Thirty years. Imagine that.
It started with a simple doodle. One day in art school, a quick scrawl of the pen laid the foundation for my greatest creative expression. Or was it a pencil?
I don’t known what made this particular doodle so different but I scribbled it over and over again, plastering the back of my notebook and other surfaces with chicken faces. A squiggly line, two eyes and a beak. (Half a beak to be precise.) Over and over again.
He evolved over time and Boc graduated from a doodle to a full-fledged character. (Click here to see the history of Boc.) Through the years, Boc has been extremely active. He’s been a boxer, gone sledding, played baseball, and ridden motocross.
He’s also been quite attuned to the pop culture world, paying homage to many iconic characters. Characters like Hermey the Elf, Zorro, Indiana Jones, Pee-wee Herman, and many others with unique, funny-sounding names. Each of these character stoked my imagination growing up and/or has influenced me creatively.
Where to Go from Here?
Over the first several years I drew Boc primarily for my Christmas cards, for invitations (including my wedding), for my fundraising efforts, and, occasionally, just because I had a fun idea. I referred to him as my personal masco, but I had no plan or direction.
Eventually, I developed a website. One that few people would visit. Friends and family, of course, and the few people who stumbled upon it. Including one person who mistakenly contacted me to compliment me on my excellent food.
Apparently, there is/was a restaurant on the east coast. Maybe Bok with a K? I can’t quite remember. I’m not sure how this person confused my website for a restaurant’s site but I should’ve saved that email and used as a testimonial.
The website included Boc merchandise fulfilled by Cafe Press. Again, it was friends and family who primarily made purchases, but a few people found Boc by chance on Cafe Press’ website. Which was pretty cool. I saw purchases from New York, Scotland, and Australia.
So the website was up, the merchandise was available, and I continued to draw. I was confident I had a fun, likable character but there was still no plan for Boc.
Imagine the Day
One day, inspiration struck and I found my direction for Boc. I considered my catalog of illustrations and it stoked an idea for a children’s book. Frankly, it seemed like an obvious thing to do and I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before.
I used past drawings, like motocross and mummy Bocs, to kickstart the story.
I’m usually plagued by procrastination but I was diligent about this project. The story flowed and I worked regularly to finish the book, bouncing from writing to drawing and back to writing. As the story progressed, it drove the need for new characters. And so the process went. I blended all new drawings with more past favorites to weave a playful story of Boc using his imagination to have a fantastically fun day.
Direction established. Now I just need to get it published. Imagine the Day Featuring Boc Chicken is available for representation.
Boc Chicken has been a big part of my life over the past thirty years. He’s seen me through cancer, graced our wedding invitations, and has embodied the holiday spirit on lots of Christmas cards. I can’t wait to see how his story unfolds from here. I can only imagine.
