Flashback Friday Part 1: The 1970s

April 19, 2019

Hero Arts

Hero Arts is celebrating 45 years in business this year! What an incredible journey it has been. YOU are a wonderful part of our history, and now that our anniversary is here, we'd like to invite you to celebrate this milestone alongside us! In the next several weeks, join us for fun, contests, behind-the-scenes content, lots of giveaways, new products, and more. Let's get this party started, friends!

The start of it all? Flashback Fridays. Over the course of five Fridays, we'll be sharing the story of our five decades as a company.

The setting: Berkeley, California, mid-1970s. Let's hear about the earliest days of Hero Arts from our CEO, Aaron Leventhal:

"Hero Arts was founded in May of 1974, near the end of the school year, when my mother (Jackie) decided she would try out her hobby at local craft fairs. Early designs included funky cartoon images, irreverent messages, and drawings from friends and family, including Betty Boop, cartoon monkeys, a cow by 4 year-old Aaron, and more. Most of the stamps were handmade in our bathroom, where our vulcanizer sat, that pressed rubber. The rubber was then cut and assembled in Jackie's bedroom, before being sent out via mail or sold at fairs."

Wondering what the first catalogs looked like? Well, they were actually fold-out posters...

Here's a closer look at the inside and back of the 1978 Hero Arts product poster.

Aaron even found this photo showing an early craft show booth from the late 1970s!

If you're interested in hearing more of the Hero Arts story, grab a beverage and enjoy this interview from a few years ago, when Aaron sat down for an Online Card Classes Crafty Chat. We think you'll enjoy hearing this story directly from him!

When did you start stamping? Let us know in a comment below and we will pick one winner at random to receive a $25 Hero Arts gift card! Comment by Thursday, April 25 at 11:59pm PT and you'll be entered to win.

Tomorrow we'll begin sharing peeks from our upcoming 45th Anniversary Summer Catalog! That's right, this year's Summer Catalog is one big anniversary celebration that we can't wait to share with you.

Thank you for joining us today!

Barbara Schmitz Apr 19, 2019

I still remember the first rubber stamp I bought – an HA angel, in 1987!
Amy Cooley Apr 19, 2019

I started stamping about 20 years ago. Happy Anniversary! I love the flashbacks!
Mary Apr 19, 2019

Wow! Congratulations! I’ve been stamping for almost 30 years! Your stamps are the best!
Melissa Apr 19, 2019

I started stamping probably 8 years ago. Congratulations on 45 years!
Stephanie B Apr 19, 2019

Love the old catalogue and the picture of the stamp booth! I started a rubber stamp collection as a child in the ‘80’s and still have many of them.

I used to be very active outdoors with hobbies like scuba diving, mountain biking, kayaking, and surfing to name a few, but in 2014 my life was turned upside down by a medical condition, leaving me in extreme pain and stripping me of my physical ability to take place in all those hobbies that made me, well, me. It took me awhile, but I picked myself back up and realized I need to focus on what I can do and take it as an opportunity to reinvent myself. I looked back at all my hobbies and saw some of those old stamps I still had, and I think everyone here knows how quickly that interest can grow! Now I’ve got a growing stash of rubber, photo polymer, dies, stencils and all the different inks and papers. I love that this is a hobby that you can put down and get back to, so if you have a condition like mine, you can pick it up on your good days for a few minutes here and there, but still have that feeling of accomplishment as you create something new.

Thank you Hero Arts for your inspiration, the kits are amazing. You guys don’t know how much joy you bring to so many of us!