Growing up in East Cleveland, there weren’t any skaters in Ja’Ovvoni’s neighborhood. Most of the kids played basketball or video games. Eleven years ago, he received a demo copy of a Tony Hawk video game from his local Pizza Hut. After playing the game, he decided to give skateboarding a try and quickly fell in love with the sport.  He spent most of  his time skating solo around his neighborhood until hearing about the downtown skatepark  left behind by the Gravity Games organizers in 2003.

Ja’Ovvoni skated the tiny downtown park frequently. It’s there, that he really connected with other skaters in the city and became submerged in skateboarding and the culture that surrounds it.  In 2007, he took a trip to visit relatives in Georgia and Tennessee and decided to check out the skateparks there. He was in awe!  Ja’Ovvoni says, “At the time, more people were open to skateboarding there. It was an open atmosphere, the skaters weren’t hassled, and it wasn’t treated as just a white persons sport.”

Inspired by the parks, Ja’Ovvoni returned home and reached out to the Slavic Village Development Corporation with the idea of a building a skatepark in his neighborhood.  They connected him with Vince Frantz, President and Executive Director of Public Square Group. The two hit it off and they quickly began strategizing.

Since 2004, Public Square Group has been dedicated to supporting and growing the skateboarding scene in neighborhoods across Northeast Ohio. Using their pop-up skate parks with the Skate Kitchen and housing an indoor skate facility and main offices at Jakprints, they’ve created opportunities to skate all year round. They’ve become a vital part to the skate community, constantly helping to build and create public skateparks in the Cleveland area and surrounding suburbs. PSG also organizes pop up skate events and teaches skateboard lessons to kids year round. Ja’Ovvoni is now the Program Coordinator for Public Square group and assists with teaching lessons and planning events.

Together, Garrison and Frantz successfully secured a Neighborhood Connections Grant which helped launch their first East Meets West competition. The idea was to create an event in the neighborhood that would connect skaters from the East and West sides of Cleveland. Once they could show city officials that a skateboarding event would bring skaters to the neighborhood, it would help them bring a park to Slavic Village.

East Meets West 2011 Game of SKATE Highlights from Public Square Group on Vimeo.

Now in its 6^th year, East Meets West draws hundreds of skaters to Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood for a Game of S-K-A-T-E (Skateboarding game, similar to the basketball game of horse but spelling out the word “Skate” instead.) The annual spring event will be held this Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 2 P.M.  East Meets West is an all ages, free event that will feature the Skate Kitchen’s pop up skatepark, food from Fired Up Taco Truck, raffles & music.

Jakprints is a proud sponsor and printed the flyers, stickers, and other promotional materials for the skateboard festival and fundraiser. Proceeds from this event will help fund the conceptual design phase of the Broadway Public Skatepark.

Ja’Ovvoni’s skateboard brand, R.T.A (also known as Renegade Transit Authority) is also a sponsor of the event. He’ll be there skating his decks and selling the custom t-shirts that were printed at Jakprints. R.T.A. is also adding a new, fun twist to the event this year.  The finals match will be extended and challenge skaters to spell “W-I-Z-A-R-D” for the prize! When we asked how R.T.A. started, Ja’Ovvoni told us, “I always wanted to start my own business. I initially wanted to open a skate shop in Cleveland but decided in 2012 to start with a skate deck and clothing line and let the business develop organically.” 

R.T.A. stands for Renegade Transit Authority.  Ja’Ovvoni says he came up with the name after riding Cleveland’s R.T.A. for most of his life. He said “until he discovered skateboarding, that’s what took him places.” Both literally and metaphorically speaking, skateboarding is now what moves him to new places.

Last month, R.T.A. hosted a pop up skate event in the Skate Kitchen. For the first time, the Skate Kitchen ramp was open for public skating. Proceeds from the event helped further develop the R.T.A. brand!

We encourage you to check out the East Meets West competition this Saturday and shop Ja’Ovvoni’s Garrison’s new innovative skateboard brand R.T.A.  Thanks to Ja’Ovvoni for taking the time to meet with us! We love his entrepreneurial spirit and wish him the best with his new brand!

