September 30, 2022 |
A Passion for Expression: YNOT Q&A with Jonica of Spooky Bitch Stickers |
One of the most compelling aspects of the modern adult entertainment industry is its breadth and diversity â not just in terms of the people who comprise the industry, but the variety of businesses, services and organizations that employ us. At a time when so much of the industryâs work is delivered digitally, from streamed videos and live cam shows to NFTs and adult VR, we sometimes forget about the appeal of physical products â particularly those that capture or express something unique and eye-catching. Launched early last year, Spooky Bitch Stickers is what you might call an âadult entertainment-adjacentâ company, offering products that arenât âpornographicâ, but that certainly arenât made for kids. YNOT recently sat down with the companyâs owner and founder, Jonica, to talk about what inspired her to start the company, how the selection of products reflects her own interests and passions, as well as her upcoming trip to YNOT Cammunity, where Spooky Bitch Stickers is sponsoring the âCosplay Karaoke Liveâ event on October 12. YNOT: Tell us a bit about Spooky Bitch Stickers; when did you start the company and what inspired you to do it? Jonica: I started Spooky Bitch Stickers in February of 2021 after losing my job due to Covid and moving across the country. Art has always been a passion of mine and I decided a long time ago that I was going to start a business, so when the opportunity finally presented itself, I did. It was a slow start, but as I started, I realized what an incredible outlet it was not only for myself personally, but the opportunity in the community to provide a resource for small businesses and creators who can’t, don’t want to or don’t feel comfortable going to the online production for products. From the start, my goal was to offer a direct line of communication and reasonable pricing to help others get exactly what they want and need from start to finish. YNOT: You offer quite an eclectic mix of categories, from 18+ and military stickers to Dungeons and Dragons-themed and Pride stickers. Does this wide range reflect personal interests of yours? Do you play D&D, for example? If so, is your interest in Stranger Things coincidental, or did you come to the game via the show? Jonica: My first set of stickers I made was the military stickers. I live in a heavily military-populated town. They were a huge hit and I had such a blast designing them. I started taking suggestions and requests, as well as whatever I thought up and running with it. I have a variety of personal interests and I wanted my business to reflect that. As a member of the LGBTQIA+ community I wanted to be sure I had a collection of stickers to share and attended a Pride event where I handed out for free over 300+ stickers resembling the different pride flags. As far as the nerdy side of things, I am a big fan of the show Stranger Things and I recently started playing D&D. That being said, there is no correlation between the two directly for myself. YNOT: Judging by the âKeep the Gov Outâ and âAngry Uterusâ stickers, Iâm going to go out on a limb and assume youâre pro-choice. Whatâs it like to be a pro-choice woman in the wake of the Supreme Courtâs decision in the Dobbs case, which overturned Roe v. Wade? Do you worry about the government continuing to erode womenâs rights, including possibly targeting other forms of bodily autonomy? Jonica: I am openly pro-choice. When the leak about Roe v. Wade being overturned was announced, something inside me felt shattered. Fueled by rage and caffeine I designed my âangry uterusâ stickers and the first few shirts. I am not only enraged but absolutely terrified about what this means for us as well as future generations. I believe the fight against bodily autonomy will continue. The right to life saving medical procedures, medical privacy access to safe healthcare is at risk. I recently experienced on a personal level the effects of the decision. Trying to schedule even standard appointments for reproductive care is sitting at 6+ weeks and the number of available facilities and doctors is dwindling. The fight on women has not just started but I believe the end is so far from sight. YNOT: I understand that youâll be attending YNOT Cammunity in October; what are some of your goals for the event? Are you largely looking to network and establish new relationships? What sort of opportunities does attending YNOT Cammunity present to a company like Spooky Bitch Stickers? Jonica: Yes! I am elated to attend YNOT Cammunity in October! This is my first event of such magnitude and I would be lying if I said my nerves weren’t heightened. Attending YNOT Cammunity I feel really will be a huge step in getting my foot in the door to the adult industry in offering a market that is so limited to creators. I am greatly looking forward to building new relationships and networking with individuals as well as other businesses. I did not expect this early into my business I would not only be attending but be so warmly welcomed to an event like this; I dabbled in the industry years ago and realized that I am much better behind the scenes. I believe attending an event like YNOT Cammunity will give me the chance to help build rapport and make the connections to not only assist others but grow my business as well. YNOT: Is there anything else youâd like to share? Jonica: I look forward to meeting everyone and am going to be doing a raffle at the Meet Market in addition to some special giveaway bags! There are BIG things coming for Spooky Bitch Stickers and I encourage everyone to keep an eye on my website and Twitter over the next few months! In the meantime, I am extremely excited to work with some of the creators I meet at YNOT Cammunity and knock out some incredible merchandise for creators and models. |