Author's Blog - Rick and Bobo: Superhero Adventure Series

Bobo on Bobo

Written by Bobo

The following is a revealing interview with Bobo, one of the writers of the Rick and Bobo series, by Bobo, one of the characters of the Rick and Bobo series.

Q: I guess my first question is... are you God?
A: Excellent question, Bobo. Yes. I'm God. Well, I'm not THE God, but I am definitely your god. Six years ago you were a figment of my imagination. Today you are a three-dimensional, pseudo-sentient being with years of exciting adventures ahead of you. You will also live forever in the hearts and minds of readers who join you on your journey. Now, since I have given you life and bestowed upon you the gift of immortality, what do you say to giving your creator a hand with this interview?

Q: You bet. What is the Rick and Bobo series about?
A: Well, it's about two brothers who suddenly come into a lot of money. After getting bored, Bobo (me), get’s the crazy idea to be a superhero. I enlist my genius brother (Rick) to help me and it gets us into more trouble than we ever imagined. We wind up in a tussle with Freya Bakken--a beautiful but megalomaniacal woman, Harker--an infamous assassin, Utgard--Freya’s monstrous bodyguard, and a host of other characters.

Q: Who is the series geared towards, who are your readers?
A: Rick and Bobo was written to appeal to audiences from 13 and up, although we have a growing number of fans as young as 11. It was written with several layers, so the older you are, the more you pick up.

Rick and Bobo uses PG-13 language, with no F-bombs. Basically what you would hear on TV, maybe one or two words from NYPD Blue. But if it was a movie, it would be PG-13. Originally we wrote it more for college age readers and up, but with just a small tweak here and there we were able to make it enjoyable for our younger readers.

Q: How similar are Rick and Bobo to you and your brother?
A: Another great question, Bobo. We are very similar to our characters. In fact, the dialog feels so real because most of it is right from our own mouths and from conversations we've had. My brother is really a genius, although he has never told a soul (I do that enough). And me, well, let’s just say that compared to my brother, we are all Bobo-esque.

The REAL Rick and Bobo

Written by Bobo

View more pics of Rick and Bobo

The Rick and Bobo series is written by and based on the lives of two brothers: a hot tempered, muscle bound trucker with a 200 IQ and his adventure seeking, job-hopping older brother.

Nick Ventrillo (Rick) was one of those kids all the other kids hated because he blew the bell curve. Most teachers had to remove him from the grading scale altogether. As a result, he got picked-on quite a bit, then in high school he began lifting weights. Nobody picks on him anymore.

One of my favorite memories was when he and I were in an electronics school together. Nick barely went, then finally just stopped. He had already found a job in the industry while the rest of us had 3 more months of schooling left. They told him they would not give him a certificate if he didn’t pass the final. He said, "So?" They told him if he didn't pass it, he would have to pay back his student grants.

Three months later he showed up on test day--an hour and 20 minutes late to a 2 hour test. He was on his lunch break. I know because he was eating french fries and slurping the remains of a large Coke as he took the test, despite the teachers repeated objections. He chuckled several times at the questions, which didn't go over well with the rest of the class. But he was pretty ripped back then and no one had the stones to say anything. He finished in 15 minutes. The irritated teacher graded his answer sheet right there at the front of the class before he left--he got a 100%.

He looked back at me and he started to laugh. He shook his head at the simplicity of the test and left the room, laughing loudly allllll the way down the hall. The class was pissed, which was the standard reaction of most by the time my brother left a room. As he exited the door at the end of the hall he belted out a final high-pitched cackle. I held back a smile and returned to my test. It cracks me up to this day.