MEET “ARTHUR”
The Heart Of the Hangar
Arthur never had a family of his own. Instead, he built one.
During the Vietnam War, Arthur was the mechanic every pilot hoped would be waiting when they landed. He could take a badly damaged fighter and get it back in the air, running at peak performance, in less than 24 hours.
After the war, Arthur opened a small mechanic shop and junkyard, fixing just about anything that came through the gate. More importantly, he quietly looked after his fellow veterans. His yard became a place where old friends could gather, laugh, argue, remember, and heal.
Then the Model Citizens came along.
As the kids begin spending more time at the junkyard, Arthur becomes more than a mechanic and mentor. He discovers that family isn’t always the one you’re born into. Sometimes it’s the people who choose to stand beside you.
Arthur was inspired by Tommy F., a gifted mechanic who kept Nick’s notoriously temperamental Lotus Elan running in his twenties—and often charged him nothing. Like Arthur, Tommy believed in helping people simply because it was the right thing to do.
Who’s the person in your life who’s always been there when you needed them?
MEET “OLD SAM”
Every Hero Needs a “Wing Man”
Old Sam is Arthur’s closest friend and constant companion. He lives at the junkyard, helps keep things running, and is usually nearby with a joke, a sarcastic comment, or an opinion nobody asked for.
But there’s much more to Old Sam than his wisecracks. During the Vietnam War, he was a skilled fighter pilot—fearless, unpredictable, and always ready when his friends needed him. Today, he’s Arthur’s wingman in a different way, helping look after the crew and making sure the details don’t get overlooked.
Old Sam was inspired by people Nick knew growing up, including Sammy G, his first boss in landscaping, and his Uncle George, a Marine with a quick wit and permanent grin. Both helped shape a character who can make you laugh one minute and have your back the next.
Old Sam may be rough around the edges, but underneath it all is a fiercely loyal friend.
Every group needs someone like Old Sam.
Do you have one in yours?
MEET “McFARLEY”
An Artist At Heart
McFarley is one of the most complicated characters in Model Citizens.
Before the Vietnam War, he dreamed of becoming an artist. Painting was supposed to be his future.
Instead, he became a fighter pilot.
War changed him. On the outside, McFarley is gruff, guarded, and tough. Inside, he still carries the weight of friends he lost and memories he can’t quite leave behind.
After the war, McFarley struggles to find his place. Eventually, he settles near Arthur’s junkyard, spending his days wandering the property, nursing a beer, talking to himself, and trying to make peace with a past that refuses to let go.
McFarley reminds us that strength and sensitivity can exist in the same person—and that some experiences stay with us long after they’re over.
He was inspired in part by Nick’s friend, Nick 2, a Marine veteran and artist at heart who understands that balance between toughness and sensitivity.
Which character in a book has stayed with you long after you finished reading?
MEET “MUSKRAT”
In His Own World
Nobody knows Muskrat’s real name.
Nobody is quite sure where he came from, either.
But one thing everyone knows for certain:
The man can fly.
A slightly pudgy pilot in his late sixties, Muskrat is rarely seen without his leather flying cap, goggles, flight jacket, and a cigar stuck in the corner of his mouth. In fact, nobody can remember ever seeing him out of his flying gear.
He likes to be ready.
On the ground, Muskrat seems to live in his own little world. He’s lackadaisical, unpredictable, and usually wears a slightly puzzled expression, as though everyone else knows something he somehow missed.
That’s probably why they call him Muskrat.
But put a controller in his hands and a model airplane in the sky, and everything changes. Muskrat can fly.
He has an almost sixth sense about what an airplane can do, reacting before anyone else even realizes there’s a problem. Rules and flight plans may be suggestions as far as Muskrat is concerned, but when things get dangerous, there are few pilots anyone would rather have in the air.
Colonel Bird may be in command. But even Colonel Bird knows you don’t tell Muskrat how to fly.
Did you ever know someone who seemed completely in his own world — until you discovered the one thing he could do better than anybody else?
MEET “COLONEL RICK BIRD”
Mr. “By-the-Book”
Colonel Rick Bird believes there’s a right way to do things.
And then there’s the Marine way.
Tall, clean-shaven, with salt-and-pepper hair and the posture of a man who has spent a lifetime standing at attention, Bird is a retired Marine pilot who still runs everything strictly by the book.
When the model airplanes take to the sky, Colonel Bird takes command. He coordinates the pilots, keeps everyone focused, and expects orders to be followed, exactly as given.
The kids aren’t the problem.
It’s the other pilots.
“Commanding the kids isn’t bad, but all these foreigners are trouble. It’s like herding cats. As soon as they see the enemy, they don’t follow any rules.”
Hard-nosed, no-nonsense, and always pointing someone in the right direction, Bird may complain about his unconventional squadron, but when the mission gets serious, everyone trusts him to lead them through it.
