Recognition

First off before we get started I would like to thank the folks over at IAMTHETREND for being awesome and showing off my new OMUNKY tee, Candy Bars in Flight. You can watch the video here. They talked a little before showing the shirt so if you would like to skip that and see the OMUNKY tee conversation, it is at around 10:13 into the video.

I would also like to thank Bo over at Loving This Tee for her fabulous write up of OMUNKY's Harry Hippo shirt. I would much rather read an article on my shirts that has some heart put into it, than to see someone just copy and paste my shirt descriptions into their blog.

So I am loving the attention OMUNKY is getting lately. When you first start out an online clothing company, at least in my opinion, you feel very alone out there in the world wide web. You set up these stat counters to monitor how many people are actually visiting your site, and it makes you sad when you realize not many people know you or your brand exist. I'm sure this is pretty standard with a lot of new brands.

But now the time has come where OMUNKY is receiving the attention it deserves! People are writing about it, posting links and it is wonderful. The best part of my day is when I wake up and check my internet (I am not rushing to my computer peoples, I use my phone!), and find that I have received mail from a random person telling me he/she digs my designs and to keep it up. I just want to let everyone know that I read every single piece of email that is sent to me and that I appreciate your comments =)

I am just finishing up the design for December's tee, and I am very happy with the way it turned out. I love everyone of my designs for different reasons and I think this new one will be very popular. In terms of design skill, I think my raccoon shirt tops the others. It just had more detail in it and the shadows and highlights were top notch in my book. This new design will take that concept to the next level. It contains more scenery than my last shirt and will be available on the 1st of December!

Well Thanksgiving is on the way and that means "Black Friday" will soon follow. OMUNKY is not sending out discount codes or coupons for this "special" occasion. Instead, allow me to treat you to FREE SHIPPING! That's right, no matter where you are from, head to the OMUNKY store on 11/27 and pick up an OMUNKY tee or belt!

Aren't you blog readers lucky.... You get to find out about this long before I tell any of my other social media followers...haha!

Well that is all for now, I hope you enjoyed this read!

ta ta

Rick

Web Hits

Hello all!

So I am starting to get some attention from the web. Tshirt bloggers and reviewers are starting to talk about OMUNKY and it is wonderful!

Recently I have started to do a lot of OMUNKY publicity, contacting various t shirt people and telling them about my new brand. As a result, OMUNKY has been featured on some great sites. Here are a few examples:

Coty Gonzales

Hideyourarms

Tshirtreview

I just wanted to take the time to thank the t-shirt guys out there. With your interest, OMUNKY is able to grow and that means more tees for everyone to enjoy!

On another note, I have been doing some thinking regarding OMUNKY's future. I would eventually like to expand my clothing line and offer my customers more than just tees and belts. I would like to hear your opinion on this matter. Tell me what you would like to see OMUNKY get into. Post a comment or two below and tell me what you think!

Moving on up

Hello all, and welcome to November! It is almost 2010...ahh!!! Where did the year go?

This actually really excites me. I get chills for a few seconds thinking about what new and wonderful things OMUNKY will be involved in next year. This indie store has grown so much in the last few months, I wonder what next year will bring?

So it hasn't snowed yet in New York, and I can't remember if it is supposed to. I have been in Florida for the last few years so I don't know when to expect the first snowfall; feel free to let me know in the comment section. I will probably move back next year, that is pending OMUNKY of course.

 There are pros and cons to living in FL instead of NY. My girlfriend is there, and it would be nice to see her more often. FL has wonderful weather most of the year, but the summer months are brutal! You really have to tone down your body movements during those months, because if you think too hard, you sweat! I like watching the seasons change in NY, but it is just too darn expensive here, and a bit strange to own a t-shirt company during the winter months. I really have to do some serious thinking about what location I would like to end up in. Anyone have any thoughts on North Carolina?

