The Campaign
In August 2019, I launched an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to raise cash for a pin based on my black and white TV. I was only asking for $500 and by the end, I raised almost $10,000 from 500+ contributors. The pin features a sheet of clear stick-on screens printed by Factory Two, a maker-space in Flint, Michigan. The pins also glow in the dark, and that led me down the path of all kinds of experimentation with photo-luminescent materials.
The campaign did so well that I introduced a "Special Edition" black and gold version of the pin with a new sticker set. My supporters on Patreon got their very own special sticker pack. I also made a glow-in-the-dark TV patch as an add-on item after testing out some glowy thread that I had left over from my embroidery experiments.
I used a service called Backerkit to help confirm and managing shipping information, facilitate order changes, and print shipping labels in groups of similar orders. It saved me a lot of time and I recommend it to anyone running a crowdfunding campaign.
Further Experiments With Chemistry And Television
I had plans for a mass-produced follow up "Deluxe Woodgrain" edition of my pin. The plan was to try to emulate the simulated woodgrain finish of old TVs with a 3-D engraving effect and transparent brown resin. It was an expensive process to produce a small batch and when they arrived, I wasn’t completely satisfied with the level of “finish”. The woodgrain effect was good, but the glow wasn't bright enough for me and it also needed a layer of resin to bring the pin to a fully finished look. So, I decided to finish them one-by-one myself with the supplies that I had in my studio. Since I had lots of different colors of glow pigment to work with, I mixed up my own glow colors with UV resin. I embedded a clear sticker between a layer of glowing resin and a layer of clear resin to complete each pin. I cured each batch in a ultraviolent lamp made for nail salons. The newly finished pins glow really well and the resin coating helped bring out the woodgrain texture. They were now as deluxe as I wanted them to be and even more special because each is unique.
To supercharge these glow-in-the-dark items, I ordered some custom UV keychain lights with my crossbones logo emblazoned on them. They ship with every new order of my glow items. They are surprisingly bright for their size.
For kicks, I ordered a tiny TFT display from Adafruit and created a miniature version of my black and white TV using the art from the pin. You can see video of it working here on Instagram.
Onward To the Future of TV Pins
I've got plans for more TV pin projects in 2020 and I hope you stay tuned for it. Follow my Instragram feed for the very latest updates about my pins and other art things. Like so many things in my life, this has been an unexpected and fantastic adventure so far. I'm happy to have the support of my friends and fans, so thanks for paying attention and urging me on.
If you or someone you know would like a TV pin, they are available at my shop, ellingson.tv.
TV Pins Available Now
All of my TV Pins, patches, and accessories are available at my shop. You can even buy the original version right here: