RumblePitStudio

Rumble Pit Studio started during an unplanned pause in my working life. A work injury took me off the job, and in the months that followed I found out about some other health issues too, that would keep me away from work longer than I had ever expected. Suddenly I had time on my hands — the first time since having my first child 24 years ago — and if I'm honest, I felt a bit lost. But this gave me space to notice my mining career had become monotonous and it was quietly eating away at my creativity.

So I did something about it. Late at night, often until 2am, unable to switch my brain off, I started prompting an AI image generator with exactly what I had in my head — about 100 tries later, out popped Ernie the excavator, and not long after, Dizzy the dump truck showed up too. Two big machines with big personalities, born out of my own lifelong love of trucks, diggers, and anything with an engine and a job to do.

I use AI as a tool along the way, but every character, every chore chart, every book started as my own idea first — I didn't want this to be just another AI-generated store. It's mine, built by hand (and a LOT of prompts), one late night at a time.

My granddaughter is the very first tester of everything I make — if it survives her, it's ready for you. My son and daughter-in-law get the first copies of every new print, sticker sheet, and magnet before anyone else does.

This is only the beginning, too. There are still 8 more characters from the Rumble Pit Crew waiting to be introduced, and 9 more books already taking shape — my 2am brain doesn't seem to be running out of ideas anytime soon.

More than anything, I wanted to build something that lets me stay home and be there for my grandkids, while sharing the thing I love most — big machines and big imagination — with families everywhere. If Ernie or Dizzy can put a smile on one little face, it was all worth it.