Ollie & Oona Adventures is a media series designed to help children and their families reimagine Halloween traditions while introducing foundational concepts in business, entrepreneurship, and leadership.
Set in the magical world of Celebratia, home to goblins, leprechauns, elves and other festive creatures, each story embeds a key economic or business principle, such as sunk costs, scarcity, or subjective value within a narrative framework. This approach gently introduces complex ideas through emotional storytelling and character-driven experiences.
The series reframes Halloween around values of generosity, community engagement and meaningful exchange, encouraging families to reflect on and strengthen their traditions. Central to the stories is a family of Halloween Goblins, guardians of the holiday who play a vital role in its economy by collecting leftover candy each year and leaving gifts in return.
I have been part of this project for over a year, developing the visual concepts together with author Brian Ellison and creative director Cristina Ferreri.
– Concepts –
Oona
Oona was naturally the first character concept to be developed.
Her design set the visual direction for the entire Goblin species, so I explored many different styles in the early stages.
Once the overall direction was chosen, I focused on hair studies.
Initially, I considered giving her a French bob haircut (à la Audrey Tautou) since the original stylistic references came from Franco-Belgian comic artists.
I also explored different color palettes.
In the end, we settled on a curly hair, messy, and full of movement, which better captured Oona’s lively and adventurous personality.
Ollie
First studies for Ollie, Oona’s younger brother. I made him shorter than Oona to create a nice visual contrast between the two.
In the first sketches, Ollie wore glasses, but we eventually dropped that idea as it gave him too much of a Harry Potter vibe.
Dilly
Some early concept sketches for Dilly, Oona and Ollie’s father. Dilly is a quirky inventor with a bit of a mad scientist streak.
His look was inspired by Albert Einstein, Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein, and Colin Chapman.
Goblinshire
Goblinshire is a picturesque, village-like city characterized by squat buildings, narrow cobblestone streets, and cozy thatched-roof homes. Its architecture reflects a strong sense of community, practicality and warmth, creating a setting that feels both nostalgic and alive.
Each neighborhood has its own identity. Clever Claw hosts bustling inventors’ workshops, Squiggly Streets preserves the town’s older architectural style, and East Village features more modern buildings and wealthier residents. At the heart of Goblinshire lies the Village Square, a lively hub where goblins gather for markets, festivals, and community celebrations.
For the books, we created a detailed map that highlights the key locations mentioned in each story, helping readers explore the world alongside the characters.
– Book series –
The initial series consists of four books and a guide. Each book features its own distinct color palette, with main color scenes developed for the beginning of chapters and monochrome vignette illustrations woven throughout the text, aligned with each book’s palette.
Book 1 - Oona’s Red Paperclip
Oona really loves ponies. She has dreamed for years of having one of her own. After receiving her grandfather’s advice, she begins trading things, starting with a simple red paperclip, to see if she can eventually get someone to trade her for the pony of her dreams.
By understanding how others may value things differently than she does, Oona tries to work her way up to owning her own pony, but Felicity Dazzlepuff and her snooty friends keep distracting her. Despite Oona trading her way quickly up from the red paperclip, will her strategy be enough?
Book 2 – The Haunted Cleanse
Ollie and Oona’s father leaves for the Hallowed Trek, but his lab is in disarray. Ollie and Oona jump in to try to make sense of the piles of broken inventions and junk, while under pressure from leprechaun investors, one of which is staying at their house and watching their every move.
The twins must make tough decisions as their father’s pack-rat nature flies in the face of his instructions to clean the lab and move innovation forward. Will they find a way to make it all happen while Lucky the Leprechaun hopes they will fail?
Book 3 – Feast of Fortification
Ollie Grimm has been chosen to cook the legendary Acorn Hotdish for Goblinshire’s most important community meal. Days before, disaster ensues: The acorns are missing, the kitchen is in chaos, and Ollie is falling apart emotionally. Faced with impossible pressures and strained friendships, Ollie learns that true leadership isn’t about perfection – it’s about asking for help.
This heartwarming adventure bubbles with teamwork, tradition, and the surprising power of scarcity. Can Ollie and his fellow Fortifiers pull off the impossible in time for Halloween?
Book 4 – Help or Treat
Ollie & Oona get busted with their friends sneaking into an abandoned candy warehouse. Their punishment leads to a surprising discovery: an old roller rink from Goblinshire’s disco glory days.
As they take part in the Help or Treat tradition, they uncover the forgotten story of Disco Dan and a lost era of friendship, groovy music, and roller skates. With their friends Mitzi and Archie, the goblets hatch a plan to bring back the Groove-a-torium, unite the community, and maybe even mend old hearts. Full of mischief, mystery, and mirror balls, Help or Treat is a hilarious and heartwarming adventure of how the smallest acts of kindness can spark the biggest change.
The Goblin’s Guide to Halloween
An Ollie & Oona Adventure Guidebook
The Goblin’s Guide is a unique two-in-one book designed to bring families closer together through the magic of Halloween.
On one side, The Goblin’s Guide for Grown-Ups offers parents a playful yet practical roadmap for creating meaningful October traditions: from cozy dinners that spark genuine connection, to community service with a Halloween twist, to decluttering rituals and reflective moments that transform the holiday into a season of togetherness, gratitude, and joy.
Flip the book over, and The Goblin’s Guide for Kids invites young readers into the adventure. Through fun explanations of the Goblin Exchange, trick-or-treat etiquette, and pages packed with puzzles, stories and games, kids become active participants in the magic.
Together, the guides encourage children to trade their candy for a surprise gift from the goblins, while families build lasting traditions rooted in sharing, creativity, and connection. With its dual approach, The Goblin’s Guide reimagines Halloween as a celebration that delights children, empowers parents, and strengthens communities, one Goblightful tradition at a time.
– Xtras –
