Books Open the World in ‘Pop Pop’s Magic Chair’

Long-time Pacific Palisades resident David Russell and illustrator Frank Furlong have completed their first children’s storybook, ‘Pop Pop’s Magic Chair.’ The simple tale tells of a child transported to faraway adventures through books read by his grandfather. The book, published by Dog Ear Publishers, is available at Village Books and the Palisades Branch Library. ‘Frank and I go back 30 years, so this is sort of a renaissance for a couple of old retired guys,’ Russell said, noting that they first worked together producing animated commercials. Later, Russell became a principal in a new Effects/CGI Commercial company representing clients such as the Pillsbury Doughboy, Speedy Alka Seltzer, the Chuck Wagon, American Airlines and Chevrolet. Furlong worked for ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Bobby’s World.’   Russell and Furlong plan to publish 12 children’s stories; their second picture book, ‘The Loch Lomond Monster,’ is at the printers.   Russell and his wife Claryce, a docent at LACMA’s Japanese Pavilion, have three daughters, Mara, Ellen and Hilary, all of whom attended Palisades High School.   Ellen is a stock footage expert for studios and advertising agencies. Her husband, Jeff Rennell, is CFO of Ocean Park Community Center, and their son Aaron is the hero of ‘Pop-Pop’s Magic Chair.’ In addition to writing children’s books, Russell also maintains a writing blog, hub/ages/profile/Russell-D. ‘In the past 10 months, I’ve written 135 stories for adults and children,’ he said. ‘One of my stories is about my friendship with Carmelita Pope (the PAM lady), who in her early years was on Broadway in Elia Kazan’s ‘Cat On A Hot Tin Roof.’ ‘My stories go worldwide, and I regularly hear from Australia, England France, Thailand and China. It’s a whole new world’the Internet’and I’m learning to love it,’ Russell said.