▁is ▁supposed ly ▁the ▁wid ow ▁of ▁the ▁captain ▁of ▁the ▁" Re aper " ▁that ▁has ▁constantly ▁followed ▁Mag gie ▁around ▁since ▁she ▁was ▁a ▁little ▁girl . ▁ ▁Production ▁H icks ▁drew ▁insp iration ▁for ▁Fri ends ▁with ▁Boys ▁from ▁her ▁own ▁personal ▁experiences ▁with ▁her ▁brothers ▁and ▁with ▁hom esch ool ing . ▁Of ▁the ▁experience ▁of ▁drawing ▁from ▁her ▁own ▁history ▁for ▁the ▁characters , ▁H icks ▁commented ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" fr ustr ating ▁to ▁re live ▁the ▁social ▁issues ▁I ▁had ▁in ▁high ▁school , ▁and ▁realize ▁that ▁a ▁lot ▁of ▁them ▁were ▁due ▁to ▁me ▁having ▁so ▁little ▁experience ▁interact ing ▁with ▁my ▁pe ers ." ▁After ▁comple ting ▁the ▁graph ic ▁novel , ▁H icks ▁requested ▁that ▁her ▁publish er ▁allow ▁her ▁to ▁publish ▁it ▁online ▁in ▁web com ic ▁format , ▁as ▁she ▁felt ▁that ▁it ▁would ▁help ▁reach ▁more ▁readers ▁and ▁potentially ▁increase ▁sales ▁for ▁the ▁work . ▁First ▁Second ▁Books ▁agreed ▁to ▁this ▁and ▁H icks ▁published ▁the ▁graph ic ▁novel ▁online ▁until ▁the ▁release ▁date ▁of ▁the ▁print ▁edition , ▁at ▁which ▁point ▁H icks ▁removed ▁it ▁from ▁her ▁website . ▁ ▁Re ception ▁Crit ical ▁reception ▁for ▁Fri ends ▁with ▁Boys ▁has ▁been ▁positive . ▁Kelly ▁Thompson ▁of ▁Com ic ▁Book ▁Resources ▁noted ▁that ▁the ▁work ▁showed ▁how ▁H icks ' s ▁skill ▁and ▁writing ▁has ▁m ature d ▁and ▁improved , ▁and ▁remarked ▁that ▁the ▁work ▁was ▁" so ▁good ▁it ▁leaves ▁one ▁simply ▁excited ▁to ▁see ▁what ▁she