Want your project spotlighted by Jakprints? We’d love to hear what you’re working on! Email us at events@jakprints.com or comment on our “We Love What You Do” Feature on our Facebook.

I’m pretty certain that if I were Casie Baun’s agent, she’d have the gig as the official spokesperson for an energy drink! It’s inconceivable to me how she does it all. She acts, she models, she writes, she manages a website, she contributes to a variety of musical projects and still finds time to hop around the country working horror movie, comic and sci-fi conventions.  (This blogger needed a nap after simply listening to her upcoming schedule.)

Also known by “Pretty Poison”, she rocks the runway and is featured in print ads for City of Horror, Western Evil, Angapunk (a funky line of recycled, altered and distressed clothing from Jakprints own, Angie Franklin), Fractured Photography, Posh Portraits and Recycled Stylez, to name a few.

She recently printed these new business cards at Jakprints. We’re certain the eye catching design will help her add more gigs to an already busy calendar.

Casie has appeared in several indie films including She Devils, Tetherball The Movie, After Party Massacre and writes for the stndrd (Look for her contributions in this months issue with Jennifer Love Hewitt on the cover.)

When she’s not behind the camera, she’s the welcoming face behind the table for comic, toy and collectable companies Horrormerch and Hollywood Heroes. This year, she’s already attended Horrorhound Cincinnatti, C2E2, Cinema Wasteland Cleveland, Days of the Dead Indianapolis and has more conventions scheduled.

If you want to see this ball of energy in action, tune into Toy Hunter on the Travel Channel tonight! Casie appears in the “Battle for Seattle” episode, airing at 9 PM ET. We can’t give too much away, but the episode was filmed at at the Seattle Comic Con and Danny Bonaduce stops by. (My best guess is he’s trying to unload some  vintage Danny Partridge memorabilia.)

If we listed everything this girl has going on, we’d need to rent more space on the web! So, here’s a list of cool links to connect with her online: Music, Facebook , Twitter, Fashion Blog and IMDb Biography.  Thanks to Casie for taking the time to talk with us about her work.  We can’t wait to see her on Toy Hunter tonight!

Want your work spotlighted by Jakprints? We’d love to hear what you’re working on! Email us at events@jakprints.com or comment on our “We Love What You Do” feature on our Facebook.

Since then, we’ve been following Lil BUB’s adventures online and regularly posting photos of the posters, stickers and postcards that Jakprints produces for the BUBSTORE.

As I type this blog, Lil BUB is chillin’ in New York at the world premier of her new film, Lil Bub & Friendz at the Tribeca Film Festival. I checked in last week with Lil BUB’s owner, Mike Bridavsky to chat about BUB and see how she’s handling life in the spotlight.

Mike told us that while he certainly appreciates all the attention and extra love BUB gets, he never intended for this fame to happen. The story of BUB’s accidental celebrity status goes a little something like this — Lil BUB was found by a friend’s mother. BUB was the runt of the feral litter and living in a shed. They quickly learned that she suffers from a rare congenital condition, leaving her with shortened legs and permanent kitten-like features. She’s toothless with an overbite (that lands her tongue in permanent hang-out mode) and to make her event more special, she’s a polydactyl; i.e., she has extra toes on her back feet and opposable “thumbs” on her front. Despite all her shortcomings, she lives a relatively normal but very happy life!

Mike wasn’t looking to get another cat. He already had four cats living in his Russian Recording Studio in Bloomington, IN. A friend was trying to find a home for BUB and texted him the photo. “As a kitten she looked really wild.” Bridavsky exclaimed, “I was like, ‘Oh God, I have to at least meet this cat.’” They met, fell in love and BUB moved into Mike’s apartment!

