Tinx Just Stinks (But Charlie Doesn’t): Local Actor Jason Woods Creates Children’s Book

August 23, 2019
2 mins read
Art by Megan Lawson from Tinx Just Stinks And Charlie Doesn't by Jason Woods, ©2019 All Rights Reserved
Art by Megan Lawson from Tinx Just Stinks And Charlie Doesn't by Jason Woods, ©2019 All Rights Reserved

Jason Woods uses crowdfunding to Launch his new book Tinx Just Stinks (But Charlie Doesn’t)

He’s an actor, director, playwright and composer and this month, Jason Woods adds children’s author to his curriculum vitae. “Tinx Just Stinks (But Charlie Doesn’t)” is a charming story laced together in verse, a fanciful fairy tale of dragons, the triumph of positive over negative and a heartfelt message with just enough of a gooey center to appeal to readers of all ages. 

 It has all the hallmarks of a Jason Woods original, starting, of course, with dragons. But Tinx and Charlie are more than just talking dragons. These magical creatures are full of heart and … hot air.

“It’s about a dragon whose gas smells like cookies and he’s famous and rich for it,” muses Woods, affecting a warm Shakespearean tongue to deliver a line.

There’s another dragon, this one named Tinx, his wind isn’t pleasant and frankly, it stinks. It smells like old eggs and socks worn all day, it crawls in your nose and won’t go away.’

Woods is gearing up to launch a Kickstarter campaign Aug. 24 to fund the printing of “Tinx Just Stinks (But Charlie Doesn’t),” which is illustrated by Megan Lawson of Tampa. Updates will be available at www.mrjasonwoods.com.

Art by Megan Lawson from Tinx Just Stinks And Charlie Doesn't by Jason Woods, ©2019 All Rights Reserved
Art by Megan Lawson from Tinx Just Stinks And Charlie Doesn’t by Jason Woods, ©2019 All Rights Reserved

“She’s just lovely. We work on the art together. She draws and I just give her my feedback. It’s been a great relationship. I was really looking for a classic look with the artwork,” says Woods of Lawson who is helping the story leap from the pages with vibrant and sophisticated illustrations that capture the personality of each character. 

“I’ve written it in verse because of Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein. They really influenced me and there’s a Grinch-like component to it with one dragon not being so friendly and becoming that way over the course of the story. The concept was born in a fantastical way about a dragon whose gas smelled like cinnamon and as I kept writing, it became a funny poem. Cinnamon wasn’t funny but cookies was. You walk in a place and it smells like warm cookies, it’s magical. When someone breaks wind, it’s not magical at all.”

 

No spoilers but Tinx experiences a change of heart that allows him to have a fresh… start.“The theme there is because Charlie smells like cookies, that’s what he’s like on the inside,” Woods says. “I wanted to find some substance. It’s a funny, clever idea but I wanted to have some impact that’s lasting. In the culture that we live in, we need kindness.”

Woods has reached out to his test audience by doing several readings to elementary school classes, who have all responded with big smiles and belly laughs. When asked how he felt about the story, one young boy was inspired to write a book of his own. That is just the feedback Woods was hoping for and once the story is printed, he plans to present that student with a copy of his own to ensure he follows his dream.

“That’s the thing that gave me courage. My wife, who is an educator, said to me ‘Jason, teachers want kids to read. This will make them read. It’s a good story. You’ve got to do it’,” he says. “I’m just imagining the day I see it printed and then handing it to a kid.”

Once the book is funded and printed, Woods also plans to deliver copies to some Title One schools throughout Jacksonville to hopefully inspire and engage more students.

“The lesson in this if there’s one to be found, is really quite simple and mildly profound. The world needs kindness and that starts with you. The things in your hearts will always come true. And these last words are essential, every single ounce, love yourself and love others. That’s all that really counts.”

Current Issue

SUBMIT EVENTS

Submit Events

Advertisements

An Evening with Jason Isbell
The Amp
Collision Homecoming
JWJ Park Events
omaha-steaks-banners

Date

Title

Current Month

Follow FOLIO!

Legacy of Lynchings exhibit at MOSH unlocks Jacksonville's hidden racial history
Previous Story

Legacy of Lynchings exhibit at MOSH unlocks Jacksonville’s hidden racial history

Fantasy Feud: Miami Dolphins prospects, Fanny Packs and a Rooster
Next Story

Fantasy Feud: Miami Dolphins prospects, Fanny Packs and a Rooster

Latest from Art News

November Art Listing

The Art Center Cooperative  “A View From My Window,” through Nov. 9 tacjacksonville.org   Beaches Museum beachesmuseum.org Butterfield Garage Art Gallery Silver Jubilee Exhibition butterfieldgarage.com The Corner Gallery at The Jessie “Marcus Williams: Un-American Gods,” through Feb.12, 2025 movingthemargins.org Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens “Mick Namarari

November Art Listing

The Art Center Cooperative  “Glimpses: Paul Lanier,” through Nov. 3 “Patterns,” Nov. 6-Dec. 8 tacjacksonville.org   Beaches Museum “American Dream: Steps Toward Abstraction | Caitlin Flynn,” through Nov. 5 beachesmuseum.org Butterfield Garage Art Gallery Works by Amy Hemphill Dove, Nancy Hamlin–Vogle, Sydney McKenna, Jan Miller, Debra Mixon Holliday, Paula

Radioactive Roads 

Radioactive Roads  How Far Will the Florida Government Go to Save a Quick Buck Words by Carmen Macri and Ambar Ramirez  On May 1, 2023, House Bill 1191 was passed by the Florida Senate to be sent to Gov. Ron DeSantis for final approval. House Bill 1191 proposes “alternative

“Not So Saint” St. Augustine

Words by Tysen Romeo   Did you know the person they named St. Augustine after was actually an atheist, a thief and a playboy? Turns out “Saint” Augustine of Hippo was anything but a saint.   Born in 354 A.D., Augustine was the son of Patricius, a pagan who worked
July 5th Cleanup
GoUp

Don't Miss

Jason Woods Teams up with the Vintage Players for "Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bells”

Jason Woods Teams up with the Vintage Players for “Mr. Belvedere Rings the Bells”

As a playwright, Jason Woods is always seeking new experiences
What If Jacksonville Suddenly Woke Up?, Photo by Lance Asper

What If Jacksonville Suddenly Woke Up?

Some say Jacksonville is a diamond that wants to remain