Meet Barbara Kimmel & Joanne Fsadni, Co-Creators of Perrie Meno-Pudge® in Harmony, FL
PERRIE MENO-PUDGE®, a grown up cartoon for women at midlife, was created 4 years ago by Barbara Kimmel and Joanne Fsadni, two long-time (now baby-boomer) friends and corporate graphic designers in New York City. The character was created one evening while out to dinner with their families. Their husbands were talking about fixing something, their kids were nudging each other and the designer duo were lamenting about the ‘joys’ of life at midlife. They took pen to napkin, and by dessert, they had imagined a family with PERRIE MENO-PUDGE® as its lead character.
Using frustration at memory loss and body change, to name a few, they changed midlife into an experience they could laugh at by using life’s lemons to make lemonade, adding an extra dose of lighthearted creativity. They had stumbled into a midlife career change that would take them from the boardroom to the world of the entrepreneur. Their quick sketches soon transitioned into a growing business that includes gifts and novelties for the midlife woman. Retailing online and in card stores, book stores and gift shops on both coasts and in the southeast, the line of gifts often show up at milestone birthday parties! Perrie Meno-Pudge® cartoons appear in local women’s newspapers, glossy magazines, and across the Internet on websites, social networks and blogs.
One of the ‘ingredients’ for Perrie Meno-Pudge’s success is her Survival Kit. It contains Hot Flash Wipes®, Forget-Me-Note Pads®, and a “Hormone Replacement Replacement®” dark chocolate bar with directions to “Apply directly to hips & thighs” and recommends that it “Must be taken with a sense of humor.” Another best seller is the “Hyper-Hormone Zone®” mug & mouse pad set which serves as an early warning system to co-workers or family members that a “Hormone Swing is in Progress” and “To Approach with Caution.” A line of tee shirts in pink for women with upbeat slogans like “MIDLIFE ROCKS!®” and “Midlife is the New Beautiful®.” A men’s line of tees in gray have phrases like “Yes, Dear.” Cartoons appear on assorted Note cards; Tote bags proclaiming, “If we are the weaker sex, they must be bench pressing SUVs”; and Aprons asking, “Is it hot in here or is it me?” as some of the offerings paying homage to a woman’s life at midlife.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there are an estimated 32 million women in the United States between the ages of 40-60, one of the fastest growing and wealthiest market shares that gets only about 10% of marketer’s attention. Perrie Meno-Pudge® helps fill the gap that exists in the marketplace for this demographic.
Barbara hired Joanne as an Art Director in a New York City Design Studio she ran more than 20 years ago. It was then that a long time friendship and true creative collaboration began. Together they have more than 88 years of Graphic design experience which they have now morphed into their new business.
For more information, visit:
http://www.perriemenopudge.com/index.html
http://twitter.com/PerrieMenoPudge
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=56002291700&ref=ts
