It all began one grim day when Marc Brown lost his job. The small college in Boston where he’d been teaching went out of business.
That night, as he wondered how he was going to support his family, his 4-year-old son, Tolon, insisted on a bedtime story.
Now, 25 years later, Brown’s tales of Arthur the aardvark – born that night – are must-see TV for young kids and fun reading, too. To mark the anniversary, the Children’s Museum of Manhattan has gone all Arthur, all the time, with “Arthur’s World.”
Starting this weekend, you can step from the streets of Manhattan’s Upper West Side into Arthur’s hometown of Elwood City. You can sit in a replica of Arthur’s classroom, complete with the school desks of Arthur and three of his pals. They’re crammed with stuff, offering clues to help you guess whose desk is whose. On the blackboard, where Mr. Ratburn presides, you can write what you like or stick up magnetic letters.
After class, check out the Elwood City Library, stocked with – what else? – Arthur books. And if you’ve ever wondered what the Read family’s kitchen looks like close up, here’s your chance to peek in the fridge – or browse through Grandma Thora’s recipes.
Want to be on the TV screen with Arthur, Buster, Francine and the rest of the gang? Just head up to the third-floor media center for a little small-screen magic.
The magic of creating began early for Brown, Arthur’s creator.
“I’ve loved to draw my whole life,” he tells The Post. “My first recollection is getting into trouble in first grade, drawing rocket ships and race cars for my friend Alan, who sat next to me.”
Most of the characters he created are based on real people. Like Arthur’s bratty sister, D.W. – a composite of his three sisters. “And that makes her triply lethal,” he says with a laugh.
“My youngest sister, Kim, has been traveling around the country giving presentations as ‘The Real D.W.'”
You can see her at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan June 29, 30 and July 1. But Brown himself probably won’t be there, he says, since his sister told him to stay away.
Buster Baxter is based on Brown’s childhood best friend, Terry Johnson, who grew up to become a teacher.
“Now he lives in Australia, where he and his wife have a restaurant and a bed-and-breakfast,” Brown says.
The Brain was a kid named Alan Ochenbein, now an executive for the airport in Denver.
Grandma Thora is based on Brown’s real-life grandmother, also named Thora.
“She was the one who saved all my early artwork in her dresser drawer,” the writer says. “That’s what really validated what I was doing. My parents wanted me to be something respectable. And she really believed in me as an individual. Every child just needs one person to believe in them, and they’ve got it made. And that was my Grandma Thora.”
But why an aardvark? “All the bunnies and bears were taken,” Brown jokes. Actually, he adds, “My son wanted a weird animal.” And the name? “[Arthur] was just alliteration.”
After he’d written down the story, complete with the pictures his son requested, Brown decided to show it to a publisher, remembering what his favorite art teacher used to tell him: “If you want to be successful, do what it is that you really love. And do it as well as you can.”
Just last week, “Arthur” the PBS series won its fourth Emmy Award, and this week was honored with a Peabody for excellence in programming.
You won’t see the trophies at the museum, but you will see Brown’s award-winning art, from early sketches to rough drafts of books, storyboards and full-color books. They show how Arthur evolved from the long-snouted animal he was in the beginning to the near-kid he is today.
Arthur himself will make periodic visits to the museum. He’ll also appear at a huge, outdoor birthday bash June 9 at the World Trade Center.
So what does the future hold for the world’s best-known aardvark?
“There’s a lot of interest in a movie right now and there’ve been discussions,” Brown says. “I hope to be able to make an announcement soon.”
***
“Arthur’s World” is at the Children’s Museum of Manhattan, 212 W. 83rd St., from now until Labor Day. Admission is $6. The museum is open Wednesday through Sundays, and Tuesdays starting June 26. For more information, log onto http://www.cmom.org or call (212) 721-1234.
——
Drawing Arthur in five easy pieces
1. Draw two little O’s for his glasses and connect them with a small, slightly curved line.
2. Draw a large U for the bottom of his head.
3. Draw a smaller U for his mouth and add two dots for eyes and two more for his nostrils.
4. Draw an upside-down U for the top of his head and add two lines for the eyebrows.
5. Draw two ping-pong paddles on his head for ears. Add bow tie.