Boo hits the road for a properly spooky adventure

Boo goes on a road trip, and naturally the journey is less about reaching a destination than surviving the next five minutes. A haunted vehicle, a suspicious roadside sign and one very jumpy travelling companion are enough to turn an ordinary drive into comic-strip chaos.

For Boo, the open road offers endless opportunities for mischief. Every stop becomes a possible haunting, every shadow looks guilty, and every cheerful “G’day” from a passing stranger may conceal something supernatural. The result is a lively adventure with plenty of room for visual jokes and wonderfully silly surprises.

That spirit fits comfortably alongside the cartoon worlds associated with Andy Fanton’s work. The trip can be read as a compact comic story, a collection of expressive drawings, or a playful extension of the character’s spooky appeal. It is a road journey with a distinctly Australian sense of humour: dry, brisk and ready for trouble at the servo.

Packing the perfect haunted car

Boo does not need much luggage. A sheet, a few mysterious props and an emergency supply of snacks should be enough for the trip, although the snacks may vanish before the first major turn-off. The car itself is likely to be old, rattly and unwilling to explain why its headlights blink whenever Boo gets excited.

A good road-trip cartoon depends on clear, funny details. The boot might contain a torch with dying batteries, a paper map marked with ominous crosses and a thermos labelled “Definitely Not Ectoplasm”. Each object gives Boo another chance to create a visual gag before the car has even left the driveway.

The first stop is already suspicious

The opening stretch should feel familiar: wide roads, bright skies and the comforting promise of a nearby service station. Then a sign appears pointing towards a place called Phantom Creek, Dead Man’s Bend or simply “Free Wi-Fi”, and Boo insists that the car turn around immediately.

Australian readers know the rhythm of a long drive. There is the debate over who gets the front seat, the hunt for a decent coffee and the inevitable request to stop “five minutes ago”. A spooky detour through the bush becomes funnier when it interrupts those ordinary frustrations, especially if Boo is the only passenger who can see the ghostly hitchhiker.

A servo with something to hide

The roadside servo is a perfect setting for Boo’s next mishap. Fluorescent lights hum above shelves of pies, icy poles and instant coffee, while a bored attendant watches Boo drift past the counter without making a sound. A polite “No worries” may be followed by a scream when the attendant notices that the customer has no visible feet.

The scene also gives the story a local flavour without needing a long explanation. A dusty ute, a rack of road maps and a sign promising the “best vanilla slice for 300 kilometres” immediately place the action in an Australian landscape. Boo’s attempt to pay with a handful of ancient coins only makes the supernatural situation more awkward.

Across the long, empty stretch

Once the car leaves the populated roads, the adventure can expand into classic outback absurdity. The horizon seems to go on forever, the mobile signal disappears and the only company is a flock of unimpressed birds. Boo may enjoy the isolation until a road sign announces that the next fuel stop is 180 kilometres away.

The Nullarbor would make an especially striking backdrop, with its immense scale turning Boo into a tiny floating figure against the landscape. A ghost who normally relies on dark rooms and creaking doors has to work much harder under a blazing Australian sun. Even the flies refuse to be frightened.

Maps, detours and bad directions

A road trip needs a wrong turn, and Boo is perfectly placed to cause one. The map could be upside down, the GPS voice could be haunted, or every direction might be delivered by a ghost who has not travelled since 1897. A short detour quickly becomes a quest involving an abandoned motel, a locked gate and an unusually judgmental emu.

The visual storytelling can stay fast and readable, just as a strong mini-strip should. A single panel showing the road sign changing behind Boo may do more work than a page of explanation. Readers can follow the chase, spot the background jokes and enjoy the escalating confusion without losing the simple pleasure of the gag.

When the passengers become ghosts

The best twist may come when Boo discovers that the other travellers are already ghosts. They have been sitting in the car for hours, complaining about the air conditioning and asking whether anyone packed a charger. Boo, delighted to find company, begins trying to frighten them, only to learn that they are much scarier than he is.

This reversal gives the story a warm comic centre. Boo may be spooky, but he is also curious, eager and slightly hopeless at recognising danger. The supposedly frightening passengers could argue about whether to stop in Wagga Wagga or push on towards Melbourne, bringing everyday travel disagreements into an afterlife setting.

Reaching the destination

The destination should feel like a payoff rather than a simple finish. Perhaps Boo arrives at a seaside town just before sunset, discovers that the hotel has no vacancy and finds the only available room is occupied by a family of invisible holidaymakers. Alternatively, the road ends at a haunted fairground where every attraction is free because nobody alive will go inside.

A final visual gag can send Boo straight back onto the highway. After all that effort, he may realise that the car has been travelling in a giant circle and is parked outside the original house. The “road trip” becomes a complete loop, with Boo waving cheerfully as the engine coughs and the next adventure begins.

Bring Boo’s journey to life with expressive character work, sharp roadside details and a generous supply of ghostly trouble. Explore more of Andy Fanton’s comic drawings for the energy, wit and visual imagination that make a small spooky character feel ready for any road ahead.