Transcription of Jake Mates's AMA from 2010.

I'm going through some of the interviews of the Animorphs authors, and trying to transcribe them into simple, easy-to-read text. First off is this AMA of Jake Mates from 2010. While, not technically one of the Animorphs authors, this was the first of the Applegate-Grant-Mates family members to do a reddit AMA, so it makes sense to start here.

The comments are roughly presented in chronological order, but with an attempt to preserve the comment hierarchy. Some edits were made for clarity, and much of the non-Animorphs stuff has been omitted.

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Jake Mates (/u/jakemates), the son of Animorph authors Katherine Applegate and Michael Grant, has been on reddit since 2008. He did an AMA in 2010 following these two reddit posts: 1, 2.

IAmA 13 year old web dev and son of K.A. Applegate. AMA

I saw a few comments asking for an AMA and thought I'd make one. My website: http://jakemates.com

EDIT: Getting a flu shot - back in a few hours.

EDIT 2: Back.

So your dad's last name is Grant, your mom's last name is Applegate, and your last name is Mates?

My dad's legal last name is Reynolds. Grant is a pen name.

Before I was born, my dad wanted to change his last name to Mates, a pen name he had used. When I was born, rather than go through two legal name changes, he named me Mates.

Then, he decided he'd rather have Reynolds as a last name.

What's the naming relationship, if any, between you and Animorph-Jake? From what I can tell, you were born around the same time the first book was published, so I'm wondering which came first.

Animorphs came out first, then me. (Pun intended.) However, I wasn't named after him.

What did your mum think of the TV show?

HATED it. Nick fucked up big time.

I'm in the UK, so we don't have the animorphs here, or didn't when I was a kid. I see there are loads of fans of your mum's work here, but what does your mom think about her work? Does she feel passionately about her writing and the characters, or does she regard it as just pulp that she pounds out to pay the bills.

She is passionate about most books. Some cough Harlequin romances cough is just to pay the bills.

So, at which point did you mom start hiring ghostwriters for the Animorphs series? Don't lie and tell me she didn't, her characters would sometimes (and the writing) change drastically between books.

Around book #25. She wrote the outline and edited the GW's version.

Why did she turn to ghostwriters? Was it that she had lost interest in the project, but didn't want to kill the golden goose, so to speak?

She still loved Animorphs - it was actually because of me. She realized she didn't have enough time to be a parent and write a book a month, so rather than make money and miss out, she turned to ghostwriters.

So you're saying you personally killed Animorphs.

I did. Braces

Have you ever talked to her about that decision? I imagine it would be hard for an author to give up creative control over something they created. Also probably made her feel a bit like a sell out.

She doesn't really feel like a sell out at all. It was what had to be done at the time, and she still spend lots of time editing each copy before it was printed.

What kind of money does your mom pull in from her writing? I take it your parents are wealthy, but are we talking filthy-rich or just rich?

Do you have boxes and boxes of Animorphs books at home?

Is your mom friends with any other authors? Do (young adult) authors talk to each other and spitball ideas? (Like CS Lewis and Tolkien) Does she read the other popular young adult books to stay sharp or current with the trends? What are her favorites? Does she get a say in the cover art for her books?

Not even just rich. Definitely above average, but not rich.

We had boxes and boxes, but we gave them all to libraries and schools when we moved to Italy for a year.

She's not a people-person, so she doesn't talk to many other writers. She reads some YA books, but none of the usual popular stuff (Twilight, etc.)

She has no say in cover art - no authors do. Hence why the cover for my dad's sci-fi/horror book looks like a romance novel.

Did you ever grow up listening to any songs your parents listened to? Your mom/dad once referenced NIN in Animorphs. Cassie told her parents it meant 'Nice is Neat' (tell your dad or mom I always laughed out loud at their jokes).

I listen to a lot of the music that Michael listens to - rock and roll and ska - but KA prefers classical.

Dude! Those books where a mainstay in my childhood. I started reading them during a reading competition (which I won) and it took several years finishing them because it was always borrowed out to other kids.

Any plans on making a a new tv-show? I would pay anything to watch something decent.

There have been several attempts, but all have fallen through. Keep an eye out for the relaunch with lenticular covers in Summer 2011!

How much creative control did your parents have over the short-lived nickelodeon series and what were there thoughts on it?

No control of the Nick series. We all hate it.

What's she got to really say about all the fuck ups and mistakes made in her books?

Fans have termed them "KASUs" - K.A. Applegate Screws Up.

Message to your mom: Sequel series. Now. Please.

There's a relaunch with lenticular cover coming out in Summer '11.

Will there be any new material coming out, or will it just be rereleases of the original books?

No new material is confirmed at the moment, sorry.

So what did your family think about the TV show? I was a "meh."

We all hated it.

I guess my question would be: have you read Animorphs? Did you read it when you were younger or recently?

The other question (more of a request really) is that you check out RAF. (Richards Animorphs Forum) they're basically the most active Ani Forum on the web. Your parents have been on a couple of times, answering questions n stuff.

I have read most Animorphs books a few years ago.

I already have an account on RAF and check in every few weeks.