12/15/2006

Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner
Tim Smith: "The average American spends less than 10 minutes outside every day."

Could it get any Wilder?

Buck Wilder book series expands and explores new media

By
Record-Eagle staff writer

Record-Eagle/Douglas Tesner
Tim Smith — also known as Buck Wilder — has released three more of his children’s outdoor books.

TRAVERSE CITY — Life couldn't get much wilder, or more enjoyable, for Tim Smith and his alter-ego Buck Wilder of his popular children's outdoor book series.

Smith, who was surprised by the success of his first book "Buck Wilder's Small Fry Fishing Guide” 10 years ago, has had his three latest books released in the last two months including two that are launching a new series. He also has a Web video series under development, negotiations for a TV series and development of a demo for a possible nationwide radio series under way.

"It is amazing,” said Smith, 61, a Traverse City resident.

One of his new books, "Buck Wilder's Animal Wisdom,” follows the format of his earlier books. It has the trademark cartoons, jokes and puns all over the page among the more serious lessons about nature.

The other two are "Who Stole the Animal Poop?” and "The Work Bees Go on Strike,” the first two in the Buck Wilder's Adventures series. He plans to release 15 to 20 books in the series, which teaches lessons from the animal kingdom.

Smith is in negotiations for a 30-minute TV show on the Outdoor Life Network, said Brian Lewis, associate publisher at Mackinac Island Press in Traverse City, which publishes the Buck Wilder books.

Smith is also working with producers from FOX in Detroit to develop a series of Web video spots that will be available for FOX Web sites around the country. He'll likely make video appearances on the network's Detroit morning show that will be shown on other network affiliates around the state to support the Web video, said Dennis Kraniak, senior Web producer for My FOX Detroit.

And a radio producer is working on a demo for a show he hopes to sell to public radio.

"I want it to really reflect who he is,” said George Zarr, a freelance radio producer in New York who has had two public radio series.

"It'll reflect the way the books look,” Zarr said.

Smith is "absolutely fascinated that they would be that interested in it,” he said.

He and Lewis were also surprised at the strong turnout he saw for a recent nationwide book-signing tour.

"The wildest thing is that everyone who sees and comes in contact with this is attracted to it,” Lewis said of the Buck Wilder series.

Smith is also struck by the enthusiastic response to "Who Stole the Animal Poop?”

"The common thing kids love is to say the word poop,” Smith said.

Teachers and parents have also responded positively. The book teaches a biology lesson by showing how things in the forest don't grow as well and animals are missing one of the scents that helps them get by after someone steals the item mentioned in the title for his garden.

Smith started his Buck Wilder career at age 51 out of his garage. He wrote the books and made preliminary sketches and then had Tom Mills illustrate them. Mills has continued to illustrate most of the books, while Mark Herrick illustrated a couple of them, Lewis said.

He self-published Small Fry Fishing Guide and sold 100,000 copies in its first year, Lewis said.

"Most people, when they self-publish, wind up with a garage full of books,” Lewis said.

A part of the Buck Wilder persona that Smith particularly enjoys is visiting schools and talking to school children about the outdoors and the environment.

In fact, the Adventure series "came about from years of giving presentations to kids,” he said.

During those talks, he'd tell stories about particular animals to make certain points about nature and the environment.

"Teachers would say, 'You've got to write some of these down,'” he said. So he did and took them to Mackinac Island Press.

Smith knew Buck Wilder was popular in Michigan, but he found out during his recent book-signing tour the character's popularity goes well beyond the state.

Smith hopes to do more than entertain, or even educate, people. He wants to encourage a love of the outdoors.

"The average American spends less than 10 minutes outside every day,” he said. "The peacefulness that it gives you is something you do not get from a TV set or from a computer game.”

Another thing he emphasizes to children and adults alike is to follow their dreams.

"If you believe it, it does come true,” he said. "You don't have to be the best. You just have to do it.”