Kickstarter

Towering above the cornfields of Nebraska is a white water tower with the word "FUNK" written across the side in bold, black letters. It's just a few hundred yards off of Rte 6...not far from the Funk Emporium. 

I first came across Funk on a road trip to Colorado back in 2002 and immediately began looking for more hilariously-named towns in my well-worn atlas. I found Toad Suck, AR and Monkey's Eyebrow, AZ...Humptulips, WA and Hell, MI...Oatmeal, TX and Sandwich, IL. And there are, literally, hundreds more. (Chances are, there are one or two near you!)

Unfortunately, nobody knows about these places...until now.

Don't Blink: Tiny Towns, Funny Names is off to tell the stories behind these humorously-named hamlets. We'll meet the people, taste the food, and learn how these seemingly-ridiculous town names were chosen. You might even find us working alongside some of the towns' residents. (Did you know there are people who actually answer Santa's mail in Santa Claus, Indiana? We SO want to do that!)

The show will have the overall feel and humor of Mike Rowe's Dirty Jobs, combined with the information and history of Travel Channel's Samantha Brown series or PBS' Rick Steves shows. However, unlike many other travel programs, Don't Blink will show more than just what can be found in these towns...we'll show you who can be found. We'll introduce you to the fascinating characters that make these places so unique, and discover the stories that make small-town America so remarkable.

Production of this quality typically costs $3,000-$6,000 per minute (or more); however, our crew is donating much of their time in the early phases of this project to make our goal a realistic one. For $11,200, we can produce two Don't Blink "webisodes" (in HD) for our Vimeo channel and website. (And we have secured similar production rates for future episodes if we bring in additional funding.)

Once these initial episodes are released, we will use them to:

1) Build a fan base online.

2) Find sponsors for our website and social media channels.

3) Secure regular air time on a national or regional TV network.

4) Develop full-length Don't Blink episodes.

5) Create a companion coffee table book with photos and stories from these amazing towns.

We have put together some really cool rewards designed to give you as personal an experience as possible with the show. Thanks, in advance, for your help! If you can't give but still want to help, please friend us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or share the link to this campaign (above). The more you can help spread the word about Don't Blink, the better!

As with all Kickstarter campaigns, if we don't raise the full amount, no money changes hands and we go back to the drawing board. ("Blink" from Chameleon Circuit, copyright DFTBA Records at DFTBA.com)