ABOUT US
MAKE THINGS WE LOVE FOR THE THINGS WE LOVE
Dual Wield Studio started as a two-person team based out of Seattle built on one goal: Make things we love for the things we love. We want to create merchandise that we're excited for - whether it's for an IP that we're a fan of, or an original design that we think looks beautiful. But beyond that, we want to use it as an opportunity to help our communities. Our partnership was formed out of a shared desire to bridge gaps between IP holders, fans, and independent artists. It has since developed into a company founded on the following tenets:
- Brand recognition is improved by fandom creations, not diminished. If managed properly, IP holders and artists can work together to benefit from fandom while giving back to it. Developing an easier process for fans to make merchandise benefits everyone.
- Merchandise shouldn't be made solely with monetization in mind. Any IP with a fan following was crafted with love, care, and dedication. Why should its merchandise be any different?
- We have a moral obligation to support marginalized voices and pay a fair wage. We firmly believe that companies are in a unique position to promote marginalized voices and will take every opportunity to do so.
THE COMPANY
For clients, we act as a one-stop shop for merchandise design, manufacturing, online fulfillment, convention presence, sales assistance, and anything else you may need. We can tailor our services to your needs, whether it's handling everything from start to finish, or taking on a specific task in the merchandising process.
For creators, we are setting a new bar when it comes to companies working with independent artists. Freelance work can be exciting and rewarding, but sometimes freelancers can be taken advantage of when it comes to pay, contract negotiation, and artist rights. We want to help make you successful by leveraging our own time and experience, because together we can change the landscape of merchandising and make it better for everyone.
For customers, we are honing in on what you want, when you want it. All of our designs are made with both you and ourselves in mind. We create items that we want to see in the world, while also striving to provide content and information you value and connecting you to the brands you love.
THE PRODUCTS
Every product on our website is officially licensed or original branded merchandise. At no point will we ever sell unlicensed or "bootleg" items. We are committed to this promise as we firmly believe it benefits everyone - from the creators and IP holders, to the artists and designers, to the fans and customers.
We are also dedicated to making sure our products are responsibly sourced wherever possible. We look for every opportunity to work with small businesses and independent artists. We attempt to use packaging that is sustainable where possible. All items manufactured overseas are tested and pass US Customs' requirements.
THE FOUNDERS
Art by bkomei
Rowan has been involved in fandom for as long as she can recall. She has worked on numerous projects at a wide variety of jobs, including designing training for customer service companies, handling sales and social media, and managing a pop culture merchandise company. She then moved on to use all the knowledge she has gained to form Dual Wield Studio with Adri. Most importantly, Rowan has two very sweet (dumb) cats, and she really likes robots, fanfiction, and bad horror movies.
EMPLOYEES
Approvals & Product Development
Senior Approvals Manager | Cut & Sew Director
Heather's fandom is all over the place from art, fashion, music, video games and cartoons. She collects Elvira Comics and artist figures. Loves all things weird, creepy, and cute. Growing up in Maine, she had big dreams and found her way to California, where she has spent the last 14 years designing licensed apparel and Halloween costumes. Through designing she has been able to express her creative fandom while designing for IPs she's loved since her youth. She personally engineered Manscaped's new Boxer 2.0 line. She spent months having awkward conversations with men about their underwear and researching boxer brief fits, fabrics and construction to create a highly rated pair of underwear. |
Product Developer
Lindsay is a webcomic creator and game developer who brings Dual Wield many years of creating fandom merchandise. They enjoy simulation and time management games, writing fanfic and roleplaying, and kitchen adventures. Their original work focuses primarily on the intersection of motherhood and identity, the weight of social expectations, and making fictional characters kiss in new and interesting ways. |
Junior Product Developer Art by bkomei Katie comes from an apparel production background, but more importantly has enjoyed many years of selling at anime, comic, and furry conventions. Her passions tend toward indie comics, indie games, poorly made cartoons, and sad anime men. She also has an interest in all things homesteading (but make it super queer) and sustainability. Loves her ever expanding family including her longtime partner, two very dumb cats, a very dumb leopard gecko, and many, many isopods. |
Junior Product Developer Art by bkomei Tash is an artist with a background in fashion and technical design. They love cartoons, music, mythology, fashion, and all things joyful! They are also extremely passionate about helping others express themselves through creative outlets and supporting artists to make their dreams reality. Outside of work you can find them roller skating, dancing, or contemplating their existence at the beach. |
Accounting
