HUNTSVILLE — From doodling diabetic puns on Post-it notes to using the Saturn V as a unicorn’s horn, Jonathan Fowler and his playful tongue-in-cheek takes from Fow Wow Designs, are hoping to celebrate all things weird and unique that make us — and our hometowns — special.
As a type-1 diabetic, Fowler found himself scribbling notes poking fun of his condition to withdraw himself from the mediocrity of his job. Thinking, one day they could be worn as a playful way to identify others with the condition to form an instant bond.
As Fowler realized with that he “had no idea how to print shirts” with his “locAL” design —meant to highlight his favorite local businesses, he carried this playful ideology with him as he signed up for a screen-printing class at Lowe Mill. The “Keep Huntsville Magical” unicorn design drew the attention of the Green Pea Press instructors with Green Pea Press who encouraged Fowler to sell his designs at their venue.
The turning point, though, came as Fowler lost a friend to his battles with addiction.
As Fowler sat through the funeral, he decided to come up with a way to celebrate his friend and give back to the organization that men’s recovery organization to which his friend belonged.
Featuring the mural from First Baptist Church of Huntsville, which features a stylized portrait of Christ, Fowler launched his “Whisk You Were Here” shirt, a phrase which the church has sense embraced, donating 100% of the profits to the His Way organization.
“You know I’m trying to come up with something and I’m thinking about friend and I know where he’s at now,” Fowler said. “So, I was thinking about Jesus and then I just decided that it needed to be ‘Eggbeater Jesus.’
“And after I posted it online, it just went viral and Fow Wow kind of took off from there.”
His shirts now poke fun at communities from Huntsville to Dothan, celebrating all the reason’s people should “fall back in love with their towns.”
Hoping to expand upon this, Fowler said he is hoping to visit smaller communities and work with them to come up with designs. Then, local screen printers would make shirts to raise money for nonprofits in those communities.
“I really just want people to smile,” Fowler said, “I would love to celebrate local artists and non-profits and organizations.
“I want people to celebrate where they’re from and not be ashamed of that.”
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