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What happens when a twelve-year-old Wally McDoogle, also known as a “walking disaster area” and “Dork-oid,” battles a bully at summer camp? Or gets cast as the victim of an alien invasion movie? Or gets dragged into a hot air balloon, or gets lost in the jungle of a mission field? All while writing his own hilarious superhero stories?

If you’re Wally McDoogle, you get your own middle-grade comedy series from Christian creator extraordinaire Bill Myers, today’s guest on Fantastical Truth.

To date, Bill Myers’ books and videos have sold over 8 million copies. Not bad for a man who never wanted to be a writer.

As author/screenwriter/director his work has won over 60 national and international awards, including the C.S. Lewis Honor Award. His DVDs and books have sold 8 million copies. His children’s DVD and book series, McGee and Me, has sold 4.5 million copies, has won 40 Gold and Platinum awards, and has been aired on ABC as well as in 80 countries. His My Life As… book series has sold 2.1 million copies. He has written, directed, and done voice work for Focus on the Family’s Adventures in Odyssey radio series and is the voice of Jesus in Zondervan’s NIV Audio Bible. As an author, several of his children’s book series and adult novels have made the bestseller list.

Explore more and follow him by email at BillMyers.com.

We ask Bill Myers:

• How did you first discover biblical faith and fantastical stories?
• How did you help create the video series “McGee and Me!”?
• What inspired your novels such as Blood of Heaven and Eli?
• You also wrote episodes for Adventures in Odyssey with the Mulligan family. How do they reflect your own life journey?
• And of course, how did you create the Wally McDoogle series?
• What’s changed for Wally McDoogle’s new editions?
• Meanwhile, what’s next for your movie Secret Agent Dingledorf and His Trusty Dog, Splat?

Fantastic fans

Elizabeth wrote about episode 22 (the one with the UFOs):

My husband and I were having a similar discussion after watching the Unsolved Mysteries episode about the alien encounter. They had multiple personal accounts. And we wondered, as a person a faith, how do you reconcile that? These people sound so convinced in what they experienced and they have nothing to gain by sharing those experiences. Rather, quite a lot to lose including lifelong ridicule. And then your podcast mentioned something similar about military personnel.

But it was when you were discussing the nukes being turned off and “what if” aliens were trying to save us. I immediately thought of The Day the Earth Stood Still, and John Carpenter’s purpose visiting Earth. 🙂

Just an overall great discussion covering lots of different perspectives and theories. I know my husband will enjoy this as well.

“Straight White Christian Conservative Man” wrote in a YouTube comment (about episode 14):

Please read carefully. The “new heavens and earth” is spiritual, not physical. It represents the new covenant that began at the crucifixion of Christ and was officially established at the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in AD 70, which was prophecied by Jesus Himself. The resurrection is also spiritual. It occurs at the “twinkling of an eye” when people surrender their lives to Jesus Christ, proclaiming Him as their Lord and Savior, saved through faith by His grace, serving with humility and love.

Revelation is the most misinterpreted book in the bible by far. The end of the age was the end of the old covenant and the beginning of the new covenant, the new heavens and earth. Please be skeptical, not only about preterism, but also about what you’ve been taught to believe, that is futurism.

I’m concerned for Christians like you. However, I’m also filled with love knowing that God has blessed us with people like you two. I will continue to pray for this podcast and to watch your podcast videos because I know God is using both of you to shed His light and grace upon others through the lens of fantastical literature. In the meantime, please check out this website for more information. …

Thank you for the shout-out. God bless this podcast and God bless America!

(To this Stephen shares a careful rebuttal.)

Next on Fantastical Truth

We’re finally getting season 2 of “The Chosen”! They announced in July that they would start filming it this fall. This biblical drama from creator Dallas Jenkins explores the life of Jesus through the eyes of those who knew him best: his followers. Season 1 introduced Mary Magdalene, Peter, Andrew, Matthew, and the rest, and it’s taken the world by storm. As it should. Because frankly this is probably the best biblical fiction and among the best specifically Christian-made fiction we’ve seen. How come? And what are the unique challenges of biblical fiction in particular? We’ll explore those next time.