BOONDOGGLE - THE ADVENTURE BEGINS

Out of the following three options, can you guess which one is a Boondoggle? I mean, could it be: (A) Some type of wireless device you plug into a PC. (B) A phrase commonly used by people who eat chalk. Or (C) The name of the subsequent comic book. Well, to find out the answer, please feel free to check out the ensuing conversation I had with Nick, Nick Arganbright, who doesn’t eat chalk but does create comics.





1) What are your own origins, Nick?   I’m from Columbus, Ohio, and I've always been a big fan of stories and storytelling in general, whether it be in comic books, films, or television. I particularly enjoy tearing stories apart and then writing about them afterwards, which I frequently do while working on stuff at the local Columbus, Ohio Theater, both writing and performing. I’ve also occasionally dabbled in writing comic books myself (such as the fan-made, ‘Ultimate Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ comic book). 

2) What inspired you to create, ‘Boondoggle’?   The idea for Boone first came to me while I was driving home from a two-hour trip to see my in-laws with my wife. Well, we usually alternate driving duties between the two of us, and on this particular occasion, it was my wife’s turn to drive instead of me. So, while I was sitting in the passenger seat, playing about with the radio, I suddenly imagined a Chelonian (humanoid turtle) traveling along the highway, watching the farmland, hills, and valleys pass him by. At the same time, I started to grow tired of working on other people’s projects and was looking to work on my own original characters. So, to cut a long story short, I kept coming back to Boone, wandering around the countryside, and it all kinda went from there. 

3) In your own words, how would you describe this story?   The story revolves around a Chelonian named Boonford T. Doggle ('Boone' for short), who wants to save his family’s farm by selling an ancient, alien artifact he one day stumbles across during his travels. Now, accompanying him on his quest, includes, Oswalt ‘Ozzie’ Clarke and Opal Firestarter, who each have to defend themselves from a variety of strange beasts, bounty hunters, and other characters they run into along the way. 

4) What song would you say best represents this comic and why?   Well, without giving too much away, I’d like to choose ‘Strangers’ by The Kinks, because, in the first book, our three main protagonists kinda get thrown together, and, (with a little luck) will continue their quest in up-and-coming adventures.

5) If you could get a celebrity – either living or dead – to promote your wares, who would you choose, and why would you want to choose this particular person?   I’d like to select the late, great, Robin Williams because he was a huge fan of anything geeky (including comic books) and I would be deeply honored to have his seal of approval. 

6) What have you learned about yourself through this endeavor?   I’ve never worked on a project this big before, both in cost and scale, so the experience has opened my eyes to all of that behind the scenes stuff, such as budgeting and having to work, really, really hard.

And on that note, I’d like to thank Nick for telling us about his comic book, 'Boondoggle', before encouraging you to check out his Instagram, Twitter, and Kickstarter pages.