In 2018, shortly after the release of NIGHT NIGHT, BLOO and MERRY CHRISTMAS, BLOO, WKYT anchor Amber Philpot did a feature story about Bloo’s life story.

This is the promo for the piece, which aired throughout the week leading up to the broadcast.

Here’s the complete piece about Bloo, as reported by Amber Philpot.

Philpot’s story detailed Bloo’s journey — from surviving an intentionally set fire at the animal shelter while only a few days old, to becoming the star of a series of funny children’s books that have sold all over the world.

The story struck an immediate chord with viewers, causing Bloo’s books to sell out within hours of its airing, and driving a large spike in fans on social media.

The same night Bloo’s story aired on WKYT, Bloo, and the Big Bald Guy himself — series creator, author, and illustrator John Cory Stringer — were interviewed on live television by Amber Philpot.

Here is that interview, which features Stringer surprising Philpot on live TV by presenting her with a picture he illustrated specially for her.

Fun fact about this: It was absolutely pouring rain when this interview took place, and Bloo had to be dried off in the studio’s green room before going on camera.

Also, we almost didn’t make it to the studio on time, thanks to horrible traffic. When we finally got there, someone announced our arrival over the intercom system by saying, “Bloo is in the building!” People in the newsroom and control room started clapping and cheering.

This announcement was then made on the air by Philpot, who had been telling the viewers that Bloo was on the way to the studio, but was having trouble getting there.

Please enjoy this video of the interview, which was awkwardly filmed as it aired by my Dad.

In June 2019, six months after practically taking over WKYT for a week, Bloo and the Big Bald Guy returned to the studio to promote the release of BLOO TAKES THE BEACH.

During the interview, which was conducted on live television by longtime WKYT anchors Bill Bryant and Barbara Bailey, the Big Bald Guy talks about what he and Bloo had been up to since their last appearance, the friendship of Bloo & Roo, before announcing the impending release of Bloo merchandise, as well as the production of TRICK OR TREAT, BLOO.

Also, Bloo gets bored during the interview and decides to attempt to leave the set, so that’s fun.

On December 12, 2020, the Big Bald Guy himself — John Cory Stringer — was invited to be a guest on Chat & Spin Radio, broadcast out of the United Kingdom, to promote the release of CODE BLOO: A BLOO & ROO CHRISTMAS.

Skip to the 43 minute mark to listen to the interview.

In December 2018, the Commonwealth Journal ran a front page story about Bloo and John Cory Stringer.

The story was written by Carla Slavey, and is reproduced below:

Rescue pup inspires Somerset native to become author, artist

• By CARLA SLAVEY

  Commonwealth Journal

• Dec 23, 2018

  Creative inspiration can come from many sources, which many ascribe to having a Muse. But one Somerset native found his inspiration from the eyes of an animal he adopted - and because of that he has learned how to create a children's book from the ground up.

  John Cory Stringer, current Lexington resident and 1997 graduate from Southwestern Pulaski High School, has published two in a series of books centering around a fictional pup named Bloo.

  The first, "Night Night, Bloo," was published in October, which was then followed up with the season-appropriate "Merry Christmas, Bloo."

  The fictional canine is based on the real-world Bloo, who has a pretty amazing story to tell herself.

  Bloo's real-life story begins as a puppy, being rescued from a fire that demolished the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter in 2013.

  "She was only a few days old when that happened, so it's a miracle she survived," Stringer said.

  She still suffers health problems due to the smoke inhalation she went through that night, such as being prone to getting coughs, but Stringer said she doesn't let it get her down.

  "She's a very happy dog. You wouldn't know she has some of the health problems she has just from looking at her."

  After the fire, she and her siblings were relocated to a Lexington shelter, where Stringer found her when he went looking for a pup. He was immediately drawn to her eyes and personality.

  "I saw this little black fluff ball sitting in a cage," he said.

  She had just been spayed, and the shelter wouldn't let Stringer adopt her that day. The next morning, he ran to the shelter first thing, but learned that she had been picked out to be taken to an adoption event at a local Pet Smart.

  He rushed to the store, hoping to find her there. He found that she was laying in the corner of a cage, asleep, with her eyes closed, and the crowd of people looking at the animals were largely ignoring her.

  He said he saw her crack one very blue eye open and look at him, and that's how he knew he had the right pup.

