Calamityware

Products based on the creatures found in Don's sketchbook. This page is where you'll find news about creating, producing, and using Calamityware.

Calamityware began when graphic designer, Don Moyer, inherited a traditional blue Willow-pattern plate and felt a urge to redraw it...and add a pterodactyl. Modern audiences are bored by tranquility and prefer the diversion of monsters, explosions, and car chases. As Don drew a series of plates, each spiced up with its own calamity, people who saw these drawings on Flickr asked for real plates. So

on a Kickstarter project was born and whimsical drawings became a growing collection of fine-quality porcelain plates.

06/18/2026

Some people set the table.
Our Calami-fan, Marlena builds an entire alternate world 🛸 .

We always love seeing the tablescapes she shares in our Facebook group. Every place setting feels like its own little story, complete with hidden surprises, unexpected creatures, and enough details to keep guests distracted long after the meal is over.

Honestly, that’s exactly what our plates were designed for.

If you’re the kind of person who notices the octopus before the mashed potatoes, you might enjoy hanging out with the rest of our people. Search for the “Official Calamityware Monsters and Minions Group” on Facebook. You’ll find fellow collectors, customer photos, sneak peeks, occasional giveaways, early announcements, and plenty of evidence that you’re not the only one decorating your table around imaginary monsters.

Thanks for sharing these, Marlena. We zoomed in on every single one. 👀

06/17/2026

A reminder that Father’s Day is this Sunday.

And while we’re not saying every dad will unwrap a mug and immediately put bourbon in it…

…we’re not saying they won’t.

If you’re still looking for a gift, our Father’s Day Gift Guide is full of mugs, apparel, drinkware, and other oddities Dad probably doesn’t already own…probably.

06/16/2026

A perfectly calm tropical scene…Palm trees, warm breeze, absolutely no cause for concern.

Please ignore the monkeys. They have no interest in your snacks, your valuables, or your general sense of peace.

06/15/2026

The word of the day

06/14/2026

For dads, stepdads, grandpas, uncles, mentors, and other father figures who taught us important life lessons.

Lessons like:

🐿️ Never trust a squirrel.
🚗 Always back into a parking space.
🪫 Don’t buy the cheap batteries.
🥱 “I’m just resting my eyes.”

We’ve gathered some of our favorite gifts for the people who spent years pretending they knew what they were doing.

Explore the Father’s Day Gift Guide on our website at Calamityware.com

06/13/2026

Coming soon… 👀

06/12/2026

Friends,

We have very important news to share. Don, Lynnette, Jack, and Nina have decided to step away from Calamityware.

We are leaving Calamityware happy and healthy. While we will miss plenty about the business (friendships, brainstorming, making jokes, and our devoted followers), we look forward to our next chapters.

Lynnette is getting a new golden retriever puppy. Jack will continue to coach volleyball. Nina will continue perfecting her pottery. And Don will continue to draw, now without deadlines. Some of us hope to take more naps.

And while this is bittersweet for us, we are excited to announce that Calamityware will live on.

Our friends and suppliers for the last 12 years, Maryland China (a fourth-generation family-run business), have agreed to continue making and selling Calamityware products (hooray!!!). If you’ve owned a Calamityware mug, plate, or bowl, you already know their work. We all know they can handle the porcelain side of the business, and they are already brainstorming new non-porcelain products. They also have a few advantages we never had, including more than a century of experience and considerably more warehouse space. We’re hopeful that future Calamityware products will still be inspired by future Don drawings.

We know we are leaving our beloved customers in good hands (fair warning: the new owners might be Ravens fans).

Starting July 1, 2026, Calamityware will be changing hands. You probably won’t notice much of a change. The website and social media will be the same, fulfillment will be the same, and you’ll still get emails a couple of times a week. Of course, they won’t be written by Jack, so all of the words will probably be speld corectly.

And the current team isn’t disappearing completely. Don, Lynnette, and Jack will be available to Maryland China for the foreseeable future to answer questions, share what we’ve learned, and help with the transition…at least until they figure out where we hid everything. But the main goal will continue: keep making weird things for nice people.

Thank you for being part of this story. We’re excited to see where it goes next.

With gooey gratitude,

Don, Lynnette, Jack, and Nina

06/11/2026

Every collection starts with, “I’ll just get one piece.”

And then suddenly you’re rearranging furniture to accommodate a growing population of monsters, pirates, dragons, and suspiciously large frogs.

Scientists call this a “display cabinet.”

We call it a wildlife preserve.

Customer Helen S. recently shared her display cabinet, and frankly, the creatures look very pleased with themselves.

Got your own shelf, cabinet, hutch, curio, bookcase, or highly organized monster containment system? Tag us. We’re nosy.

06/09/2026

Your daily affirmation, you dazzling little donuts 🍩 ✨

Address

Pittsburgh, PA

Website

https://www.calamityware.com/

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