Because according to Colonel Bird:
“There’s the right way, the wrong way, and then there’s the Marine way.”
Did you ever know someone who believed there was only one right way to get the job done?
MEET “BEETLE”
Every Group Has A Leader
No one remembers exactly how he got his nickname, not even him. Somehow, it just stuck.
At fifteen, Beetle is the oldest of the group. The others naturally look to him, not because he demands it, but because they’ve learned they can trust him.
He’s brave without showing off. Confident without being arrogant. And when everyone else hesitates, Beetle is usually the first one moving.
But as the adventure unfolds, Beetle discovers that real leadership isn’t about being in charge. It’s about earning trust, standing by your friends, and doing what’s right—even when it’s the hardest choice.
Sometimes the best leaders aren’t the ones who ask people to follow.
They’re the ones who inspire others to walk beside them.
Were you the leader in your group growing up—or did someone like Beetle inspire you?
MEET “IAN”
Likes To Take Charge
Ian is the kind of kid who keeps everyone guessing.
A stocky teenager with long blond hair tucked beneath a well-worn New York Rangers cap, Ian has piercing blue eyes and enough confidence to convince almost anyone that he knows exactly what he’s doing.
Most of the time…he doesn’t.
Impulsive, fearless, and always ready to take a chance, Ian has been getting into harmless mischief with his best friend Justin since they were kids.
One of his favorite tricks is pulling out a fake detective badge, flashing it with complete confidence, and barking orders as though he’s in charge.
Somehow, people often believe him.
Ian brings humor, energy, and unpredictability to the group, reminding us that sometimes an adventure begins because one person is willing to try something nobody else would.
Did you have a friend growing up who was always the one talking everyone into an adventure?
MEET “JUSTIN”
What’s Inside The Bag?
If Justin showed up carrying a bag, you could be sure something interesting was about to happen.
He wears a battered brown leather driving cap over a thick head of brown hair and almost always has a shoulder bag tucked under his jacket.
What’s inside?
That depends on the day.
Maybe food. Maybe firecrackers. Maybe something completely unexpected.
Nobody ever really knows – and most people are afraid to ask.
Justin is curious, adventurous, and always ready for whatever comes next. Together with his best friend Ian, he’s been finding creative ways to get into trouble since they were little kids.
Justin was inspired by Nick’s own son, who always seemed to have an idea, a plan, or something unusual tucked away for later.
Every group has that one friend who keeps life interesting and keeps everyone else guessing.
Who was that person in your childhood?
MEET “DOC”
Think First. Then Move
Every team needs someone who can think clearly when everyone else is panicking.
That’s Doc.
A quiet, thoughtful fourteen-year-old, Doc earned his nickname from his last name, Docherty—and because he always seems to have a smart answer when the group needs one.
He’s analytical, practical, and loves solving problems. While the others sometimes act first and think later, Doc is the one who pauses, studies the situation, and figures out the best way forward.
He isn’t the loudest member of the group.
He doesn’t need to be.
His friends trust him because they know he’ll bring reason, logic, and a level head when it matters most.
Sometimes the greatest strength isn’t being the fastest or the strongest.
Sometimes it’s being the one who never stops thinking.
Were you the planner in your group of friends—or the one everyone had to rescue?
MEET “STINGER’
Don’t Underestimate Her
Stinger is the only girl in the group, but don’t make the mistake of underestimating her.
She’s fifteen, fiercely independent, and happiest in a gym, working a heavy punching bag or pushing herself through another workout.
While some of the girls her age were becoming interested in things that didn’t appeal to her, Stinger followed her own path. A tomboy who never worried much about fitting in, she eventually found herself drifting away from her old group of friends.
Beetle and the boys never questioned whether she belonged.
To them, she was simply one of the team.
Stinger proves that courage has nothing to do with fitting someone else’s expectations. She stands on her own, speaks her mind, and never backs down when her friends need her.
Every group needs someone willing to challenge the norm.
Did you know someone growing up who always marched to the beat of their own drum?
MEET “LUIS’
Lives For The Action
At thirteen, Luis is one of the younger kids around Beetle and his friends—and he’d very much like them to forget that fact.
Quiet, observant, and still a little innocent, Luis is thrilled whenever the older kids let him tag along. He may not always be included in everything they do, but when he gets the chance, he’s ready to jump in.
Luis and his family moved from Puerto Rico three years earlier. His father is a firefighter, and Luis has grown up helping around the firehouse, learning early that being useful often starts with simply being willing to help.
That willingness makes Luis more valuable to the group than he realizes. He pays attention, lends a hand whenever he can, and isn’t afraid to step in when he’s needed.
Luis may still have a lot to learn, but every once in a while, he gets the chance to prove he can do more than watch from the sidelines.
Were you ever the youngest one trying to keep up with the older kids?