If you’ve ever wondered what happens when a graphic designer drinks a tall glass of curiosity, then chases it with children’s books, board games, and a dash of “wait… that’s actually hilarious,” you’re in the right place. Avery Nubson is one of those creative multi-hyphenates who shows up in more lanes than a Minnesota roundabout: design and marketing, kid-lit, games, and visual artoften with humor as the glue that keeps everything from flying off the table.
This article is a deep dive into who Avery Nubson is, what he’s made, and why his work is a useful case study for anyone who loves storytellingwhether you’re reading to a kindergartener, pitching a brand, or plotting a cardboard heist with squirrel mobsters (yes, that’s a thing here).
Who Is Avery Nubson?
Avery Nubson is a U.S.-based creative professional known for work that spans multiple formats: children’s books (as both author and illustrator), tabletop games, and marketing/design projects. That mix matters because his output isn’t “random creative stuff.” It’s the same skill setvisual communication, pacing, and punchy ideas wearing different costumes depending on the stage.
In practical terms, that means you’ll find his name attached to playful alphabet books, humor-forward kids’ titles, game designs that reward clever decisions, and marketing content aimed at helping businesses be seen (and not eaten alive) online.
The through-line: playful clarity
The easiest way to understand Nubson’s creative fingerprint is to look at the recurring pattern: take something familiar (the alphabet, dinosaurs, a duel at high noon, a bodily function everyone has), then make it more memorable through humor, structure, and visuals that do the heavy lifting. The result is work that’s approachable, easy to “get,” and oddly hard to forget. (Try un-remembering a children’s book title that includes the word “fart.” I’ll wait.)
A Creative Career Built on Design, Storytelling, and “Make It Make Sense”
Before many creators branch into books and games, they learn how to ship work in the real world: deadlines, clients, budgets, and feedback that arrives like an uninvited group text. Nubson’s professional identity includes marketing and designfields where you’re rewarded for turning chaos into clear, useful messages.
Why design experience shows up in his books and games
Design trains you to ask brutal questions: What is the point? What should someone do next? Can they understand this in three seconds? Those questions are also the difference between a children’s book that gets reread and one that becomes a dust collector, and between a game that’s “fun chaos” and one that’s “confusing chaos.”
In Nubson’s work, you can see that designer mindset in choices like:
- Simple, readable layouts that work well for young readers and adults reading aloud.
- Strong hooks (titles and concepts that are instantly understandable).
- Clear rules and consistent visual cues in game designs.
Marketing-savvy without turning everything into an ad
There’s a difference between “knowing marketing” and “making everything feel like marketing.” Nubson’s public writing about online scams and SEO topics shows a practical, cautionary tonemore “here’s what to watch for” than “buy my magic system.” That same sensibility carries into his creative work: it’s engaging first, clever second, and only then (sometimes) a lesson snuck in under the couch like a LEGO you’ll find later with your foot.
The Children’s Books: Humor That Teaches (Without Feeling Like Homework)
Avery Nubson has published multiple children’s books, often writing and illustrating them himself. His kid-lit work tends to lean on a smart formula: familiar structure (like ABCs) plus a playful twist that gives parents something to enjoy too. That matters because “books kids tolerate” are fine, but “books families reread” are the goal.
Pandas Paint in Pajamas: ABCs with personality
Pandas Paint in Pajamas is presented as an alphabet book, but it plays like an ABC comedy tour. The structure is recognizableletter by letterwhile the content aims for chuckles and conversation. An alphabet book can be purely functional (“A is for Apple”), or it can be a springboard for vocabulary, jokes, and absurd little scenes that keep attention. Nubson goes for the latter.
A useful detail: this book is often listed for early-childhood ages and described as a read-aloud-friendly experience. That fits the “designed to be performed” viberhythm, quick beats, and a tone that rewards animated reading.
Even Pretty Girls Fart: the title that does 80% of the work (and that’s the point)
Let’s not pretend we’re above it: the title Even Pretty Girls Fart is a magnet. Kids laugh. Adults smirk. Someone in the room says, “Wait… that’s the actual title?” and now everyone is paying attention.
But here’s what makes the concept more than a cheap joke: it normalizes an everyday human function in a way that’s age-appropriate and disarming. Little kids are often in the “bodies are weird and I have a thousand questions” stage. Humor makes those questions easier to handle. The book’s straightforward premise (“everyone does it”) can also turn into a gentle nudge about shame, kindness, and not making people feel bad for being human.
In reviews and listings, the book is frequently described as short, simple, and aimed at young readerswhich is exactly right for a theme that should land quickly, get a laugh, and exit before it becomes a lecture.
