We find all the Marvel heroes, or we'll find children's (comics). That, I find, is really great for kids, because it's graphic but also technological.
Tell me about The Lonely Astronaut. How did you come up with the story?
Well, anyone who knows me knows I have a fascination with science fiction and space. My son and I do something called "Space School" a couple times a week, where we'll pick a topic and then dig into learning about it. I'll teach him about, you know, something that has to do with celestial mechanics, or the way the planets move.
I was telling him one time about Edgar Mitchell, the sixth man to walk on the moon, and what Earth looked like to him when we was coming back from it. He said it was so vulnerable and insignificant-looking, so much so that Edgar went on to create the Institute of Noetic Sciences, which is about the study of human consciousness.
That always kind of weighed on me, what it must've been like to see the Earth alone — like Carl Sagan used to say, "a pale blue dot." So for a children's book, I thought it would be cool to place an astronaut on the moon all alone.
The book is only on sale on your Angels & Airwaves website. Why did you decide to put it out independently rather than through a publisher?
I haven't really sent it to any publishers because I can do a lot of what they can do with the publicity and manufacturing of books. It wasn't on my list of priorities, but I'm already on my second pressing in three days, so maybe I need to. (Laughs) If it continues to be something people want, I think giving it to a publisher would probably be smart.
And what do your kids think of the book? They're your most important reviewers ...
Oh, they thought it was awesome. I think it relates to them.
The biggest thing for me, as an artist, is to have a little bit of ADD and be able to try things on different canvases. That's where I'm at in my life right now: I don't want to just play music all the time. I just finished a screenplay, I'm going to be directing a film, and I'm designing toys and graphic novels. All that kind of stuff is of great interest to me, and it's more collaborative, too.
Do you see The Lonely Astronaut spinning off into other mediums, like films or toys?
I don't, but that doesn't mean it can't. If there's a demand to see this character on his little travels, that could be a lot of fun. I wouldn't mind seeing what it would look like as a toy.
And what are you working on musically right now?
I'm deep into the next Angels & Airwaves album. That will have a big release next year and will have a huge film and animation component with it as well. With Blink, we're just now discussing how, when and where we'll meet up to record.
Since your book has a holiday theme, can you tell me what's on your wish list this year?
I want some good vinyl records and anything to do with the Apollo missions, whether it's an old printed poster or NASA space patch ... or maybe an astronaut himself. (Laughs)