Anyways, on to OMUNKY! We have a new shirt out for the month of November, and it is called "Candy Bars in Flight," about a Raccoon and the lengths he will travel to try and catch his favorite chocolate bar. To read the full story behind the shirt, visit the site here.

This shirt is printed on a black 100% organic cotton tee and is available in  mens, womens, and long-sleeve sizes! It is the first OMUNKY tee to be 100% American-made; I have upgraded the quality of my OMUNKY tees. This shirt looks and feels better on the wearer. I think I will be using this manufacturer from now on.

I have also added Ladies X-Small to my size options for this shirt, as well as to the MUNKY Tree, our last month's tee. I discovered this problem last month when I noticed not a lot of young women were buying my tees. After my sister tried on one of my women's sizes, I noticed that even the small sizes were just not tight enough to really appeal to the shirts girls wear these days. I have sent one of my x-smalls to my girlfriend's house in FL so that she can test the size for me.

Here is another excerpt from 365 Ways To Save The Earth by Phillipe Bourseiller:


"Switch off your television and computer.


The average American household now watches 8 hours of television daily, and television uses 55 to 90 watts per hour. One computer left on all day for a year releases 1,500 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Even "sleep" mode does not save as much energy as simply turning the computer off. Screen savers are also deceptive, for they do not save energy.


Plug all of your computer equipment into a single surge-protector for easy shut-down. And don't forget to turn off your desk lamp!" (11,1)


Whenever I know I am going to be away from my home office for over 2 hours, I shut my computer off. Leaving your computer in sleep mode is great for when you want to leave for a little and then come back to the same open windows and programs. But if you are going to be gone for a considerable amount of time, such as to go to work or to a friend's house, shut your beast off! It is just a small way of showing your concern for the world around you.

Thanks so much, MUNKY-heads, for keeping up with my blog and monitoring the progress of my company. I look forward to presenting even more crazy ideas for you to wear in the future. Ta ta!

Source: Bourseiller, Philippe. 365 Ways to Save the Earth. Paris; Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2005.

Boo!

Halloween is upon us.

Halloween is my favorite of all the commercialized holidays. One of my favorite things to do is to decorate the house, and turn it into something spooky. It is my feeling that if you are too scared to approach my house, you do not deserve to have any of my delicious candy. Those brave few who muster up the courage to walk past the glowing pumpkin heads, who ignore the frightening sounds coming from my speakers (100% original Halloween sounds fyi),who can ascend the few steps to reach my door, thus making it through the smoke and spider webs, well they are the ones who get to munch on my assortment of mini chocolate bars and skittles.

Sadly, I will be working this Halloween, and not on OMUNKY. I mean let's be realistic, did you think OMUNKY could support me after only a few months, oh I wish good sir, I wish...

I will be working at my "other job" on Halloween, but its ok. They are having a huge party which I will attend when I am done. It should be fun, and I look forward to showing everyone what I am dressed as this year.

So, as for OMUNKY business, we are having a SAAALLLLEEE!!! That's right, starting today until the first of November, get a sweet discount on OMUNKY apparell. Plus, check out the redesigned Halloween site.

Thats is all for now, hope everyone enjoys their holiday.

See you in November!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tinfoilraccoon/ / CC BY 2.0

Brrrrrr

Well, there is no way around it. The temperature is dropping, winter is coming...

This puts OMUNKY in an interesting predicament. How does a company that sells primarily short sleeve tees adapt to the colder climate?

Well, I'm glad you asked! The answer is simple, create a poll, and let you guys decide!

What would you like to see made available? Do you think sweatshirts with OMUNKY designs on them are the way to go, or would you prefer long sleeve tees? Do you rock short sleeve shirts no matter what time of year it is? Well let me know!

Simply use the poll below to tell me how you feel. Rank the items listed from the ones you would love to have (1) to those you could do without (4).

For those of you who wish to contact me directly to discuss this, feel free to use the contact form on OMUNKY's website. You can access it here.

