Hey! How Did You Know My Name Is Buckles?

Byron Johnson and Mark Josephs met, quite by chance, in the hospital. They weren't sick. They both worked there. Mark, a unit clerk and Byron, an environmental services worker. A lot of laughter and some outlandish ideas brought them together. It all started when Mark brought a Gnome figurine to work. Byron would take three styrofoam cups and place the Gnome under one of them and ask Mark to guess which cup he was under. Although their backgrounds were quite different, they both discovered they had vivid imaginations and creative desires. At one point the subject of black Leprechauns came up. Mark appreciated Byron's keen humor, while Byron appreciated Mark's ability to drive a 1964 Ford Econoline across the country when he was twenty four years old. Not wishing to get dismissed from their jobs for socializing, they got together after work to discuss the idea of collaborating on a story about a light skinned black Leprechaun named "Buckles". They started meeting regularly outside of work. Byron would say, "The story should be educational, for the kids!". That's why Buckles travels to the seven continents and five oceans, learns about music, science, friendship and loyalty. Their shared affinity for rhythm and blues and fascination with yodeling caused them to come up with what they felt was going to be the obvious, next, new form of music, "Soul Yodeling!" After Byron stopped laughing, he said, "We can call it "Sodelin'" That's how the Land of the Soul-da-lers came about. While Buckles journey has taken him to the Land of The Harmonichauns and Soul-da-lers, Byron and Mark's journey has taken them from being co-workers at an Outpatient Cancer Center, to co-writers and friends. As Byron would say,"We have as much fun working on the story, as the actual story itself!"