Knife and Packer


Photo of  Knife and Packer
'Knife and Packer' are British duo Duncan McCoshan and Jem Packer, best-known for their work as cartoonists and children's authors. They both spent much of their childhood in London - but on different sides of the Thames river (Knife growing up in South London and Packer in North London). Although they wouldn't meet for another twenty years the two young men already headed in the same direction, sharing a passion for reading and drawing which would eventually lay the groundwork for their partnership in writing and illustrating children's books and television series.

McCosham (aka Knife) and Packer first began working together in 1993 on a number of cartoon strips for various UK newspapers and magazines, including 'The Guardian' and 'The Sunday Times'. Their first children's book was published in 2001 and they have since published more than thirty books, including the series 'Zac Zoltan,' 'Captain Fact,' 'Freak Street' and 'Fleabag Monkeyface'.

Author's Comment: Q: If you each had a gross-out power like Fleabag Monkeyface, what would it be?

Knife would like 'Banana Breath' - he wouldn't need to rub out – he could just breathe on the page and the pencil lines would vaporise! And he would always get a seat on a bus! Packer would like to be able to 'Turbo Sneeze' – it would be great if he ever got stuck in the toilet and couldn't get the door open!

Q: What is it about the Fleabag Monkeyface books that makes you both laugh the most?

We find the villains hilarious. From Professor Baad to King Pong and from The Fairy Queen Gwendolina to Commander Skrubbupp they are always completely ridiculously villainous. And best of all they always come to stupidly sticky endings...

Nationality: British