Explorasaurus ABCs: dinosaurs meet alphabet, with a stealth dose of science
Explorasaurus ABCs is another alphabet title, but the angle is different: dinosaurs. The ABC structure gives kids a learning scaffold, while the dinosaur theme adds natural curiosity. It’s a clever pairing because dinos already come pre-loaded with questions (“Why are their names so long?” “Was that one really that big?” “Could it beat a robot?”).
Coverage of the book has highlighted an educational flavormore than just letters, it acts like a kid-friendly introduction to dinosaur names and concepts. This is the kind of “learning” that sneaks in while a child is busy being thrilled that a creature called something like a Micropachycephalosaurus can exist.
From Picture Books to Playtesting: Avery Nubson in Tabletop Games
If children’s books are about pacing and delight, tabletop games are about pacing and delight… plus rules, plus arguments about rules, plus that one friend who “doesn’t like reading instructions” but somehow always wins.
Nubson’s game work shows up under different banners and collaborators, but the pattern remains: accessible premises, fast engagement, and themes that make people lean in.
Wild Guns: Showdown At High Noon (card game), not the video game
First, a quick clarification: there’s a cult-classic video game called Wild Guns. Nubson’s work in this space is associated with Wild Guns: Showdown At High Noon, a tabletop card game. Similar name, different hobby, far fewer pixels, and (usually) fewer batteries.
The card game is positioned as a fast-paced gunslinger duel/contest for multiple playersbuilt around the drama of high noon: bluffing, timing, and trying to outshoot opponents at the exact right moment. Descriptions emphasize quick play and high action, which is consistent with “filler” style games: easy to teach, quick to finish, and likely to trigger the phrase, “Okay, one more round.”
Nutorious: squirrels, mobsters, and a very serious nut economy
If “gunslingers at high noon” is a classic theme, Nutorious is a gleeful swerve: squirrel mobster families battling over nut stashes. It’s the kind of concept that sounds ridiculous until you realize: ridiculous is memorable, and memorable is half the battle in tabletop.
The game has been presented as a take-that / deck-building experience where players protect their stash from rivals. That implies a mix of engine building (you improve your deck over time) and direct interaction (players mess with each other). Translation: it can be friendly, but it can also get delightfully pettylike a family reunion, but with better art.
What’s especially interesting from a creative perspective is the long development arc discussed publicly by the creators. Spending years on iteration is common in tabletop because balance is everything. A game can have the best theme on earth, but if one strategy dominates, the table will figure it out and the fun collapses.
Art, Community, and the Fargo–Moorhead Creative Orbit
Nubson’s presence isn’t limited to products you buy and play. His work also shows up in local arts contextsexhibitions, community art spaces, and the broader creative ecosystem that exists outside major coastal hubs.
Why regional creative work matters
The internet makes it easy to assume everything important happens in New York, Los Angeles, or whatever city your favorite TV show is set in. In reality, regional scenes are often where creators build the kind of sustainable practice that lasts: you can experiment, collaborate, and reach real audiences without needing a press agent and a stress rash.
In that context, Nubson’s mix of illustration, design, and community-facing projects reads like a creator building both a body of work and a creative lifeone where art, business, and play aren’t competing; they’re cross-training each other.
Resilience and Reinvention: Creativity After a Life Disruption
Some creators have a neat, linear story: school, career, success, montage, credits. Others have a story with a hard plot twistinjury, chronic health challenges, or a major life change that forces reinvention. Public interviews and personal writing connected to the Nubson household discuss navigating life after a serious disruption, including chronic pain and a recovery journey that reshaped how work and life function.
The reason this matters in an article about creative output is simple: creativity isn’t just “inspiration.” It’s stamina, systems, and identity. When your health or capacity changes, you often have to rebuild all three.
What reinvention looks like in practice
Reinvention is rarely glamorous. It’s more like:
- Redesigning routines so you can still produce work consistently.
- Choosing projects that match your current energy, not your past ego.
- Finding meaning in smaller wins (and learning not to treat rest like failure).
Nubson’s rangedesign, books, gamescan be read as creative flexibility. When one lane is harder, another may be more doable. That’s not “doing everything.” It’s building a portfolio ecosystem where you can keep moving, even if your pace changes.
What Creators (and Marketers) Can Learn from Avery Nubson
Whether you’re a writer, designer, small business owner, or someone who owns twelve dice sets “ironically,” Nubson’s body of work offers a few repeatable lessons.
1) Pick a structure people already understand
Alphabet books work because the structure is familiar. Western shootouts work because the stakes are intuitive. Even the “everyone farts” premise works because it’s universal. Familiar structure buys you attention; your creative twist earns the laugh.
2) Titles are not decorationthey’re strategy
“Even Pretty Girls Fart” is not subtle, and that’s exactly why it works. A good title is a promise. It tells the audience what emotional experience they’re about to have. Nubson’s titles tend to be clear, direct, and slightly mischievouswhich is a strong brand in itself.
