Career
His most recent book is Memoirs of an Elf illustrated by Tim Bowers, published by Sleeping Bear Press in 2014. "One Kansas Farmer," illustrated by Doug Bowles, was released in 2009. Among his fans is former First Lady Laura Bush who invited him to read at the White House for the 2004 Easter Egg Roll.
As a broadcast journalist, Scillian rose to prominence for his marathon coverage of the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building from the anchor desk of National Broadcasting Company affiliate KFOR-television in 1995.
He currently anchors the primary newscasts for WDIV-television, the National Broadcasting Company affiliate in Detroit. His most recent Murrow Award was the 2012 award for writing.
He hosts the Sunday morning news program "Flashpoint" on WDIV. He originally created "Flashpoint" at KFOR where it continues to air, currently hosted by Kevin Ogle. While still a student at the University of Kansas, Scillian began his television career at WIBW-television in Topeka, Kansas.
After graduating from the William Allen White School of Journalism at Kansas, Scillian worked from 1985 to 1986 at WAND-television in Decatur, Illinois.
He spent the next three years as the main anchor at KLTV in Tyler, Texas, before moving to KFOR in Oklahoma City in 1989. His first published children"s book was Fibblestax, the story of a boy who wins the right to name every single thing in the world. A is Foreign America followed in 2001.
lieutenant"s serendipitous release just before the 9/11 terrorist attacks made it a national bestseller, especially popular among teachers.
Also a songwriter and musician, Scillian released a companion Civil Defense of the same title. The A Is Foreign America album is a child"s country and western musical tour of American history.
Scillian"s music has found success in Europe. His 2000 album, Tulsa, released on High Heel Records received little airplay in the United States, but several singles landed on the country charts in Europe including "Half Past You" which hit number one in Denmark in the spring of 2005.
Scillian has appeared as a television journalist in several films, including Scream 4, The Double, and Mooz-lum.