Diary of a Wimpy made it cool to be a Wimpy kid! Well, almost! But no matter how wimpy you are, these stories have always been super relatable for kids from all over the world. And that's what's made Jeff Kinney - the man behind the Wimpy kid - such a successful writer! Diary of a Wimpy kid has topped the bestseller list, been made into movies, games and musicals - and isn't going anywhere any time soon!

So read on and find out what goes on behind the scenes, and what other stuff Jeff is working on! For more brilliantbook facts, check out these Jacqueline Wilson facts, these Michael Rosen facts, or even these Judy Blume facts!

1. He's from the East Coast of the USA

Jeff Kinney was born on February 19, 1971, in Fort Washington, Maryland. He grew up with two brothers and a sister. His love for books and drawing started early, and he was a hige fan of comics like Peanuts and Calvin and Hobbes. As with most writers, his childhood was a huge source of ideas for his books. More on those in a hot minute!

2. Igdoof

Jeff went to the University of Maryland, where he created his first proper comic strip called "Igdoof" for the campus newspaper. This was his first try at cartooning, and it helped him work out his style and how he liked to tell stories. Igdoof was a big success, and you can see how it evolved into Wimpy Kid!

3. Jeff's Influences

Jeff Kinney was greatly influenced by classic comics and comedy writers. We already mentioned how he loved reading the "Peanuts" comics by Charles Schulz, but he also was a huge fanof books by authors like Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary. These influences helped shape his career - and he always said that if you want to be a good writer, first you have to be a good reader. Wise words!

4. Birth of a Wimpy Kid

Jeff had the idea for "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" all the way back in 1998! He wanted to write a story that was part journal, part comic strip. It took him eight years to work out how to do it, and then finally put together the first book. Before he had any kind of book deal, Jeff just stuck the story online! The first story got over 20 million views on the original website - but people still wanted a printed version!

5. Wimpy Kid Worldwide

The first Diary of a Wimpy Kid was published in 2007 and was an instant hit! Kids everywhere loved the relatable tales of Greg Heffley, a hilariously ordinary middle schooler dealing with everyday challenges. There are now over 18 books, with more than 250 million copies sold worldwide!

6. Jeff Heffley?

Jeff Kinney based the character of Greg on himself. It's always a good idea to do that - as one of the most appealing things about Greg is how authentic he is as a person. Many of the situations in the books are inspired by things that happened to him or his friends growing up! One of the funniest examples is coming right up...

7. The cheese touch!

Fans of the books will remember what Greg and his friends calls the "cheese touch" - which is what happens when you touch the gross bit of cheese that's been lurking in the school for years. Jeff revealed in an interview that the cheese touch was a real story from his own school! The best stories really are real!

8. Wimpy on the big screen

The success of the "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" books meant it wasn't long before it became a series of movies. The first film was a live action and was released in 2010, and it was followed by several more. There were eventually 4 of these made, and now there's a new animated version coming out soon too! But more on that later!

9. Wimpy spin-offs

As well as the main "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series, Jeff has written a bunch of spin-off books. One of the most popular is "Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid," which is told from the perspective of Greg's best friend, Rowley Jefferson. These spin-offs make the Wimpy Kid universe bigger, better, and funnier!

10. Poptropica

Jeff Kinney is not just an author and cartoonist. He is also a game designer and developed the website Poptropica, a virtual world full of fun games for kids. Poptropica was listed on Time magazine's list of "50 Websites that Make the Web Great", and they described as "an inventive megasite for kids with a wholesome and slightly educational bent". High praise! The site has brought fun to millions of kids now, from around the world!

11. An Unlikely Story

Jeff used to some of the money from his successes to buy a bookstore in Plainville, Massachusetts! The store is called An Unlikely Story, and is more than just a place to buy books. It hosts events and workshops for aspiring writers and artists, and gives a place from Jeff's local community to be creative and have fun. It's a real place you can visit and who knows - maybe you'll bump into Jeff!

12. The Wimpy Kid is a big winner!

Jeff Kinney's work has earned him lots of awards and honors. He has even been named one of Time magazine's 100 Most Influential People in the World! His books have won several Children's Choice Book Awards, and his work has racked up an amazing 664 weeks at the top of the New York Times best-sellers list! Woah!

13. Nothing fancy!

Jeff's drawing style is simple. And it's meant to be! His artwork is easy to understand and effective, using basic lines and shapes to create funny, expressive characters. He thinks that anyone can draw and wants to encourage kids to just have fun with their art. His art style has since been teh inspiration for the new Disney+ animated version of the books, where they've kept Jeff's style but made it 3d and full of colour!

14. Diary of a Wimpy Kid World

Unfortunately the isn't a Diary of a Wimpy Kid theme park - but there should be! There are lots of other great things that the stories have morphed into it though, like video games, movies, TV shows - and even a musical! The musical was produced by the Children's Theatre Company and even had a run on Broadway!

15. It's A Wimpy New World!

Jeff is a busy guy, but he's still writing and drawing, and always thinking up new adventures for Greg Heffley and his friends. He has lost of fans now, of all ages, and they patiently wait for his new books! Luckily for them, Jeff shows no signs of slowing down! So we're looking forward to seeing what he comes up with next - and how he can keep inspiring kids to read more. Thanks for everything, Jeff!