Hello October!

Ahh, anyone else like watching the leaves change? Anyone? Hello?

What's happening MUNKY-Heads! Are you read to hear some great news? We have a new OMUNKY t-shirt available!

MUNKY Tree. Yup that's the name. Nothing crazy for this month, just a cool looking t-shirt with a monkey sitting next to a tree. Of course it is so much more than that! This shirt is for all of you who have to take a time out from life. This is your private little spot, where you can just get away from all the trials and tribulations that life throws your way.

This shirt is printed on very soft 100% organic cotton! It comes in a cool color called City Green. Its darker than Army Green but lighter than Forrest Green.

Also, since you guys have been so awesome in regards to OMUNKY, its time to announce a special sale! Both Joe MUNKY and The OMUNKY Brand tee are now available for only $20! That's right, now you can own a piece of OMUNKY history. Take home the two original shirts that started it all!

I will add a personal blog post later this week, but for right now I am swamped...ahhhh!!!!

Later Peeps...

Rick

Moving forward.

Hello all, how have things been on your end?

Well, thanks for asking. Ever since I launched the Getaway Gorilla tee, OMUNKY has had steady sales. I understand the company is very new, but when you go from selling a couple of shirts a week to a few a day, its nice.

I have already finished the design of my October tee, and I have to say I am getting extremely happy with the direction this company and its clothing are going. This new shirt (no name yet) takes a lot of cues from the Getaway shirt in terms of style and presentation etc. It will also be printed on an organic cotton t-shirt, just like Gabe! I have decided to only print single color, transparent designs on the recycled cotton tees. Since this shirt will feature at least 2 colors, I have to go organic.

Also, I have set up an OMUNKY newsletter that I will use to tell everyone about new tees and promotions. If you have not subscribed to the mailing list you may do so here.

I would like to add another passage from 365 Ways To Save The Earth by Phillipe Bourseiller:


"Do not let the children play with water. It seems to us so natural that our taps deliver clean water that we assume it is a lifetime guarantee to everyone. This is not the case. Every morning, millions of people walk several miles to collect the water that is essential to meet their modest needs. The average African woman walks more than 3.5 miles per day to obtain water for her family-or the equivalent of a marathon every week" (5,22).

Well that is all for this post. Visit the website to check out our slight makeover! Peace!




Source: Bourseiller, Philippe. 365 Ways to Save the Earth. Paris; Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2005.

New Tee and Women Sizes

Hello all. Just wanted to make a quick post to give you an update.

First off, we have a new OMUNKY Tee! World, meet Gabe the Getaway Gorilla:

"Gabe the Gorilla has had it! He is tired of being so low on the Ape totem-pole. All the other Gorillas get to eat before him, they are always making him do chores like sweeping the sleeping areas and cleaning up the leftover food. He is fed up with this!

So Gabe is leaving.

He is packing his favorite backpack and he is heading north to some magical place called Alaska, where there are no Gorillas around to tell him what to do. Gabe the Getaway Gorilla will be the Alpha Ape of Alaska. he just needs your help. Purchase a t-shirt so that Gabe can afford a bus ticket. He's getting tired of hitchhiking..."

This shirt is OMUNKY's first multi-colored tee, and it includes a cool looking OMUNKY logo on the left sleeve!
Also, thanks to many requests, I have included women sizes for the Getaway Gorilla shirt, as well as the OMUNKY brand shirt (now in a new ink color) and the Harry Hippo. Since they do not make recycled cotton shirts in ladies' cuts, I decided to go ahead and get them in Organic cotton. Please don't protest too much.
That is all for this post. Enjoy the new tees!

Spain and more!

Hello all, I am back! I promised I would write, and here I am, keeping the trust flowing well between us. How are all of you MUNKY-heads (Oh I will definitely keep using that one)? I am very jet-lagged right now so forgive me if my grammar isn't up to your standards.

