Aaron Blabey is a celebrated Australian author and former actor, widely recognized for his impact on children’s literature. Born on January 1, 1974, Blabey is the creative mind behind three best-selling children’s book series: Pig the Pug, a humorous picture book series about an ill-tempered dog; The Bad Guys, a #1 New York Times best-selling graphic novel series following a group of misunderstood villains trying to become heroes; and Thelma the Unicorn, a whimsical tale of a plain pony who finds fame pretending to be a unicorn. As of December 2022, over 35 million copies of his books are in print, with more than 120 weeks collectively spent on the New York Times best-seller list.

Blabey’s work has also made a successful leap to the screen. The Bad Guys was adapted into an animated feature film by DreamWorks Animation, premiering in the U.S. on April 22, 2022. The film, featuring the voices of Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina, Marc Maron, Craig Robinson, and Anthony Ramos, debuted at #1 at the U.S. box office and went on to become the fifth-highest-grossing animated film of the year. Blabey served as an executive producer on the project. In addition, Netflix announced in May 2019 that it is developing a movie-musical adaptation of Thelma the Unicorn, with Blabey also involved as an executive producer.

Before his writing career took off, Blabey was a successful actor. He starred in notable Australian television dramedies such as The Damnation of Harvey McHugh (1994), for which he won an Australian Film Institute Award, and CrashBurn (2003). He stepped away from acting in 2005 to focus on writing, a decision that led to his remarkable success in children’s publishing.