As a proud new kitty daddy he shared pictures of his special cat with friends on Facebook. BUB was a big hit! With a friends suggestion, he made a Lil BUB Tumblr and the BUB phenomenon began. Things really blew up when a picture of  her licking a phantom ice cream cone went viral. Now millions of online fans follow Lil BUB’s romps around the world on her YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram sites

So how is she handling all this fame? Mike says, “BUB is certainly not letting all this attention get to her head.” While she enjoys the traveling, fan mail, interviews and gifts, at home, she’s just a regular (but incredibly special) cat. When we asked “what’s the most unusual gift BUB’s received?” Mike told us she was sent a buffalo leather warrior cape (yes, you read that right) from a super fan and often gets crocheted blankets, lamps and other cat themed gifts, along with tons of mail.

The movie came about when the Vice staff (who are also huge fans) treated Mike and Lil BUB to a weekend getaway at the International Cat Video Film festival. It was there that the Vice staff spent time with BUB and decided that she needed a movie of her own.

The new movie, starring Lil BUB and Mike along with the rest of the “Cat Pack”, Grumpy Cat, Nyan Cat, Keyboard Cat, and meme-manager supreme Ben Lashes follows the life and times of BUB and examines the internet cat phenomenon.

We had the honor of printing these beyond freaking adorable posters for the movie and we can’t wait to kick back with a bucket of popcorn and watch the film when it’s released world wide (It’s in the works!)

Can’t get enough Bub? Don’t worry, she’s not retiring anytime soon. In fact, BUB just wrote a book! And it is incredible. Over a hundred photos of BUB flying a spaceship, exploring the pyramids, riding a hot air balloon, skateboarding, sending messages into space and more. You can pre-order it now with your preferred book retailer.

Want to watch Lil Bub & Friendz right now? The entire movie is streaming here this weekend! (Editors note — We have no idea why but sometimes the link to the streaming work and other times…. not so much. Our fingers are crossed that you will be able to figure it out. If you do, make sure to give us your review. We have a feeling it’s going to be pawsome!)

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The Mixtape Casanova and DJ Kid Robot at The Avenue Taphouse in Lakewood, Ohio.

Jakprints employees are the best you can get! They’re hard working, dedicated and have mad skills, both on and off the clock. This months Jakprints Spotlight Employee is LT Magnotto!

For over 9 years, LT has worked as a Color Separation Specialist  in our Apparel Department. What does a Color Separation Specialist do, you ask? Well, in order to screen print a design on a t-shirt or other garment, the design must be broken down to the individual color components. The process of isolating each color is called, color separation. LT’ is on the Jakprints color separation team that makes this magic happen.

He was first introduced to us by renowned artist, longtime Jakprints customer and friend, Derek Hess. Before Jakprints, LT was working as a childcare provider at the YMCA. During that same time period, he was working  with Hess, assisting with the launch of  Strhess Clothing. Lucky for us, Derek recognized LT’s talents and introduced him to Jacob at Jakprints. It’s been a love affair ever since.

Music Saves, Champions of the Cleveland Softball league. 16 Wins, 0 Losses! (With Jakprints employee Blake Simone.)

Outside of Jakprints, LT brings the party! He gets down and dirty every summer 0n the Music Saves softball team, part of the Cleveland Softball League.

Side Note: We have our own awesome Jakprints softball team that battles LT’s team throughout the season.

In his spare time he also DJ’s under the alias, “The Mixtape Cassanova” with Rob Dorsey (a.k.a. DJ Kid Robot.)  every first Saturday of the month, at the Avenue Taphouse in Lakewood. If that’s not enough to fill his plate, his band, Above This Fire recently reunited and have plans to play out and tour this summer and fall.

We sat down with LT for a quick Q&A session last week. Here’s what we learned:

Q. Okay, lets get the question I’ve personally been wondering for years out of the way —- What does “LT” stand for?  Laurent. It’s my first name but I’ve always been simply “LT.”

Q. How long have you been  DJing around town? How did you get started?  I think it is coming up on 4 years now.  I started throwing a party at the Garage Bar (R.I.P.) called The Throwback Dance Party. I really had no idea what I was doing but the people loved it. It motivated me to get more into DJing. We would transform that place into the best dance party once a month. It really was something special. DJing was also the first time that I had ever gotten paid for a gig. I played in a band for 10+ years and never made a penny off of it. That still cracks me up.