Spain, was wonderful!

Lucky for us our flight was mid-day, so there was no waking up really early to rush to the airport ordeal. Those are never fun, and totally not worth it in my opinion. So you arrive at your location when it is still light out, big deal! You are cranky and no-one wants to hang out with you, so what's the point?

The only problem is that because Spain is around 7 hours away, and the time difference is 6 hours ahead, our mid-day flight turned into a red-eye. It didn't help that we were stuck on the runway for over an hour...ugh!

So we arrived in Marbella, Spain, and everybody was ready to kill one another. There were a few moments where I was glad no-one was carrying any form of weapons. We got the sleep we so desperately needed and all became well, despite an attempted attack by a bottle of suntan lotion. We stayed at the Marriott Playa Andaluza, in Estepona.

I would like to take this moment to comment on Spain, or at least the area we stayed in. When we were all cranky and tired from our flight, the last thing I wanted to do was to drive awhile to our hotel. But that's how it ended up.

Driving in Spain was....interesting. Since I speak minimal Spanish, trying to find your way around was pretty difficult. Europeans do not care if you are lost or confused, they were yelling and honking and flashing their lights, I might as well have been back in NYC.

There were two days that top the list as the best parts of my vacation. First was Gibraltar; This British territory was one of the most fascinating days of my entire life! We got a cab to take us up the Rock of Gibraltar. This was the entire reason I decided to go on the trip in the first place. At the top of the Rock, you encounter the Barbary Apes! They were everywhere! Monkeys on buses, on railings, on my shoulder! They had no problems hanging out with humans, they were not afraid at all. My goal was to have a monkey on me and that goal was reached!













The second highlight of my trip to Spain was a day trip to Morocco. This was a spur of the moment event, but well worth it. I rode a camel, ate Moroccan food, all while following what had to be the Godfather of Morocco, Hazam was very tall and imposing, spoke around 8 different languages, and did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted to. I could have sworn I saw him give evil looks to various locals. He was definitely the guy you wanted watching your back. Oh yea, and my dad fell off of a camel, no big deal.

Overall, Spain was a wonderful trip, even though most of the great moments were not spent there. If I could change anything about the country, it would have to be the freeways. Misplaced exit signs, but I loved the "Cambio de Sentidos"! They were the exits you got off of to turn around. Apparently they are aware of their ridiculous roads and are attempting to fix the problem. Glad to hear it!

Goodbye MUNKY-heads! Be on the lookout for new items coming soon on OMUNKY site!

Time to Restock

I have made a ton of sales in the past few days. I have sold almost
double my total shirts in the last couple of days.

This, of course, means I am running out of shirts. I'm out of stock in
a few different sizes. It is time to order more!

I am approaching the obtaining of my merchandise a little differently
than I did the last time. Up until recently I was getting my shirts
tagged and printed at the same place far away from me. They were then
shipped to me all ready to belong to one of my customers. This time
around I am getting the shirts from one place and I am having them
printed at another place very near me. I chose to do this so that I
could be more involved in the creation process. I want to meet my
shirt printers face to face, to get a feel for how they operate. I
would also like to be able to talk to someone personally in case there
are errors with my printing.

I have everything all set up for my next run and I am very excited. I
am pleased to announce that OMUNKY will now be offering women's sizes.
A lot of my facebook fans are women, so this was a logical choice. I
will also make available other clothing items (that is all the info
you will get on that for now :-).

I am leaving for a trip to Spain this Friday. I have never been and I
am really excited. I will tweet about it when I am there and I will
write about it when I get back. Do not worry, I am leaving OMUNKY in
capable hands until I get back.

Feel free to leave comments on this blog, I would enjoy your feedback.
Ta ta for now!