3) Make the visuals do real work
In children’s books, illustrations aren’t wallpaper; they’re part of comprehension. In games, visual cues reduce confusion and speed up play. A designer’s habit of thinking visually is a competitive advantage in both formats.
4) Build things people share
The most successful creative projects aren’t just “good.” They’re talkable. A kid repeats a funny line. A parent snaps a photo of the book cover. A game group tells another group, “You have to try this.” Nubson’s themes are naturally shareable because they’re easy to describe in one sentence.
FAQ: Quick Answers About Avery Nubson
Is Avery Nubson an author or an illustrator?
He’s bothhis children’s books commonly list him as the writer and illustrator, which means the voice and visuals are designed as one package.
What are Avery Nubson’s best-known books?
Titles frequently associated with him include Pandas Paint in Pajamas, Even Pretty Girls Fart, and Explorasaurus ABCs.
Does Avery Nubson make board games?
Yes. His game work includes a gunslinger-themed card game (Wild Guns: Showdown At High Noon) and the squirrel-mobster game Nutorious.
Is Wild Guns the same as the classic video game?
No. The video game Wild Guns is a separate work. Nubson’s “Wild Guns” refers to a tabletop card game.
Conclusion: A Career Powered by Play
Avery Nubson’s work is a reminder that “serious creativity” doesn’t have to look serious. You can build a meaningful creative career using humor, approachable design, and ideas that make people gather aroundwhether that gathering is on a couch for storytime or at a table arguing (lovingly) about who stole whose nuts.
If you’re studying creative careers, he’s a great example of cross-medium consistency: the same instinctsclarity, pacing, visual storytelling, and a willingness to be a little ridiculousapplied across books, games, and marketing. And if you’re just here because you saw the word “fart” and clicked? Honestly: valid. Welcome.
Experiences Inspired by Avery Nubson’s Work (500+ Words)
The best way to understand a creator like Avery Nubson isn’t to stare at a résumé (though résumés are cute, in a “my accomplishments are in bullet points” kind of way). It’s to picture the real-life moments his work is built forthe ones that happen in living rooms, classrooms, and game nights.
Start with children’s books, because that’s where “experience” is literal: you’re not just reading, you’re performing. With a title like Even Pretty Girls Fart, the experience often begins before page one. A kid sees the cover and laughs. An adult tries to keep a straight face and fails. Someone says, “Can we read that?” and suddenly you’re in a tiny comedy club where the audience is four feet tall and brutally honest. The shared giggle does something sneaky: it lowers the temperature. Kids who feel shy about body stuff get a permission slip to ask questions. Adults get a reminder that normalizing a topic can be as simple as treating it like… normal.
Then there’s the alphabet-book experienceespecially with something like Pandas Paint in Pajamas or Explorasaurus ABCs. If you’ve read ABC books out loud, you know the usual rhythm: letter, word, page turn, repeat, hope your voice lasts. But the more playful the concept, the more those books become prompts for conversation. Kids stop you. They point. They ask why the dinosaur is doing that. They insist on rereading their favorite letter. That’s the hidden value: the alphabet becomes a structure for interaction rather than a checklist.
If you’ve ever watched a child latch onto a niche obsession (dinosaurs, space, trucks, glitter, the concept of “why”), you know how powerful a theme can be. Dinosaur-themed ABCs aren’t just about letters; they’re an invitation to curiosity. You read a name, your child tries to pronounce it, everyone laughs, and then you’re suddenly on a mini science tangent. That’s a real experience outcome: learning triggered by delight, not pressure.
Now shift to tabletop games. The experience here is different but equally social. A gunslinger card game like Wild Guns: Showdown At High Noon tends to create those fast, cinematic moments: the table goes quiet, someone debates their move, and thenbamsomeone pulls off the exact play they needed. The best “quick games” end with the group immediately recalibrating: “Okay, now I know how you think,” followed by, “Run it back.” You get a burst of excitement without needing a three-hour rules seminar or a spreadsheet.
And then there’s Nutorious, whichbased on the concept aloneinvites a very specific vibe: playful sabotage with cartoonish stakes. “Squirrel mobsters” practically writes the table talk for you. People narrate their moves. They adopt fake accents. They accuse each other of being “the worst kind of criminal… a snack thief.” Games like that become stories you retell later, not just points you scored. Even if you lose, you might leave with the better anecdote, which is arguably the real victory.
Finally, there’s the creator-to-creator experience: seeing someone build across mediums can be oddly freeing. It’s a reminder that you’re allowed to make more than one kind of thing, and that skills transfer. Writing helps design. Design helps games. Games teach pacing. Kids’ books teach economy. If you’ve ever felt boxed into a single label“I’m a marketer,” “I’m an artist,” “I’m a writer”work like Nubson’s makes a quiet argument that labels are tools, not cages. And sometimes the most productive creative move is to follow the fun, then build the discipline around it.
