It all began with an ordinary piece of white chalk.

Two hooligans, Dusty Dangero & Dan Dusty, discovered an empty 4 × 6 foot chalkboard at their university. With nothing better to do as seniors on a Friday night, they broke into campus to graffiti all over the board and vanish silently into the night. On Monday morning, the campus was accosted with the words:

“Speak softly, but carry a big can of paint.” — Banksy

The following weekend, they snuck back in and erased the board. Then they did it again. And again. Twenty-four chalkboard quotes later, no one had caught the anonymous duo. In fact, curiously, the university seemed to revel in their ruffian ways, once leaving a $20 bill tucked into one of the chalkboards with a note of encouragement. The money was promptly spent on more chalk.

When graduation arrived, the chalkboards were left behind, but the dangerous lifestyle proved much harder to quit. Though Dusty and Dan eventually went their separate ways, Dangerdust had already taken on a life of its own. And so, armed with a box of chalk and a questionable amount of optimism, Dusty kept going.