Saco graduate pens children's books about ranch dog

Roadie is a ranch dog born from the mind of 1993 Saco High School graduate Scott Haynes. If you look closely at any of the illustrations in the Roadie books, you will quickly be able to see that Haynes pays homage to the area in which he spent his youth as each vehicle he draws has an 11 license plate and many of the humans are wearing Panthers gear.

"You will also see Highway 2 signs throughout the books," said Haynes. "That happens all the time, even when I am just sketching. Home comes out, it just happens. I don't know if it is just the synapses in my brain make it happen or what, but it always happens."

In Hayne's first book – Roadie the Ranch Dog – the story starts like it would for any real ranch dog, i.e. in the back of a pickup. As the day progresses for Roadie the story follows the pooch through the animal's eyes.

Haynes' latest book – Roadie the Ranch Dog 2, Why Ranch Dogs Make Pretty Good Buddies! -- follows the furry hero and explains to children what might happen to a typical ranch dog on a typical day on the ranch.

"Growing up as a ranch kid, I always loved animals, dogs especially" Haynes said. "Even kids who don't grow up on farms love their dogs. So I figured a dog is a best subject for my books ...and I like drawing dogs anyway."

When not writing Roadie books, Haynes works at an Oil Refinery in New Castle, Wyo., as an Environmental Technician, a job he has had for the last two years. Haynes lives in New Castle with his wife, Erin, his one-year-old daughter, Roberta Jean and the family springer spaniel, Abe.

Generally, in the genre of children's books, one is either the author or the illustrator of a piece of work. Haynes, however, has achieved both feats in his Roadie books.

"There are a few of us out there that do both," Haynes said," but I am more of an illustrator than an author. Cartooning is my main passion."

Early in his artistic career, Haynes was a contract artist for Leanin' Tree greeting cards out of Boulder, Colo. The Leanin' Tree brand was founded in 1949 after Ed Trumble, founder and Chairman, started selling Christmas cards though the mail to western farmers and ranchers. Two of the bestselling cards which Haynes illustrated were cards in which he also wrote the captions to which helped push him in the direction of the books he now pens.

"I had always kind of wanted to do a kid's book," Haynes said. "Over the last few years, these smaller schools have been getting rid of their art programs and that kind of cinched it for me."

Haynes said his goal was to produce children's books, high on the art side of the spectrum, with the hope that his works would keep children in exploring their own artistic talents.

"And do get them more interested in reading," he added. "That would be a win, win."

Haynes found his passion for drawing at a young age – as far back as he can remember – and it all started with his drawings being proudly displayed on the front of the family's refrigerator. As he matured, Haynes found inspiration in such comic strips as Calvin and Hobbes, The Far Side and Bloom County. As he became more serious about his art, and because he is a "rural kid," Scott said he looked to such Western greats as Charlie Russell as well as a few family members.

"My Uncle (Ron Haynes), and my Grandmother (Oris Dahlen) both painted serious Western art," said Haynes. "But I was more drawn to Western cartooning. I have always had an interest in it and it has always been something I wanted to do."

Haynes also attributes much of his love to art to his high school art teacher, Barbara Whitaker.

"She was always supportive of me," Haynes said. "I always did a lot more doodling and sketching in class than listening. Anything that I doodled or sketched in class that I didn't like, I threw it away. So I was living in Billings a couple of years after I graduated and I get this package and it is from Barb Whitaker."

Haynes said he opened the package and to his surprise it was filled with drawing that he thought he had left at the bottom of the wastepaper basket.

"It was everything that I had thrown away," he said. "Every time I threw something away she would take it out of the garbage and save it. That touched my heart. She was always very supportive of me and I will never forget her for that. I never thought I was good enough to be an artist, but she did and that probably gave me a bigger boost of confidence than anything else."

Haynes said that his parents, Lyn and Linda Haynes, were also very supportive of him in anything he ever did and were integral in him following his dreams.

"They always believed in me," he said. Lyn, who was born and raised in Saco, graduated in 1964 and joined the Army in 1965. Shortly thereafter he met Linda in Georgia after a tour in Vietnam. The two were soon married and moved back to Phillips County.

"They farmed and ranched for a bunch of years," said Haynes. "They moved to Missoula shortly after I graduated."

Haynes said he hopes his Roadie books spur an artistic interest in the children who read his works.

"That is the whole point," said Haynes. "If that makes them want to get interested in art or writing, those are both two important things children can do, creatively."

Haynes said the plan is to continue to write more stories with Roadie and has also Haynes. .

The quickest way to purchase either of the Roadie books is through Amazon. You can also keep tabs on Haynes and Roadie on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Roadie-the-Ranch-Dog/164240817051200.