By Justin Hayford
As a sideline, Fisher has written a book, Adventures of the Rope Warrior: A Legend Is Launched, the first in a projected series about his futuristic alter ego (at the end of book one the Keebarians have invented a highly addictive drug, Zacknu–the primary ingredient is arterial plaque–that they manufacture on earth and distribute all over the galaxy). He’s just had 15,000 copies published. A children’s activity book is also in the works, and Rope Warrior trading cards, more than 100,000 of them, should hit the streets soon. And someday there might be a breakfast cereal.
Best of Chicago voting is live now. Vote for your favorites »
The real-life Rope Warrior grew up in Winnetka and went on to study marketing at Emory University, where he played volleyball and started jumping rope as part of his training. “I got addicted to it. It’s one of the only cardiovascular activities that lets you express yourself.”
That’s why he invented the Rope Warrior and his continuing saga. “In book two Skip finds out that it’s human plaque in Zacknu. He reports this to the Intergalactic Drug Police and then volunteers to go to earth to teach all the kids to exercise, to cut off the supply of plaque. But the IDP says, we don’t have time for that. Their solution is to blow up the earth and get rid of the supply. So book two starts with Skip sitting in an IDP ship, watching the earth blow up.
For all his apparent marketing savvy, Fisher says he basically makes it all up as he goes along. “I don’t know a thing about publishing,” he says, shrugging. He’s footing the bill for the first run of his book and throwing himself into its promotion. Last weekend he appeared at the American Booksellers Association convention, and this weekend he’ll be at the national comic-book convention in Rosemont.
She ushers him into a room with a low dropped ceiling and buzzing fluorescent lights. Using masking tape, she starts marking out a semicircle on the stained industrial carpet to keep the kids a safe distance from the whirling jump ropes.
“Wow! Cool! Awesome!” the kids cheer.