Q. What are three things you cant live without?  The internet, coffee (Its my only true addiction other than digging vinyl) and pizza pie. I love it all.

Q. What was the first record you purchased with your own money? Bobby Brown’s “Dont Be Cruel” on cassette tape. I remember it was the most money I had ever spent on something.

Q. What’s the best thing about working at Jakprints?  I really appreciate the fact that I get to work for and with awesome like minded people. I’ve worked a lot of different jobs with people who i couldn’t relate to at all. I have a very special place in my heart for JP and my coworkers.

Want to know what LT’s listening to? Listen to his “latest digs” playlist on Spotify here!  Thanks to LT for sitting down with us and creating  this special playlist. We love our employees and we love what we do!

Above This Fire reunion show at the Grog Shop on January 19, 2013

Since 2007, the third Saturday of April has been internationally recognized as Record Store Day. A celebration of the unique culture of independently owned record stores throughout the world. It’s one day that independent shops come together with artists to celebrate the amazing art of music with limited edition releases, in-store performances, special sales and parties.

This year, Record Store Day is April 20^th and it’s a special day for Thor Platter. He’s releasing his new record, “Looking for Sunshine” on independent label, Sweet Truth Records. As an added bonus, he’s offering the record to fans at a discounted rate when purchased at an independent location on Record Store Day.

When I asked what to expect on the new record, Thor described Looking for Sunshine as, “A release I am really proud of. It’s the solo album I’ve wanted to make for a long time.”  Looking for Sunshine is a collection of songs Thor’s written over the past ten years backed by respected musicians and good friends, Billy Crompton (Bass), Brent Kirby (Drums), Chris Hanna (Piano, Organ, Elmerphone), Michael Bay (Guitar) and Matt Knott (Drums).

Thor added, that while he wrote all the songs, Chris Hanna, who plays the organ and piano on record really helped with the arrangement and his style defiantly comes through.  Looking for Sunshine was mixed by Brian Thorn at the Magic Shop in New York City. Thor shared with us that as a huge David Bowie fan, he was excited to learn that while Brian was mixing his material, he was also engineering the new Bowie record, The Next Day.  The CD Wallets  for Looking for Sunshine were printed at Jakprints and advance copies will be available at the CD Release party at Brother’s Lounge on April 5^th as well as the CD release party set for April 7^th at The Tralf in Buffalo, NY.

Anyone who’s ever done it properly will tell you, putting out a record ain’t cheap!  To help cover costs of mixing, mastering, promotion and travel, Thor set up this Kickstarter campaign that coincidentally, ends today! If you donate to the Kickstarter in the next few hours, there are lots of great incentive gifts that range from signed CD’s to Thor Platter and his band performing at your next house party.

Want a sneak peek of the new record? Watch this video of their live performance last Friday on WKYC’s Live on Lakeside. 

Thanks to Thor for taking the time to talk with us about his projects. We’re excited to hear the entire record and wish him the best on the new record, release shows and Kickstarter campaign.

Want your project spotlighted by Jakprints? We’d love to hear what you’re working on! Email us at events@jakprints.com or comment on our “We Love What You Do” Feature on our Facebook every Wednesday.

• We had a great partnership with the FE:ED Party powered by Twitter to help them create an experience of music, people, wellness and social interaction.
• Hype Machine’s Hype Hotel, featuring eight days of music and parties.
• The Red Gorilla Music Fest was an amazing time with five days of up-and-coming independent artists and musicians in all genres of music.

Ready For Some Fun?

Tell us how many Jakprints logos you can find in the video and enter to win! If you count the correct number, we’ll throw you into a drawing to win a $100 gift card to the Google Play store.

How To Enter:

1. Leave a comment below this blog post before 11:59pm EST on Sunday March 31, 2013 with your answer.
2. Winner will be announced via Facebook, Google+ and Twitter and on this page by 4pm EST – Wednesday April 3, 2013. Check back in to see if you won!

