Sunday, January 04, 2004
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Drawing Children Outdoors

Artist's books use Southern Nevada animal characters to go exploring

Mike Miller creates children's books featuring Tomas the Tortoise and his friends, who have adventures in Southern Nevada. Photo by John Locher.

During the last four decades, Mike Miller has juggled his roles as an artist, business owner, ad man, husband and father.

Now, thanks to the adventures of a little desert tortoise, Miller has one more role to add to the list: children's author.

Over the span of two months, the 64-year-old grandfather of eight wrote and illustrated three books focusing on the adventures of Tomás the Tortoise. And, while they haven't reached Harry Potter sales proportions, the Stephens Press books have done well enough that Miller already has three additional Tomás books in the planning stages.

Since their December release, about 800 copies have been sold. Miller, who designs advertising campaigns as creative manager for the Review Journal, says the books are striking a chord with people because they are set in the Las Vegas area and feature desert dwellers.

"People like them because they deal with indigenous creatures," Miller explained.

In the first book, "One Hot Day," Tomás leaves his Red Rock Canyon hole to visit Lake Mead, seeking relief from the heat on a summer day. Along the way, he meets an army of friends, including a playful coyote, a curious roadrunner, a sunscreen-wearing lizard and a complaining caterpillar. They encounter a flash flood before safely reaching the lake shore.

"Play in the Clouds" continues the weather theme when Tomás decides to play in a cloud on Mount Charleston. Tomás encounters a variety of creatures who live on the mountain, including Snowshoe the Rabbit and Miguel the Mouse, among others.

"Joshua's Surprise" has the tortoise and friends from the first two books providing Christmas cheer to an old Joshua tree.

While the books have Tomás doing things desert tortoises don't do, such as swim and play in the snow, they do feature facts about tortoises at the end of each story.

Miller got his start as an illustrator with Disney Studios in 1957, and worked on "Sleeping Beauty" and "101 Dalmatians." He then went on to work as a scenic artist for NBC and MGM Studios before moving to Las Vegas in 1962 with his high school sweetheart, wife Barbara.

He started his own advertising agency, Miller and Associates, specializing in advertising for entertainers. The California native designed print ads, billboards and everything else to market celebrities, including Elvis Presley, before selling the business four years ago and coming to work part time for the newspaper.

Miller also designed the original University of Nevada, Las Vegas Hey Rebel character in 1980, as well as the logo for the USS Nevada nuclear submarine.

"I think the most important thing I've learned in this business is to be entrepreneurial," Miller said, adding that he envisions turning Tomás the Tortoise into a line complete with stuffed animals and other merchandise.

"Because of my background, I'm not just thinking the illustrative side but where does it go when it leaves my desk? How do you market it and sell it? You have to wear all the hats in the world," Miller said.