A few years ago, Fred Chism was hunting in the woods with his friend when they heard some peculiar noises that resembled knocking and loud yells. Unable to pinpoint a culprit and left to their imagination, there was only one logical conclusion: Bigfoot.
Chism owns Artwear Express, a local screen printing and embroidery shop. He jokingly made a T-shirt with Sasquatch on it that said, “Hide and Seek Champ.” His friend group all decided they needed a shirt, and the Sasquatch brand has steadily grown from there.
“It was between 5:30 and 7 p.m., just before dark, and we kept hearing the knocks on trees getting further away that night,” Chism recalled of the hunting experience. “We just kinda joked about it, so I decided to make the T-shirt. Then, the pandemic hit, and I began making Sasquatch masks. Once people saw those, it really took off.”
Chism calls the Bigfoot-branded apparel Squatch Gear, and he’s gradually increased the inventory and selection over the past 5 years. He takes all the money raised from the sales and donates it to the community through various nonprofits.
“We keep several shirt and apparel options in stock, along with gift items, and it sells like crazy,” he said.
The T-shirts typically feature clever sayings and designs such as “Not all who wander are lost,” “I believe,” and one of their most popular, “The important thing is I believe in myself.”
Chism said the current Squatch Gear inventory also includes different styles of hats and several U.S. hand-carved hard goods.
“This is definitely the largest selection in the area of Bigfoot merchandise,” Chism said. “We print everything in our shop and try to source as many items from the U.S. and locally as possible. It’s turned into something fun to do on the side.”
So, does Chism believe there is, indeed, a Sasquatch?
“I’ve spoken to others I hunt with and told them about the experience, and they all said, ‘Man, you had a Sasquatch experience,’” he said. “Do I believe there is a Bigfoot? I don’t know. I spent 265 days in the woods last year, and I definitely hear things now that I don’t recognize from a typical nature setting.”
With over 10,000 alleged sightings of Bigfoot per year — and most coming from the United States and North America — he might be on to something.
Chism said his ultimate goal is to use the money to help people and the community and one day establish nonprofit status through 501C3.
“We’ve used the money to partner with the SPC Brandon Scott Mullins Memorial Foundation to take military youth hunting and bought bikes for children as part of the Christmas Wish,” he said.
Click here to order Squatch Gear online, or visit the store and Owensboro’s own Bigfoot mascot, Sid, at Artwork Express at 1020 East 4th Street.
