Lousy Rotten Stinkin’ Grapes Inspiration Equation

I’ve always been fascinated and in absolute awe of the funny inventiveness of Rube Goldberg. His clever convoluted thinking for making a simple solution complicated has even earned him a place in the dictionary! Making a ‘Rube Goldberg’ has been used in everything from TV commercials to movies – like in the opening scene of BACK TO THE FUTURE. (And who hasn’t played MOUSETRAP?)

So when the opportunity came to write a companion book for EARTHQUACK! and THE THREE SILLY BILLIES, the idea of a mash up between a classic Aesop Fable like THE FOX AND THE GRAPES and some Rube Goldberg silliness seemed a natural formula for fun.

Toss in some distinct sounding dialogue for the character of the fox inspired by some pop culture icons of the day, and “Voila” – GRAPES!

My character, Trudie Marks – Lab Coat Girl – figures out the ‘Inspiration Equation’ like this: