Your Industrial Park Neighbors: Mouth Man

Benicia Patch periodically profiles businesses in the Industrial Park. An interview with sales manager Greg Stern gives us the inside story on a unique product, Mouth Man Original Animated Apparel. Mouth Man is the brainchild of Ross Valory, bass player and founding member of the rock band Journey. The animated hoodies will be available at on Aug. 13.

How did Mouth Man get its start?
While after touring years ago, Ross (Valory) saw his friend’s kids playing, arms crossed in front of them, elbows pointed out, opening and closing them, and making monster noises. Years later, he thought of creating a shirt with graphics on the sleeves that would form a face and mouth to create the same effect.

Fast forward to November 2009 when we went live on our website. Best sellers are the raptor, T-Rex, frog and shark. The line also includes a triceratops, meerkat, sock monkey, skeleton, dragon, whale and many more.  Mouth Man carries selections for children and adults. We have done team mascots, as well as special characters such as The Simpsons, and we are always working on new styles.

At the same time we went online, we began working with the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. Our animated hoodies are now carried on their website stores, as well as A&E and History Channel. For example, the Discovery Channel carries several specially designed hoodie shirts: “Buster,” the Myth Busters crash test dummy, a Shark Week shirt ,which is this week, July 31 through Sunday, and the Deadliest Catch crab. For A&E, we do a Billy the Exterminator, and for the History Channel, a Swamp People gator. We also are working with e-tailers like Sky Mall, Daily Grommet and catalog companies.

When did you move to the Industrial Park? 
We moved to Benicia from Pacheco in February of 2010. The holiday season was something we could not have expected, with tens of thousands of orders. By October we had outgrown the space and had to expand. We now have around 10,000 square feet.

How are the shirts made?
Our artists create the detailed digital images and they are printed using a series of wide-format printers and high-temperature heat presses. The process and products are all environmentally friendly and green. We use water-soluble inks and recycled materials for the polyester shirts. The fabrics are lightweight, cool, moisture wicking and have UV protection.

What kind of response do you get to the shirts? 
It is interesting when we go to trade shows and festivals since we wear the hoodies. Kids immediately get it while it takes the adults a little longer. "Give yourself a hug" and have a "Mouth Man Moment."

You’ll be at the Benicia Peddler’s Fair on Aug. 13?
Benicia is the first of many festivals we’ll be doing this year, including a number of the Harvest Festivals in Northern and Southern California.