  "I said, 'Mine,'" he laughed, saying he swooped her up and adopted her on the spot.

  "She was exactly 8 weeks old, and she could sit in the palm of my hand."

  Now, as a full grown dog she is his shadow, he said.

  "She's my little shadow, that's why her middle name is Shadow. Bloo Shadow Stringer," he said.

  "I would take here everywhere with me if I could."

  Their adventures and friendship inspired Stringer to create a book about Bloo, but with no prior artistic training it was an upward battle.

  "I'm an untrained artist, I had to train myself to draw," he said.

  He started by hand drawing on a notepad, then moved to a sketch pad, and finally graduated to drawing on a digital tablet.

  The first book took three years to finish. The second, Christmas-themed one, was written in a month to get it ready for the season. There was much more pressure working on that one because of the time crunch, he said. "It was non-stop. I was so tired."

  He has at least five more books planned.

  The purpose of the books is simply to be entertained, he explained. "They're just silly, stupid fun. No lessons to be learned, nothing sad happens."

  They are intended for children ages 2 years and up, but said that because he knew the grown-ups would be the ones reading them over and over, he added jokes for them drawn into the background.

  He sells them specifically through Amazon.com so that they can be a part of AmazonSmile, a program that donates 0.5 percent of an item's price to a charity of the buyer's choice. He said he has no idea how much the books have raised for various charities.

  He's been on a whirlwind marketing tour recently, with appearances on television boosting sales. That means more people have ordered the book than there were books in print.

  He assured buyers that the publisher is printing more as fast as it can. All orders will be honored as soon as possible, he said.

  Until then, fans can keep up with Bloo's real-world life through Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook, where, as Stringer said, Bloo likes to interact with followers.

In October 2019, the Commonwealth Journal ran another front page article about Bloo, promoting the release of TRICK OR TREAT, BLOO.

That article, written once again by Carla Slavey, has been reproduced below:

Doggo named Bloo features in fifth book

Halloween-themed children's book features Bloo and pal Roo

• By CARLA SLAVEY

  Commonwealth Journal

• Oct 1, 2019

  Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello - Bloo and Roo?

  A pair of canine pals who are at the heart of an illustrated series of books are celebrating the release of their fifth book, as is the author and Bloo's real-life owner, John Cory Stringer.

  TRICK OR TREAT, BLOO follows up on the adventures of Bloo and her best friend, Roo.

  The series began as a children's book, and while the series is still for children, Stringer said it has evolved into books for all ages, something closer to Looney Tunes or a Garfield strip. Background jokes for the parents of young readers pop up from time to time, like Bloo searching for a getup in a chest labeled "costumes that won't get us sued."

  "The art took a long time," Stringer said of the Halloween-themed book. The fall colors required a lot of time to get right.

  But the end result was worth it, he said. "I had a lot of fun doing it. I was laughing as I was doing it, so that's usually a good sign."

  Part of the artwork includes depictions of real-live children who were contest winners on Bloo's social media accounts.

  He drew the kids dressed in the kind of costumes they might want to wear for Halloween, he said.

  "Hopefully they will remember this for the rest of their lives."

  The real-world dog that inspired Stringer to create the series was a rescue dog that has an inspirational tale of her own.

  She started life as a puppy living in the Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter in 2013, and ended up being rescued from the building when it was demolished in a fire.

  She has had health problems from the smoke inhalation, Stringer said.

  At some point, Bloo gained a friend in a neighbor's dog. Roo sometimes spends time with Stringer and his family when his owner goes out of town, so when the two became real-life buddies it became only fitting that Roo start making appearances in the books.

  Roo the character is the more high-strung of the pair, Stringer explained. "Bloo has evolved to be more laid back."

  It's been a little over a year since the first Bloo book showed up on Amazon, and doing five books in one year from the ground up - learning how to draw just to put out the first one - has left Stringer exhausted, he said.

  However, he already has ideas for the next book. While the details are not available just yet, Stringer said he was hoping to get permission to have a cameo from UK Basketball's "Coach Cal" John Calipari.

  Other future plans include a line of merchandise so that fans of the series can pick up stuffed versions of Bloo, toys, coffee mugs or other items.

  Fans of Bloo and Roo's adventures can keep up with Bloo's real-world life on Instagram, Twitter. and Facebook, or watch videos on Bloo's YouTube channel - Bloo Tube.