An Interview with Michael Wardner
My name is Michael Wardner. I was born and raised in California, but now I live just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, in a very small town called Pine Lake. I love to draw and write stories. I have won recognition for my cartoons from the SF Weekly and for my short story writing from Creative Loafing Atlanta. In addition to Kris Kringle and the Great Magic Swindle, I have written The Boy Who Went Boom, The Girl from the Gamma Zone, and a graphic novel called Crumble. I work in video post-production, and I love to do improv comedy and hang out with my wife, two kids, and our dog and cat (I’m not sure the cat enjoys it as much as I do).
Kris Kringle and the Great Magic Swindle: Winner (First Prize, Middle Grade) of the North Street Book Prize 2025
Read more about the award-winning work here!
What inspired you to start writing this book?
I am a cartoonist, and I drew a single-panel cartoon showing a sad elf sitting on a deserted icy tundra with the caption: “January is the hardest month on the Christmas elves. They feel adrift. Without direction. Without purpose.” And I just kept thinking about that, and eventually a story emerged.
Tell us the story of your book’s current title. Was it easy to find, or did it take forever?
Originally, it was “The Year of Living Merrily,” but that sounded too much like a self-help book. My editor said that to me. So I played around with it until I found something that was fun. My son said, “People like things that rhyme.” And Kris Kringle and the Great Magic Swindle doesn’t quite rhyme, but it has a rhythm.
If your book had a soundtrack, what are some songs that would be on it?
It is kind of an offbeat action adventure, so it would probably have a score by Danny Elfman, or music selected and scored by Mark Mothersbaugh (formerly of Devo and now picks music and scores for Wes Anderson).
What books are you reading (for research or comfort) as you continue the writing process?
I am currently making my way through George Saunders’ A Swim in the Pond in the Rain, which is wonderful. I love his fiction, and I think his approach—analyzing Chekhov’s short stories—is very interesting,
What other professions have you worked in? What’s something about you that your readers wouldn’t know?
I work in video post-production—editing, motion graphics, and color correcting. I have worked on commercials, documentaries, corporate films, feature films, and independent films. Something that people don’t know about me: I was a Jungle Cruise guy at Disneyland while in college. It paid nothing but was incredibly fun.
Who/what made you want to write? Was there a particular person, or particular writers/works/art forms that influenced you?
In my work, I often help others finish their creative projects. I wanted something that was truly my own. I wrote a lot of screenplays, but nothing was attracting any attention. So I switched to novels and short stories because when you finish one of those, that is the product. You are done. In film, writing is just the beginning of a long process. Also, it was a lot cheaper to write stories than it is to make a movie.
Where is your favorite place to write?
Right now, I write in my home office. In the past, I would write anywhere: I wrote my first novel by typing into my iPhone while riding public transportation.
What advice would you give your past self at the start of your writing journey?
Just keep writing. You can edit later.
What’s one thing you hope sticks with readers after they finish your book?
That feeling that I used to get watching old Christmas animated shows—of it being a special little universe with its own fun rules.
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