Accountant Art by bkomei Sydney has been in fandom spaces for as long as she can remember. After college, she started a small business providing tax prep and accounting services to online creatives, and everything has spiraled since. In her free time she plays way too many video games, writes copious amounts of fanfiction, and hangs out with her cat, Ferdinand von Aegir. Sydney handles all of Dual Wield's payments to our contractors and artists, as well as manages royalties payable to clients. She is the main point of contact on all matters financial. |
Administrative
Executive Assistant Art by bkomei
With a background in admin and operations in the licensed merchandise, tech, and financial industries, executive assistant Alice is here to keep folks' heads on straight. In their free time, they contribute to fandom by way of writing fic, and lending their voice to mods and other fandom community projects. |
Art & Creative
Art Director | Senior Product Designer
Zara is an artist by day and... well, artist by night, because fandom never sleeps. With a background ranging from active duty in the US Marine Corps to working on a gamut of video games as a multidisciplinary character artist, she enjoys the creative challenge of turning ideas tangible—be that as interactive media, action figures, costumes, collectibles, or anything else! As Art Director and Senior Product Designer at Dual Wield Studio, they hope to imbue their love and passion for all aspects of fandom into creating wonderful things, and trying to ensure everyone else has fun along the way. Can and will send photos of her cat Taki (and Taki's adorable little bobtail) & doggo Dagger at any opportunity. Sometimes prone to motivational speeches. Always has feels about comics media & fashion. Please keep out of direct sunlight. |
Art Lead
Mengmeng is an Ignatz nominated illustrator and designer who is (unfortunately) very into video games and plays maybe a little too much video games. Fortunately, that is all balanced out by their love of their cat Chessie, and will not shut up about him ever. They also have years of experience in art making and merchandise making, and art merchandise making. They've worked on a lot of your favorite things, like Among Us! And Iron Widow....and Among Us! |
Business Development
Biz Dev Lead
Michael is the Business Development Lead at Dual Wield Studio and primarily has a background in publishing. He's worked at companies like NBCUniversal, Scholastic, and BOOM! Studios to put out great (at least by his standards) comics and graphic novels. When he's not wrangling the business side of Dual Wield Studio's business, he's working on his own creative projects, including writing a to-be-announced graphic novel releasing in 2024/2025. |
Biz Dev Coordinator Art by bkomei Mike takes a "Why not?" approach to a lot of things in life, which has led them to working in the games and YouTube industry helping games and content creators grow. This mentiality has also led them to being a part of several podcasts, helping to make a mini flipping table, and co-creating several small comic and tabletop projects. A big fan of dungeon crawling RPGs, tabletop games, and all things fantasy, they're more than likely thinking about elves and swords at any given moment. The Halfbound Blade was a short fantasy comic project independently published and funded through Kickstarter featuring art by Lee Milewski and lettering by Fred Wood. Ever get angry? So angry you want to flip a table? Well do so from the comfort of your own desk with The Mini Flipping Table! Made in collaboration with several friends and funded via IndieGoGo, The Mini Flipping Table was something of a gag taken too far, and managed to sell through two print runs being sold at conventions and digital storefronts. |
Merchandise & Technology
Merch & Tech Coordinator
Alyssa is an illustrator and librarian who is thrilled to apply her lifelong passion for fandom, eye for design, and pro organization skills to her work at Dual Wield Studio. A seasoned con exhibitor, attendee and cosplayer, she loves connecting with people who share in her fandoms. She is a number one fan of Luna (her hedgehog), and a regular fan of fantasy books, indie comics, circus arts, video games, and any kind of story that breaks her heart. From project managing a Gargoyles fanzine to designing pins, you can view Alyssa's illustration work and design projects on her website. |
Merch & Tech Coordinator
Abby is a quirky Illinoisian and something of a fandom chameleon. She loves being a part of different online communities that are passionate about cartoons, comics, dolls, TV, mycology, and more! She has an eclectic collection of kitschy earrings and art toys that keep her company while she’s working. Her desk is littered with messy pencil sketches, half-finished custom toys, disembodied doll parts, and abandoned clay projects that she swears she’ll finish eventually. You can find Abby's work and projects on her website. |
Merch & Tech Coordinator Art by bkomei Erik is a Jack of all trades, working in food, automotive, logistics, IT, events, and more! You may have seen them at many a tradeshow selling merch or helping you with your booth for many a year. Erik is very passionate about movies, shows, board-games, and anything Sci-Fi. Don't get him started about his Love/Hate relationship with a certain cardboard box wielding character. On his time off Erik will be found exploring the outdoors in the van he is rebuilding, if it will make it out to the woods for the trip! |
Merch & Tech Coordinator Art by bkomei Meghan is a low-vision artist, game designer, and podcaster out here creating and consuming good stories, cute art, and accessible design. With a varied background in librarianship, education, technology and animation, Meghan is just a weird little guy interested in putting all the pieces together for some creative (and fun!) problem solving. Her fandoms include Dragon Age, Lockwood & Co, Sailor Moon, Saint of Steel, and Star Trek. In her spare time (lol) you can find her being bullied by her perfect cat, running a TTRPG, or playing an otome game. You can find out more about Meghan's work at her website. |
