Our Story

Every story has a beginning. Ours began twenty-eight years ago, with a three-year-old boy, an unexpected boogie, and a mother's imagination. That moment inspired the very first John & Boogs adventure, John and Boogs and the Boogie Monster.

John is a cartoon likeness of my son. Boogs, his loyal sidekick, was dreamed up for a little boy who loved Barney so much that he deserved a buddy of his own.

John, age 3, the little boy who started it all.

The long pause

Life asked other things of me first. My careers in the military and law enforcement took me to some of the world's most hostile places, and those years taught me something I have carried ever since: tomorrow is promised to no one. Three years later, I retired from both careers and turned "one day" into Day one. Watching my grandchildren do the very same silly things my son once did, I knew it was time to finish what I started.

Bringing the stories to life

John’s character began with a tracing of my son’s face from a photo. I spent time shaping and refining that first sketch to capture the little boy who inspired it all. From there, the challenge was bringing John into a world of adventures while keeping that familiar likeness.

Bringing these characters to life took years of persistence, learning, and careful revision. Using my original sketch as a starting point, I explored digital tools, including AI, to bring my characters into new scenes and expressions, shaping and refining my artwork to reflect the stories I had imagined for so long.

Why it matters

As a mother of five and a grandmother of four, protecting children is deeply personal to me. My hope is to grow John & Boogs so that I can contribute to the fight against child trafficking. These stories began with my family, but my dream reaches beyond our home: to share joy with children and help build a safer world for them.

My family, my why.

These books are my legacy, something to leave behind for my family. I hope your children enjoy reading them every bit as much as I enjoyed creating them.