Instructions will be provided on how to redeem your prize when winner is announced. Winner will be selected at random. To be entered into prize drawing the correct answer must be provided, if you answer with the wrong amount you will not be entered to win. Must be 18 years of age or older. 

Swallow Clothing Co. is a new line that swooped in and quickly grabbed our attention. We chatted by phone with Ryan Vollmer of Swallow Clothing Co. about how they started, whats new and what’s next!

Chicago based, Swallow Clothing Co. started in October 2012, when childhood friends Ryan Vollmer and Ryan Rizzio decided to join forces and collaborate on a line of custom printed t-shirts.

When asked about the name, Ryan explained that it came together when he and Ryan Rizzio met for lunch and a few Belgian beers at one of their favorite Chicago spots, Hopleaf to discuss their new business venture. When they walked back to the car, they noticed a nest on the sidewalk that had fallen from one of the eaves above. There were no signs of birds around the nest but when they looked up, they noticed a swallow flying back and forth. That random moment is one they’ll always remember, because it essentially inspired the name of their new company!

Ryan says, “The more we thought about the association between the actual bird and our company, the more it fit. Swallows are sleek, adaptive birds that nest in trees, riverbanks, buildings and even sand. With guile, they hunt in the skies, swooping mid-flight to capture their prey.”

These guys did it right when starting out, combining a great initial design with their understanding that brand marketing was just as important. By reaching out to their network of friends and bands, creating an easy to navigate website with high quality photos and purchasing targeted Facebook ads, they quickly grew an audience of followers. Less than 6 months in business, they’re nearing 800 Facebook fans, over 3,000 Twitter followers and a steadily growing base of customers from around the world. Ryan says by far, their most popular selling design has been their “Do Who You Love” shirt.

So what’s next?
Last weekend, the Swallow crew teamed up with Joshua Long and Lariyah Daniels for a Spring/Summer photo shoot of their latest designs.

Swallow Clothing’s “Awaken” & “Do Who You Love” T-Shirts

In addition to the updated photos there’s  talk of expanding their offerings to include a line of Swallow branded bamboo sunglasses as and Swallow branded shoes!

Like the designs?
You can view all their current items online. They offer free shipping on all orders, every day. Follow Swallow Clothing Company’s adventures and latest releases on their website, Facebook and Twitter.

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We’d love to hear what you’re working on. Share your projects with us! If you’d like your work spotlighted by Jakprints, email us at events@jakprints.com or simply comment on our “We Love What You Do Wednesday” feature on Facebook!

Lizzy & Mike are tying the knot this September! Their adorable niece busted out her crayons and made this wedding drawing. They loved it so much, they’re  using it for their Save The Date Postcards.

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This creative Save The Date Postcard, scores video gamers Andrew & Nicole a million bonus points with us!  Cute story, the couple met when they were both at a horse-track in New York and Andrew overheard Nicole say she really enjoyed the movie “Transformers.” A friendly movie debate between strangers quickly transformed into romance.

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My Sweet Louisiana says, “Love your state!” with these Full Color Stickers. 

Warm weather, Mardi Gras, jazz, Bourbon Street and the occasional hurricane (the drink, not the natural disaster) has us scratching our heads wondering, what’s NOT to love about Louisiana?

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Our own Jakprints File Creation Supervior, Branden Vondrak and his fiancee’ Gina Gutshall collaborated  (like all couples should) on this Save The Date Postcards for their summer wedding. Gina did all of the hand lettering and Branden handled the layout. You can see more of their creations at danggina.com and brandenvondrak.com.

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Looking for something to warm your heart? Here’s a SOLD OUT Valentine’s weekend charity run benefiting The Children’s Tumor Foundation. Bonus, the runners will all be in their underwear!  Jakprints printed the Banners, Posters and Postcards for the Cupid’s Undie Run in Cleveland this weekend. So far, they’ve raised over $82,000! 

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These Save The Date Custom Circle Stickers are music to our ears! Music collectors, Charles & Amber are getting hitched in Austin this spring and designed these fun stickers that will be affixed to 45 records and mailed to their guests. 