Production & Product Management
Operations Director Art by bkomei Wei is a chronic project manager, fanfic writer, and, for better or worse, a long-time Fire Emblem fan. With a career background in project management, data analytics, vendor communications and client success, as well as the tons of fandom zines and projects Wei has led, Wei's excited to leverage these skills to make cool stuff with Dual Wield Studio! Wei's free time is spent trying new recipes, producing theater, hiking in the woods, and debating picking up even more hobbies. Talk to Wei about sports anime and competition reality TV. |
Producer Art by bkomei Paulomi has worked for 8+ years as an art director on everything from packaging, layout design, video development, and all the web design in between. As a Producer at Dual Wield Studio she's putting that background to good use helping some extremely cool creators make some extremely cool things. When she's not working on production, she's podcasting — right now, you can hear her as Kiran Rao on the all-ages podcast Skyjacks: Courier’s Call, a spinoff of CAMPAIGN: Skyjacks! She still moonlights as an art director and is currently working on layout design for Descent into Midnight. |
Producer Art by bkomei Nick has had dozens of jobs but would say he got his start as an artist, animator, and illustrator in the Bay Area. After a short stint on a reality show, he found a new home in Seattle with his dog, Pepper. He loves, music, fashion, basketball, road trips, frozen treats, and being useful to those he cares about. In his spare time he enjoys games with persistent worlds, riding his motorcycle, portraiture, and biiiiiig stretchies. As a producer at Dual Wield Studio, he strives to be an enabler, and is older than you would probably guess. |
Producer Art by bkomei Kat has worked a number of different jobs (teacher, editor, server, bartender, nurse) and lived in many different places (Japan, Texas, Michigan, Mississippi, Seattle, San Francisco, Auckland, Boston, and now within spitting distance of the Great Lakes). The only constant in her life has been her love for and participation in fandom, and she's delighted to have found a career that allows her to work more concretely with the media she loves and collaborate with creators to bring their works to life. Her fandoms range from bands to video games, TTRPGs, podcasts, comics, anime, movies, danmei, and books about necromancers. In her free time she writes, lifts weights, plays video games and Dungeon World, and harasses her friend's cats. She can be found yelling in state parks on days with nice weather. |
Producer Art by bkomei Lauren Jordan is an artist & designer currently residing in the woods in North Carolina. When she's not working on her wiki-based cookbook Pantry Puzzle, you can find Lauren in her garden or online at laurenjordan.art. Lauren joined Dual Wield Studio as a Producer to develop Potluck.art, an upcoming storefront for artists with a focus on sustainability. |
Social Media & Marketing
Social Media Manager Art by bkomei Kara is a photographer and avid twitter dot com user that loves all things spooky and cute. When she’s not crying about K-pop (being a triple Pisces gets the best of her), she can be found playing with makeup, crafting or tending to her plants. She lives with her best feline friend Pangur Bán - better known as Peebs - who would commit crimes for a cheeseburger. Can hold an entire conversation based on SpongeBob references. |
PREVIOUS STAFF
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Adrienne spent most of her life on the move, growing up in Korea, Japan, USA, and Canada. She has been lucky enough to find a career that combines her passion for fandom with her love of art, fashion, and collaborating with people to make cool things. Adri departed Dual Wield Studio in August 2020, but remains an avid supporter and friend of the company. She now lives and works in Los Angeles as the Product Design & Development Manager of Critical Role. In her free time, she plays video games and rides horses. |
Hannako is an Ignatz-nominated comic artist and designer experienced in both traditional and digital art and was a veteran of the convention scene with more than a decade's experience. She primarily specializes in pin manufacturing, and wrote some of the premier texts in the field, Welcome to Pin Hell (2018) and Inner Circles of Pin Hell (2019). In the rare moments she's not designing and creating art, she enjoys video games, travel, and frequent naps. |
 Art by Jayd Aït-Kaci Josh is a professor at NYU Game Center and the Founder of Intelligame, a community/game site that focuses on making real-world connections to the world of games. Be sure to watch him streaming on Twitch or working on other projects around the internet! |
 Art by Jayd Aït-Kaci Ritzy has been active in fandoms for years whether it’s pranking friends in co-op, making bad interesting choices in-character at the table, or having passionate feelings about anime. They’re thrilled to bring their technical expertise and nerd cred to Dual Wield Studio. Ritzy is joined by their work associate Rylie, a goblin queen who masquerades as a Siamese cat. |
Biz Dev Coordinator
Mallerie, more of a music fandom person (unless you are talking about Splinter Cell then let’s talk) but still very much a player of video games, was born and raised in the hot desert of Phoenix, Arizona. Totally opposite from her love of all things green in nature, she collects houseplants to make up for it. Aside from that, she loves fashion, architecture, rain, magic/spirituality, and audio dramas. Dual Wield Studio has been a dream career combo of fashion and video games for her. Mallerie has two munchkins that keep her young and spry and a pet houseplant called Planty. |
