Hallmark Ornament Sculptor

Hallmark presents

November 21, 2000

Page 2 of 5

Sounde: What's your most memorable in-store signing moment?

Robert Chad: It was several years ago in Washington. A guy in a truck pulled up to the store I was in, and he came up with three or four ornaments in his hand. When he got to me, he said he had every single ornament I had ever sculpted, and he wanted me to sign all of them! And I did.

Tomu: Have you ever been featured in a Keepsake Ornament?

Robert Chad: Yes! There's a signing piece (it's not an ornament, it's a larger display piece) called "Mrs. Claus's Cupboard," and on it is an elf that is looking up at the cupboard. Linda Sickman painted it and I sculpted it. She painted that little elf character with a little white stripe in the beard, and I have a white stripe in my beard.

Netmom: Do you collect anything?

Robert Chad: Music is what I collect. I collect world music CD's, from all over the world, and contemporary music. I've got 200 CD's and probably 300 cassettes and 100 records or so.

Creativity: How many ornaments have you sculpted in your career?

Robert Chad: Actually, I counted them a couple of years back, and I think by now I have easily over 200.

Love22: How do you decorate for the holidays?

Robert Chad: Mostly with lights--lots and lots of those little lights, all over the house, inside and out. We have gone through the color thing, and now we are into the bright whites. A couple of days ago, my wife brought home a four foot fiber-optic tree. I like it!

Adamiano: How many Merry Miniatures have you sculpted, and what's your favorite one?

Robert Chad: I've probably sculpted 25 or so. My favorite one was a Halloween Merry Miniature, and it was a little green monster with purple polka dots.

Comfort3: When sculpting a new Keepsake Ornament, what's your favorite theme and why?

Robert Chad: Pretty much it's Santa Claus, the North Pole, and anything in the North Pole, like elves or furniture. Basically, it's because I love fantasy, and Santa Claus is the most fantasy-related out of all of the images that you could choose from the Christmas icon list.

Perita: How long does it take to sculpt a regular ornament and where do you do it?

Robert Chad: A regular ornament usually takes one to two weeks. We all work on the top floor of a building in 8 x 10 booths, separated by little 6 foot walls.

Allisha: Are there any sculptures you haven't done that you would be really interested in doing?

Robert Chad: There are several Looney Tunes characters that I would love to do, but probably won't. Some of those are Foghorn Leghorn's girlfriend, named Prissy, and there are also a couple of characters from the Foghorn Leghorn bunch, Egghead Jr. and Barnyard Dawg. There are two gangsters, one called Mugsy and the other one called Rocky, and a character called The Gremlin. Those are all Warner Brothers characters, and they're kind of obscure.

Sue: When you sculpted "Busy Bee Shopper," did you know at the time that it would be one of the specially colored ornaments that would be won during July Premiere?

Robert Chad: That was a total surprise to me, and in fact, I didn't see that until someone handed me one at an in-store signing this year.

Doye: I'm sure that I won't be the only one on this chat tonight who says that I love "Santa's Chair." The detail you put into this ornament is amazing. It was my favorite ornament this year. Thank you for creating it.

Robert Chad: You're welcome. It was my favorite ornament of all time to make!

Ms Karon2: If you couldn't work for Hallmark, where would you like to work? What would the job be?

Robert Chad: If I had to choose someplace else to work, it would probably be Disney, and probably as an animator and not a sculptor.

Aries: Do you have a favorite cartoon character?

Robert Chad: Probably my favorite is Gossamer, which is an ornament I did for this year. I've loved him ever since I was a kid. I watched a lot of cartoons as a child, and he's just one of my favorites. I love monsters!

Ginny: Hi! Not really a serious question, but did you ever think that your name would be so popular (as it is with the Florida situation) and be used in so many news reports--hanging chad, dimpled chad, etc?

Robert Chad: No, I had no idea. I never knew those little punch out things were called chads. In fact, I don't think the whole nation knew those things were called chads, but boy, they know it now!

Page 2 of 5