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Christy & Jason found the idea for this retro city hall Save The Date Postcard on Pinterest. While they’re getting married in a church later this year, they thought it would be fun to stage a wedding photo.  They dressed in wedding attire and met their photographer outside City Hall to take the shot. What makes this memorable for them is the  crowd of strangers that gathered to cheer and congratulate them, completely unaware that weren’t married yet!

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After the wedding is over, it’s time to thank family and friends for the sweet wedding gifts. Dave Mills & Gabriela Nudelman thought this wedding photo taken in the Vizcaya Gardens made picture perfect thank you Folding Cards. The card was designed by LCD Photography who photographed the couples wedding.

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If all this schmoopy human love talk isn’t your speed, there’s always ROBOT LOVE! Props to our pals at Little Korboose for these “Robot Love” Postcards promoting their latest line of modern and eco-friendly products.

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Happy Valentine’s Day from Jakprints!

For every Jakprints order placed between February 14th and February 21st, a portion of our proceeds will be donated to a worthy cause – the American Heart Association! 

Help us show some extra love by placing an order with us this week. We’ll be sure to share our final donation with you too.

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If you’re one of the millions of Americans that resolved to make 2013 a healthier year and have already fallen off the fitness wagon, Tom should be your new best friend.  The enthusiasm this guy has for working out and fitness is beyond contagious.

What’s so awesome about SoMo Apparel (which stands for “So Motivated”) is while they have an apparel line they sell online, their primary goal is to build a community of support for people trying to start an exercise program. Tom says, “SoMo Apparel is about a lifestyle, not just a brand.”

Tom, who is a graphic designer by day, created the SoMo Apparel line of t-shirts less than a year ago. These t-shirts, printed by Jakprints on American Apparel are worn by runners, triathletes and a few iron men who help spread their “Motivated apparel for the motivated person” message.

I asked Tom for a few tips on how to get off the couch and start a successful workout plan. He said, “always remember, it takes three weeks to get into a routine and just three days to fall off of one!”  His advice to everyone is, “get out, get moving and get a work out partner.” 

He adds, “If you’re really trying to stick with it, sign up for a local run or something with a deadline date to help you keep on track.”

Tom and the rest of the SoMo crew have big plans for 2013! In addition to expanding their apparel line, they are working on The Burpee Run, happening in August.  It’s a  5 mile run that incorporates 50 Burpees, (10 per mile) into the run.  If you’re like me and have never heard of a burpee before, it’s similar to a squat thrust.  It’s an intense 4 step, full body exercise used in strength training.

What’s really fantastic about this run is that each participating runner dedicates their personal run to a family member or friend they’ve lost.

SoMo Apparel plans to create a special t-shirt for the runners, with the names of all the honorees on the back.

If you’re looking to catch the fitness bug, visit their website,read their blog and “Like” them on Facebook for more tips and workout inspiration!  Thanks to Tom for taking the time to talk to us. We loved learning more about SoMo Apparel.

We’d love to hear what you’re working on. Share your projects with us!

If you’d like your work spotlighted by Jakprints, email us at events@jakprints.com or simply comment on our “We Love What You Do Wednesday” feature on Facebook!

Ribz Clothing

Written By: Angie Franklin

If you are into intense colors, bold graphics and large prints, then Ribz Clothing is your brand. Founded by Zacree Cobos, an art student from the Kanas City Art Institute, this line offers a wide variety of options from tees and tanks to hoodies and hats, all unique in color, size and placement.

Our model Keith is wearing the “Terror” pullover hoodie, printed on a Gildan Heavy Blend Hooded Sweatshirt in the color Maroon. To achieve the most vibrancy and pop in color with his images, we typically use a traditional plastisol ink. The majority of his prints, as shown with this hoodie, are on both the front and back of the garment. Featuring the slogan “Get Sh*t Done Right”, we definitely hit the mark here!

Ready to rock your own Ribz Gear? Check out their website and like their Facebook page for updates and new products.

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