Rick Waters

Ways to Save the Earth

I was wandering around my house this evening and came across an amazing book that I never knew I had! 365 Ways To Save The Earth by Phillipe Bourseiller has found a special place in my heart. As I continue this blog, from time to time, I would like to include passages from this read. This book, published at the beginning of the big environmental movement, basically has useful tips for living a greener life. Little tidbits of Eco-knowledge.

What better time to start than now:

"Reduce the amount of water flowing into your toilet's tank. Any water that has been used in the homes, except water from toilets, is called graywater. This water-from dishwashers, showers, sinks, and laundry machines-accounts for at least half of all residential waste water and may be used for other purposes, especially in yards and gardens. While some ecologically oriented buildings in the United States have installed graywater systems, it has yet to make an appearance in this country on a larger scale.

By placing a bottle filled with sand in your lavoratory cistern you will reduce the volume of water used with each flush, saving the volume of the bottle each time you flush. Don't use a brick-pieces of decaying brick can get into the toilet's system and cause leaks" (7).

If you don't have access to sand, just make sure the bottle is filled with something that will weigh it down. There! Doesn't that make you feel better?

I would like to point out that while I respect those who live extremely environmentally-friendly, I am not as hardcore. I feel that being an environmentalist should not be a title; it should be something we all are, regardless of the degree we act upon. If I see someone throw their plastic bottle into the trash when the recycle bin is just a few feet away, I am not going to go yell a them about it. I would simply try my best to put the bottle into its proper location. I don't want to push my values upon anyone; I just want to give people tips and advice on living a greener life. I think we can all do our part to help our planet. I chose to use environmentally friendly fabrics in my clothing because it is an easier way for others to make a difference, and it just makes sense! I didn't have to write a huge essay about it, nor did I have to jog ten miles. It was a simple decision that I am happy I made.

Little things like putting a bottle inside the back of your toilet should not be a problem. You do it once, and from then on, the planet is better for it. I am not here to make you tie yourself to a tree, or to stand in front of Silver-back Apes that are being poached (I mean if you are willing to that would be great). Just know that there are some things you and I can do to help the planet we live on that will not take up a whole lot of your time. I love you all ;-)

Source: Bourseiller, Philippe. 365 Ways to Save the Earth. Paris; Harry N. Abrams, Inc. 2005.

Our first interview!

OMUNKY has been running for barely a month and already I was
interviewed. Awesome. Check it out at http://brandstack.com/blog/2009/08/11/buyer-profile-rick-waters/
.

New Shirt!

Has anyone ever been to Northport, NY. If so, where have you all been hiding this little paradise!? I had the pleasure of visiting today with the gf, and we had a wonderful time.

The new shirts have arrived and I have decided to make them available to you instantly! Isn't is exciting to know you will receive your new shirts a day early? I think so...

Going to get chocolate cake to celebrate!

Things are picking up...

Hello MUNKY-Heads! Can I call you MUNKY-Heads??? No? Sorry...

Ahem, I am going to try and keep all of you updated as often as I can. When I have big news, I will try my hardest not to keep it from you. This is how all bad relationships start, me not being honest, you having your doubts etc. etc.

Anyways good news! A new shirt is on the way! Everyone, meet Harry-Hippo! Harry is really digging his new digital music player. He has spent countless hours making playlist after playlist to help him enjoy his sun-bathing down by the river. The only problem is the word is out! Now Harry can't stop annoying ox-peckers from swiping his music! They keep messing with his playlists, changing the default language on the player, and just causing endless pandemonium. I mean what is a Hippo supposed to do!?

HAHA, anyways, this shirt will be printed on a recycled-blue tee. It will look awesome and will definitely attract the famous OMUNKY double-take from passerby's.

I am also in the process of creating the second phase of OMUNKY, belts. I am not looking to just make another t-shirt company, there are plenty of those. I want to eventually have OMUNKY pants, button-downs, hoodies, jackets, you name it! So the belts will be the first step, and man are they ever going to look awesome!? I cannot reveal anymore on this subject until I have some actual word from the manufacturer, but we shall see...

