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Flashback Friday Part 1: The 1970s
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!
I started stamping when I had the kids – as a stay at home mom, it helped me stay sane – lol!!
I started stamping as a child in the mid 80s, making bookmarks and cards. I still have one of my Hero Arts stamps from that era! I picked it up again as an adult in 1999, and have been stamping off and on since then, working in design teams, having my work published, and even designing some of my own. Thank you for inspiring a life-long hobby and side hustle!
Oh, how fun! Do you have any of the stamps from the catalogs, still? I stamped a little when I was probably about 10-12. My oldest Hero Arts stamps are from the mid 80’s. They were cats and bookplates, gifts from my aunt. Still have them, still work great! I also have collected a few other older Hero Arts stamps from friends that do not stamp, but had them around from their childhoods.
I’ve really only been stamping a couple of years. I’ve dabbled a little but nothing too serious.
I started stamping in the late 1990’s after taking a “free” class at Michael’s. All my supplies I purchased fit in one small box and now they are spilling out of an entire room dedicated to stamping. Hero Arts has always been one of my favorite companies. I saved your catalogs, but mine are more recent than the ones shown here. Happy Anniversary, Hero Arts!