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Carrie Fisher in Star Wars is where I first learned about strong, independent women. Her tough-talking, no-nonsense performance in the Star Wars trilogy (gold bikini be damned), combined with her openness about mental illness and drug addiction, made for a brilliant, unpredictable, intelligent, angry, and funny woman. When someone is part of a movie that changes your life like this, they become a friend, or something more. That performance becomes part of you, and you carry it with you, always. RIP Carrie Fisher. You may not have always wanted our love, but you always had it.

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Alternate Histories 2017 Calendar of American Cities - Behold! A 12 month 2017 calendar featuring monsters, zombies, & aliens romping through American cities & history - http://kck.st/29N9bCf

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Fact: Fireworks gained popularity in the United States as UFO deterrents. Learn more here and Happy Fourth of July! 

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True story: I'm not the world's biggest David Bowie fan. I like his work and respect him, so I was sad when I heard he died. But it didn't affect my day-to-day life. At first. Then I got home from some errands tonight; when I go out I leave the radio on for my dog so he doesn't bark at everything, and when I got back it was playing "Heroes." That's my favorite Bowie song, and while I'm sure you can dispute the meaning, it's always seemed like a statement of artistic purpose to me. Right now I'm struggling with my business, trying to figure out where I want to go and what road to take. And while I was standing there petting my dog, Bowie half sang, half screamed these lines and I burst into tears. Because art isn't about the end result, or getting rich or making a career of it. It's about being alive and communicating and sharing your feelings and thoughts with the world, no matter how silly they are, even if you only succeed for one day. RIP David Bowie. This isn't much, but I made this while thinking about how your music makes me feel, and how much joy and comfort you brought to people. We can be artists. Just for one day.

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A few words about Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, & Cyber Monday.

My name is Matt Buchholz, and I run a small business, Alternate Histories. I make cards & prints with monsters in them. I sell them online, at some stores around the country, and at craft/art shows. I live and work out of a two bedroom apartment in Pittsburgh that I rent. I pay for my own health insurance and struggle with taxes & all the small business work. I also run all my own social media & marketing, and try to keep up with everything. It’s hard & exhausting but I love it.

In short, I’m a lot like many of my friends here in Pittsburgh and around the country. We made some kind of art, discovered that people like it, and are working to get that work in front of customers so they’ll buy it. I’m fortunate that Alternate Histories is my main source of income; a lot of my friends still have part or full time jobs to support themselves.

The holiday season is incredibly important to us, as that’s when we make most of our money. For instance, my sales in November & December of 2014 accounted for almost 50% of my entire sales for the year!

Which brings us to all the brouhaha around Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, & Cyber Monday. Everything is predicated on incredible deals. Save 30%, 40%, 50%. Free shipping, free overnight, buy one get one free, etc.

This weekend I was thinking about sales and trying to figure out what I could offer; maybe a Cyber Monday deal? Shop Local discounts?

Here’s what I realized: I can’t afford to offer a discount.

I’ve had other online sales during the course of the year, and I’m delighted when you take advantage of them. But the truth is that I can’t afford it right now. There are a lot of factors that contribute to slumping online sales (crowded marketplace, Etsy search algorithims, etc) but it’s something that all of my friends are dealing with.

I love that some big retailers like REI are taking a stand and closing on Black Friday. I applaud that. I wish every big store would take this approach. But that’s simply not something that I have the luxury to do.

We want to keep making fun, creative, hand-made and independently produced work for you. And we hope that you’ll seek out this type of work. But to be frank; it does cost more. It’s more expensive for me to print & ship work from home than it is for a factory in China to print 10,000 of them and them on Amazon or Alibaba.com. Independently produced work simply costs more.

So what I want to say is this:

1. Thank you. Thank you to everyone who has bought my work over the past five years, and who will continue to buy it. Your support means the world to me. It let me quit my job and start working for myself, which is a miraculous thing. It’s the American Dream, as corny as that sounds.

