The Cowboy Chuck Company is a family owned and operated business featuring the whimsical personalized cartoons of Anita Massimini-Brown.

Anita had always enjoyed drawing but she first began to develop her now recognizable cartoon characters during a particularly boring college economics class in 1972. For the next eight years, her cartoons were given exclusively to family and friends.

In 1980 we had been married for a year and were becoming increasingly bored with our full-time jobs. Since we had plenty of free time - in addition to a strong desire to make some "extra" money - we figured we should start a business. After much discussion - filled with plenty of anxiety - we made the decision to see if there was a market for Anita's unique cartoons.

With modest expectations and plenty of enthusiasm we cleared out a small corner of our garage and the Cowboy Chuck Company was born. We had no clue how life would change for us from that day forward. The positive response to Anita's personalized cartoon gifts was immediate and overwhelming. Within one year we quit our "real" jobs and within a few years her cartoons were being displayed in homes and businesses all over the planet. For the next 10 years we systematically outgrew larger and larger facilities until we finally moved into a brand new 5500 square foot building in Moorpark, California in 1990. We stayed there until 2009 when we moved to our new, smaller building near our home in Camarillo, California. After 29 years in business, Anita and I were more than ready to step out of the fast lane and downsize the business to a more manageable level.

When Cowboy Chuck was at it largest, we had more than 60 employees (full, time, part time and temporary). Now there are just 4 of us here at work…and that is just the way we like it. These days, Anita is perfectly content to stay in her office and run the business, take orders, visit with long-time customers on the phone and of course, draw new cartoons.

Even though Cowboy Chuck has been around for more than 30 years, our business continues to evolve. In the fall of 2010, for the first time ever, Anita's characters are available with hair color. Additionally, lots of new products are being developed for introduction in 2011 and beyond.

We want to thank our dedicated, talented family and friends who helped us on our journey. Without them we never would have achieved the level of success we have always enjoyed. It would be impossible to acknowledge (or, sadly remember) everyone who worked with us, but a special few deserve a tip of Cowboy Chuck's 10-gallon hat, so, thanks to our pardners: Bob "We" Brown, Dawn Litwak-Nuccio, Jen & Michael Weissenborn, Ann Marie Woodward, Stephanie Cannon, Cory and John Massimini, Valerie Sherman, Hedy Peterson, Carson Brown and Fred Ventura.

Additionally we want to thank all the wonderful customers who have supported us these past 30+years. We understand it is because of you that Anita and I have been able to live the American Dream. We are living proof that in this wonderful country - just about anything is possible.

Enjoy every day.

Michael

Michael C. Brown
President
Cowboy Chuck Company, Inc.
Est. 1980