To the kids of Andersen Elementary School, Michael Buckley is cooler than any celebrity.
How couldn’t he be? He wrote “SpongeBob SquarePants” episodes, after all.
Buckley, now a children’s book author, paid the kids a visit Monday that included a pep talk about becoming a writer.
The visit comes on the heels of the publication of his newest book, “NERDS: National Espionage, Rescue, and Defense Society,” starring a group of elementary school misfits who double as international spies.
The superheroes’ abilities in “NERDS” stem from the very things that make them geeky. Character Pufferfish, for example, is allergic to everything — from gluten to being punched in the face — and gets itchy whenever danger is near. The Flinch uses his sugar-fueled hyperactivity for strength, and Braceface can make his braces turn into machines.
Buckley got his start with the popular “Sisters Grimm” book series, which features fairy tale characters in a modern-day setting with contemporary job titles. The Big Bad Wolf, for instance, is a yoga instructor.
Kids at Andersen got to do their own brainstorming about what characters should have which jobs; they thought the Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” would be a good ballerina, firefighter or personal trainer.
Buckley said his background in comedy, both as a stand-up performer and television writer, allows him to relate to kids.
A healthy interest in all things gross, high-tech or furry helps, as well.
Now that Buckley has a 2-year-old son, his love of wrestling, video games and comic books is a bit more tolerable to grown-ups, he said.
During his stand-up career, he went on tour with people such as Jon Stewart, Dave Chappelle and Dane Cook. When the kids at Andersen heard the last name, they whooped loudly.
“You should not know who any of these people are,” Buckley said.
Buckley then described the importance of internships to the kids, saying that his college internship was for a certain late-night television host in New York City.
“My job was to take care of David Letterman’s clinically insane golden retriever,” Buckley said. “It was mean and evil.”
But every once in awhile, he said, he was given the opportunity to write a joke that was well-received on-air.
“It felt like I had superpowers,” he said. “It was like I could control their minds. It was the first time I realized how powerful words could be. At that time, I realized maybe I could be a professional writer.”