2. I’m sorry that I can’t offer discounts this holiday season. I wish I could, because you folks deserve it. But charging full prices for items now is what lets me stay in business for the rest of the year. It’s what lets me start working on new Holiday card designs in May, when sales are slow. It’s what lets me work on my next crazy idea, keep going, and try to grow as a business.

3. There are lots of ways for you to support me and other independent artists this holiday season. Buy directly from us online. Go to a store that sells work by local and indie makers. Or come to a holiday craft market - they’re easy to find! I’ll be at Crafty Supermarket (Cincinnati) on Nov 28, Handmade Arcade (Pittsburgh) on Dec 5, and the SuperFriends Holiday Market (Pittsburgh) on Dec 12. The Etsy Local feature lets you find markets near you - or if you can’t find a place and want a suggestion, email me. I’ll be glad to steer you towards some places where you can meet artists, talk with them, and support their work.

I hope I’ll see you at a show this year, or that you’ll check me out online. Or hey, if my stuff isn’t your style, that’s cool. Wherever you live, there are talented artists nearby who want to share their work with you. I hope you’ll seek them out this holiday season.

love,

Matt Buchholz

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As a kid, I loved space, science, & engineering. I participated in Science Olympiad, and even went to Space Camp. I didn’t have the skills to build a clock like Ahmed Mohamed, but any 14 year old wearing a NASA shirt is someone I’m proud of. He’s the type of kid we need, and should encourage, not throw in jail. #IStandWithAhmed

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Bill Peduto is Good At Pouring the Right Amount of Coffee Into the Maker

After interviewing the Mayor for TheAPCollection.com I had to ask him the question. Honestly, I was a little surprised and absolutely delighted at this particular disclosure of talent—and not just because I love coffee desperately. 

Being able to Interview Mayor Peduto was an honor for a lot of reasons but mostly because he’s just so damn effortless to talk to. Yes, he was on city council for a number of years but after spending an hour with him I feel like he was a born politician and the years leading up to his tenure has only honed natural potential.

Normally I have to prep someone with my silly question and coax even the most willing participant. Peduto answered effortlessly with something fun, non-occupational, that captures a little slice of his life. 

This seems trivial to some but for me, it’s telling.

Buy a print

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A terrific photo composite for "Son of Frankenstein" featuring Basil Rathbone as the doctor, and reflected in his head mirror, Boris Karloff as the monster and Bela Lugosi as Ygor.

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Happy International Women's Day! From my area of expertise, I love Beverly Garland, the star of countless b-movie sci-fi and westerns, many for Roger Corman. Garland was tough, tenacious, kicked ass, and was always better than the material she was cast in. In the 1950s, when women were being pressed into domestic roles on screen, Garland played hard-as-nails roles with a fire in her eye. 

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Check out my new business venture, Alternate Petstories!

A regal society Kitty! Order your Alternate Petstories here: http://bit.ly/1LeY8bi 

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Check out my new business venture, Alternate Petstories!

A kitty fancy lady! Order your Alternate Petstories here: http://bit.ly/1LeY8bi 

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Check out my new business venture, Alternate Petstories!

Schoolmarm kitty! Order your Alternate Petstories here: http://bit.ly/1LeY8bi 

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Check out my new business venture, Alternate Petstories!

A genteel GSP lady! Order your Alternate Petstories here: http://bit.ly/1LeY8bi 

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Check out my new business venture, Alternate Petstories!

Order your Alternate Petstories here: http://bit.ly/1LeY8bi 

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Check out my new business venture, Alternate Petstories!

A general in the puggle army! Order your Alternate Petstories here: http://bit.ly/1LeY8bi 

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My own dog, Otis, poses for his doguerreotype! Order your Alternate Petstories here: http://bit.ly/1LeY8bi 

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Behold our Zombie version of the famous WPA "Flee America" series! It can be purchased with American currency here:

http://alternatehistories.com/products/flee-america-zombies