Anyways have a good week MUNKYHEADS! Yea, that's right! I said it again!

A Week In Review

What a wonderful week for OMUNKY! Well since it was the first week, I really have no basis for comparison. The first day of our launch was rather slow, I will have to admit. I was feeling pretty down the second day when I had only received a couple orders. But when the weekend came....yea baby!

I sold some shirts to people I knew in person, and the looks on their faces when they felt the shirts and saw the designs was priceless! Nothing gives me more satisfaction then to see that something I so very much love to do is appreciated by others.

On another note, "Caught with your MUNKY on" has officially begun! The goal is to get that one perfect picture of someone wearing an OMUNKY tee. Visit our official photo album on Facebook and submit a picture of you or someone you know rocking an OMUNKY tee. The best photo will grant the winner a free T-shirt of their choice, as well as being featured on the profile picture of OMUNKY on Facebook!

OMUNKY has launched

Be sure to check out the site! We are finally up and running! This is very exciting.

OMUNKY

The time is almost upon us...

As you can see from the picture, the shirts have arrived! Well, at least half of them have. The Joe Munky green shirts are currently all set up and ready to be given new homes. The Omunky brand shirts are in transit and should arrive at my doorstep any minute now.

I am very pleased at how my Joe Munky shirts turned out, and hope that the brand shirts are equally as enjoyable. I cannot wait to get this thing started!

For the next few days, it will be 24/7 OMUNKY! I have to make sure all the final preperations get taken care of. I hope you all enjoy the site when it is up and running on Wednesday, the 22nd!

In the meantime, have a wonderful half week!

Watching Water Boil

Now comes the hardest part of setting up OMUNKY, waiting. Everything is ready for my launch. Accounts with various companies have been created, payments have been made, a following has been obtained, but we still have one problem; I have no t-shirts!

It's all waiting from now until launch. The tees are being made with my exact specifications intact. They will not be arriving for another 2 weeks!

In the meantime I will be creating several designs that I will unveil over the course of several months. I have been coming up with some wonderful ideas that will take this company in great directions.

I banged out 2 fantastic designs in the last few days. People close to me expressed satisfaction on the outcome of these pieces. I too find that my skills in coming up with clothing creations is growing with each new design.

So anyways, I am really writing to say that I will not be blogging about OMUNKY again until i have something to blog about, which means no new posts for a few weeks.

So carry on with your lives, enjoy the company of your friends and family, read a good book, get involved in a new show, think outside the box. You will be older and wiser individuals by the time you set eyes on OMUNKY again.

For those of you who simply cannot get enough of this boundary breaking company you can always follow me on Twitter or fan my OMUNKY Facebook page.

Have a wonderful Fourth of July and I will be back soon!

UPDATE: OMUNKY Chairman of the Board Sent to Crate!

After a long day of contract disputes, legal battles, and outrageous demands for OMUNKY to produce "bacon", Casey Waters, the chairman of the board left the OMUNKY team no choice but to send him to his crate.
"I hate to have to do things like this, " stated OMUNKY CEO, Rick Waters, "but he was just a bad boy."
When asked to comment, Casey was not cooperative, choosing to turn his head the other way and saunter further into the crate.
It is rumored that he will still receive his daily kibble rations.

So I Need an Accountant

Man this business stuff is hard...haha. Ok lets not start things off like that!

Hi guys, and welcome to my second posting! I am currently setting everything up for omunky (bank accounts, cc, websites etc.) and its very exciting. But the biggest downer is this quickbooks stuff. It is so BORING! Even my dog, Casey, can't bare to look at me when I am working on it, so sad.

My ADD kicks in when it comes to things like this, but luckily I have smart dorky people in my lives to help me get through this, phew!

So I am spending a lot of time at the bank today, yippee! So I'm off to go get ready for that!

Oh, and btw, you should definitely become a fan of my business on facebook!