Tom Burgoyne has a new book, the latest in 20 children’s books he has authored about the Phillie Phanatic. 

He’s an expert on the subject because he’s portrayed the Phanatic for 30 years, writes Matt Breen for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Burgoyne, who grew up in Jenkintown, is a diehard fan who wanted to be The Inquirer’s Phillies beat writer when he was in eighth grade, told the student newspaper at St. Joseph’s Prep four years later that he would become the Phanatic.

Then he answered an anonymous ad from the Phillies looking for someone with mascot experience.

He was hired as an understudy to Dave Raymond, who brought the Phanatic to life in the 1970s. Burgoyne took over the role in 1994.

After partnering with freelancer Bob Gordon on a book about the 1983 Phillies, Burgoyne went on in 2004 to create his own children’s series of Phantatic books.

“I see all the kids grabbing their books and paging through them. Then I know that later that night, there’s a pretty big percentage of parents who are going to be reading those books to their kids. It’s pretty cool. That’s for sure.”

Read more about Tom Burgoyne’s journey to become the Phanatic and a children’s author in The Philadelphia Inquirer.