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Blackbird Supply Co.

Hello! Welcome to Blackbird Supply Co. (formerly Blackbird Tees), a Richmond, VA based illustration & design company that specializes in small batch screen-printing, apparel, and gifts. We're Jody & Karl, and we'd like to take this moment to share a few random fun facts:     
                         
1. We sat at the same lunch table in high school (remember rectangular pizza?), but it wasn't until our mid-twenties that we actually became close friends. We bonded over our love of solo travel (ironically), and a shared desire to skip town and start fresh somewhere new. So, in 2004, we did just that. We packed up all of our belongings and moved to Seattle, WA with no plan, no jobs, no place to live, and no contacts. Great idea!


2. In 2008, with almost no money in the bank, a looming economic recession, no business experience, and 6 whole hours of screen-printing workshops under our belts, we launched Blackbird Supply Company. Another great idea! What could go wrong, you ask? Everything. Everything could and did go wrong, until it went right, a little bit at a time.

3. Over 14 years of business ownership, we've crisscrossed the country 4 times, visited 35 states, vended at countless craft shows, received 13,000+ five star reviews, hand-printed over 300,000 shirts, hoodies, and tea towels, grown to support two full-time employees (with retirement benefits - hell yeah!), and had the good fortune to meet the funniest, kindest, most generous artists and customers from all over the map.

4. We don't buy any stock illustrations or designs. We don't use digital printing techniques or heat transfers. We don't farm out any portion of our production, and we don't use stock photography. It's just the two of us all the way through. I sketch every design, prep every screen, hand print and photograph each item. Karl packs and ships every order, answers every email, manages wholesale, and writes every single thank you note (phew!). And we love every minute.