Jeff Kinney

Feature Story
Dave Thompson
colored Tiki characters. It was
enthusiastically received by those
who heard it, but Devlin lacked
the resources to get it to print. He
took the Neon Tiki Tribe as far as
he could on his own. “It took me
about a year to realize I needed an
investor,” he explains. From his
Florida home, Devlin ran an ad in
USA Today seeking one.
Devlin is clearly passionate about introducing the
Neon Tiki Tribe to as many children as possible, and
with good reason. He was 21 years old and serving in
the United States Air Force on Sept. 19, 1980 when he
narrowly survived a Titan II missile explosion in a silo.
The explosion sent Devlin sliding 60 feet on his back.
In addition to severe burns on his face, neck, back and
hands, he suffered a ruptured eardrum, a shattered ankle
and a severed Achilles tendon. Devlin’s story is featured
in Eric Schlosser’s book Command and Control.
Greg Devlin
Roughly 1,000 miles away in
Indiana, David Thompson saw the
ad. The successful janitorial service
contractor reached out to Devlin
and the two began the partnership
“We wanted to create characters that
would actually teach children, not just
waste their time. We wanted
something meaningful.”
To Devlin, it’s clear why he survived that horrific
accident. “I believe there are two reasons God kept
me alive,” he said. “One is for my wife and our four
daughters who wouldn’t have been born. The second
reason is to bring the positive message of the Neon Tiki
Tribe to as many children as I can. I got a second chance
on life. I want to make a difference by helping as many
kids as possible. I know I speak for both Dave and me
when I say that in the end, it’s all about the kids.”
For more information about the Neon Tiki Tribe, visit
www.neontikitribe.com or find them on Facebook. •
that continues today. Initially, the pair envisioned the
tikis as non-violent action heroes. “We learned that
that’s an oxymoron,” says Devlin. “Where do you get
the action?” The two were unable to make it work and
the project went under.
Devlin credits Thompson with motivating him to
continue. “At that point, I was crushed, exhausted and
broke,” says Devlin. “Dave was the one who said, ‘Hey,
let’s revamp this and make it work.’ If Dave and his wife
Jane weren’t there, this never would’ve happened.”
Seven years ago, the pair headed back to the drawing
board. “We decided to focus on the idea of creating
educational superheroes,” says Thompson. “We wanted to
create characters that would actually teach children, not
just waste their time. We wanted something meaningful.”
The pair has spent the last seven years building the
content for the project. They even brought in a team
of educators to write Common Core teaching guides
available on the Neon Tiki Tribe website. They’re
currently working on promoting the Neon Tiki Tribe
books and apps to elementary schools. Additionally,
each of the Neon Tiki Tribe books is printed in
Dyslexie, a font designed to be easier for dyslexics to
read. According to Devlin, people often question why
they pay to use the special font in their books. “‘Who
cares?’ they ask. The little boy or girl who struggles
with dyslexia cares. If we can do it, why not do it?”
A Special Gift for
Story Monsters Ink Readers
from the Neon Tiki Tribe
3 Free Apps for 3 Days Giveaway –
Just Download to your Favorite Device!
Available November 1 – 3
Strangers: The Ku Kidnapping
(Android/Kindle - English)
(Android/Kindle - Spanish Version)
Desconocidos: El Secuestro Ku
(Apple iPad/iPhone - English)
Bullies: Playground Push-Around
(Android/Kindle - English)
(Android/Kindle - Spanish Version)
Acosadores: Intimidación en el pati de recreo
(Apple iPad/iPhone - English)
StoryMonstersInk.com | NOVEMBER 2015 | Story Monsters Ink 19