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“Mars Attacks Christmas” Is Out Now!
If you thought I only worked on Hanukkah-themed projects during the wintertime, you’re wrong! You want proof? Well, look no further than Mars Attacks Christmas, the new trading card set which is out now from Topps! I wrote the story outline and the “back-of-the-card” text for all of the Mars Attacks Christmas base “storyline set” cards (and a number of the insert cards as well). The base cards were illustrated by Terry Wolfinger, and the insert and sketch cards were illustrated by Jason Crosby, Rob Demers, David Acevedo, Ryan Finley, and a few other folks. I had SO much fun working on this card set, and I’m really proud to say that I contributed to it. A huge thanks to the folks at Topps for hiring me. *
Here’s an official description of the Mars Attacks Christmas set from the folks at Topps:
The Martians have returned to attack Earth, and this time it’s Christmas. 2026 Mars Attacks Christmas features a collection of never-before-seen artwork across the base set and inserts, bringing the iconic Mars Attacks characters into a festive Christmas setting with colorful and dynamic parallels.
Collect the 50-card base set to discover how the battle for Earth unfolds, with the story continuing across a variety of insert sets. Look for Caught in the Crossfire Autographs, featuring celebrities fighting off the Martian invasion, including Mike Tyson, Dennis Rodman, Jeff Goldblum, and more!
Collectors can also find limited relic cards featuring items recovered from the battlefield between Santa Claus and the Martians, as well as ultra-rare sketch cards from top artists showcasing Mars Attacks characters with a Christmas twist.
Here’s a look at some of the cards (both the fronts and backs of ‘em):
For more info, or to buy a full set of Mars Attacks Christmas cards, CLICK HERE and HERE.
To read an interview with Mars Attacks Christmas artist Jason Crosby, CLICK HERE.
* In full disclosure, I should probably point out that Mars Attacks Christmas was far from the first project I’ve worked on for Topps. In fact, I’ve worked as a freelance copywriter/gag writer for Topps since 2008. Keep watching this site, though, because I’ll probably be putting up some more blog posts soon where I’ll be talking about some of the other Topps projects I’ve worked on over the years, and where you can find them! I think it’s also important to mention that Mars Attacks Christmas was the first Topps project I worked on that involved the Mars Attacks IP, which was very important for me personally. The Mars Attacks trading cards were rereleased (or reissued? Not sure what the proper term is) when I was a kid, and they were a big influence on my creative sensibilities. So working on Mars Attacks Christmas was a real “coming full circle” moment for me. **
** And when I said, “A huge thanks to the folks at Topps for hiring me,” I should add, “Especially Shay Atwood, Ryan Carroll, Aaron Abrams, and Nick DeChristopher.”
“Potato Pancake” GN Selected As PJ Library Title
I’m happy to announce that my graphic novel The Day I Became a Potato Pancake has been selected as a PJ Library title, and it’s also the recipient of PJ Library’s Grinspoon Jewish Story Award (GJSA).
This means that this book has been selected for use in PJ Library’s fall 2026 lineup.
The Day I Became a Potato Pancake was written by yours truly and illustrated by the incredible Beilin Xu. It was originally published in the fall of 2024 by Behrman House, via their Apples & Honey Press imprint. The book is about two kids, Naomi and Ben, whose friendship is put to the test when Ben is transformed into a walking, talking potato pancake.
Here’s what critics have said about this book:
“This speculative, character-focused graphic novel highlights aspects of Jewish identity and culture through multiple lenses to craft a goofy yet nuanced read.”
“This is a really funny Hanukkah-themed sci-fi graphic novel for middle grade or early chapter book readers…It’s a silly read that kids will love.”
“I happily recommend this book to all readers.”
Anyway, I just want to thank Chris Barash, Tasha Flagg, and everyone else at PJ Library for this great honor. Know what? I had a wonderful time writing The Day I Became a Potato Pancake. The work is its own reward, right? But over the past two years since its initial release, it’s been really gratifying to see this graphic novel find an audience. To see critics and audiences respond to it in such a positive way. And now to have won this award, and to have had the book selected as a PJ Library title? That’s just the cherry on top. Except that I don’t like cherries. They really…I don’t know. I don’t like the way they taste. (No offense to people who like cherries.) Who started that whole deal, anyway? Putting a cherry on top of an otherwise delicious ice cream sundae. Was there a period of trial and error there? Did they first put a pickle on top of a sundae and that didn’t really gel with the taste of the ice cream? Then they tried a nectarine and they were like, “Closer, but we’re not quite there yet…” And THEN they tried a cherry? And why do we spell it “sundae,” while the day of the week is “Sunday”? I mean, it’s not like there’s a computer in my pocket which is shaped like a Pop-Tart, and which could answer that question for me in a matter of nanoseconds. Oh wait, there is! Never mind!
Happy 626 Day from Stitch…and Me!
Today is “626 Day,” an annual fan-fueled holiday in honor of Disney’s Stitch, aka “Experiment 626.” And as you may know, over the past four years, I’ve written several Stitch children’s books for Scholastic.
Three of them are available now. They are:
1) The Book of Mischief, an activity book which you can learn more about HERE. And as you can see from the image I’ve posted here, the cover of this book even looks like Stitch! The cover has Stitch’s eyes, nose, mouth, and floppy ears, and it’s made of fuzzy blue plush fabric, so it even feels like Stitch. And yes, the cover of this book is very similar to the cover of ANOTHER Stitch activity book I wrote a few years ago, titled The Adventures of YOU and Stitch. You know what? That’s life sometimes: stuff resembles other stuff. Or in this case, new stuff resembles old stuff. Anyway, this is the official publisher description of The Book of Mischief:
For fans of Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, this new plush activity book features fun writing prompts, drawing prompts, activities, and games.
2) Out-of-This-World Numbers, which you can learn more about HERE. Now, you might assume that this book teaches kids about numbers from 1-10 or something like that. And that’s not actually true. This book teaches kids interesting science facts! But it does that in a very sneaky way: in the book, Stitch tells Lilo about some “interesting and awesome numbers,” each of which is tied to a specific science fact. Like the number 80,000, which is the number of miles the average person walks during their lifetime. Here’s the official 
publisher description of Out-of-This-World Numbers:
Stitch tells Lilo he really likes numbers. In fact, he thinks they are out of this world! Embrace a cosmic attitude and read along to find out which numbers leave Stitch starry eyed!
3) Friends Rock, which you can learn more about HERE. This is a board book which teaches young children about emotions. It also features a squishy replica of Stitch’s head on the final spread. Kids can squish and knead the squishy Stitch head! Which kids (especially very young ones) are wont to do! Here’s a publisher description of Friends Rock:
Lilo is disappointed when Stitch doesn’t want to dance. Stitch is nervous that his plan to cheer Lilo up won’t work. Follow along in this heartwarming friendship story to identify and explore feelings with Lilo and Stitch!
I should also mention that these three books are only available for distribution through the school market. In other words, they’re exclusively available through Scholastic Reading Events (aka Scholastic Book Clubs), so you won’t be able to find them on Amazon. But you CAN find them via the links I’ve provided above.