Overseas Pt. 1

Thanks to everyone that made the latest wave of Callgrims a success. There are still a few left. I had way more available this time around, but I am getting low. I am hard at work on the next batch- Matt and I ripped it up overseas. Here are a few words & pics from our trip to China...

I am back and in one piece- Asia was fantastic. I managed to dodge the gut bug that took down big Matt. I ate everything in sight- including pigeon heads and moon cakes. I actually gained 18 pounds. I think I now weigh more than Matt... The visit to China was like a trip to another planet. Special thanks to Paul our gracious host and guide - he truly is the Tony Soprano of southern China. Matt and I were treated like kings.

The highlight of the trip for me was seeing where Callgrim was physically born- I saw the steel itself. I didn't realize how big and heavy the pieces are. Cranes are needed to move the things around the shop. The Callgrim steel was laid out for me when we got to the factory. Seeing the steel in person was huge. I have a much better understanding of the processes involved in making Callgrim.

I was honored to meet the engineer who cut the steel and Keen, Paul's Lobot and operations manager. Keen was the best- he was always there to load my plate with his skillfully wielded chopsticks as I fumbled tard-like with mine. He was always armed with a Coke or water- Matt and I were never thirsty. I don't think I opened a single door, car or otherwise while I was in China. Keen is that fast...

The folks at the plush factory were fantastic, too. They were putting together sock monkeys while we were there. I was lucky enough to score one for my youngest boy. He loves those things. Everyone was so generous. It was there that I ate my fill of moon cakes.

The paint factory was amazing and only slightly more smelly than a screen printing shop. The fumes are what get to you- A wide open factory floor with fans keeps the air moving and the working conditions safe. So Matt and I decided to paint our stuff in a tiny closed room with no air circulation. We like to live on the edge. We experimented for a couple of days on a few things- again- we learned a ton.

The vinyl guys were great as well. Seeing the Armodoc molds inspired me to fast-track the Callgrim vinyls...