What About Us?

As seen on 'The View'

Hi! My name is Ron Kanfi, and I am the boss man (or so I'm told). Welcome to my crazzzy little company--NobleWorks. I'm guessing you're here because you have a wicked sense of humor or because you're a really bad typist and you landed on this page by accident. Either way is fine by me, just as long as you buy something.

As the story goes, NobleWorks was launched in 1980 by my good friends Christopher Noble, a house painter, and Jay Purvis, the art director of Conde Nast's GQ Magazine. They started the company in Chris's kitchen with a grand budget of $400 in small bills – borrowed from Chris's mom (yes, she was reimbursed!). The initial line of 12 cards was more artsy-fartsy than edgy, and the cards were hand-painted with Christopher's leftover flat latex house paint. At that time, the only thing edgy about NobleWorks was the location of its headquarters, which was in the now ultra-fashionable Meatpacking District of NYC (which, back then, was a deliciously seedy section of slaughterhouses and transsexual hookers).

Despite the wretched smell and fantasies of being mugged on my way to work, I decided to join the company in 1983. I became a partner in 1986 and then became NobleWorks' president and creative director in 2001 after we lost our much beloved friend, Chris Noble, to AIDS.

Today, NobleWorks – we also like to be known as "The Humor Company" – is a boutique publisher and an industry leader striving to leave what we think is a hilarious mark on the world of humor and humorous greeting cards. We currently publish more than 2,000 everyday and seasonal card designs, ranging from slightly silly to somewhat risqué.

Politics, religion and current events are among the themes to which we give a humorous, provocative and sometimes controversial spin here at NobleWorks. In fact, our slogan is "Dare to Laugh." And, at times, one does wonder if laughing is the right thing to do. Hey, as they say, "Fuck 'em if they can't take a joke!"

All of our cards are printed on-demand using recycled paper – so we're green as well as funny! And, we're now located in New Jersey – although nowhere close to the Shore (no Jersey jokes, please), where we print and ship all of our orders.

In addition to producing greeting cards, I've also written two humor books published by Running Press: "Saint Misbehavin': Modern-Day Saints You've Never Heard Of" and "Life Is Like a Box of Dirty Diapers – And Other Twisted Truisms." (Both books are available for a measly $9.95 on Amazon, in case you're itching to buy one.)

Helping me out are some terrific folks—a few of them have been hanging out with me here for more than 15 years for some odd reason—who run our customer service, shipping and receiving, fulfillment, website and warehouse areas. And, of course, we also have quite a few fantastic artists. Although we're just a tiny little company, we've got a big sense of humor and we're big on keeping our customers happy and laughing!

No matter how the world around us changes, humor will always provide great relief and healing. In fact, I'm convinced that the worse things get, the more we need a good laugh. I believe it has been scientifically proven that laughter releases endorphins in the brain. A good laugh does more than just make you feel better – it can actually help change your perspective. I'm living proof: I've been living with multiple sclerosis for two decades. I don't know how the hell I could have gotten through the day without laughing. I often remind myself that if something terrible now can eventually be a funny memory in the future, then it must be funny now, too, and so it really can't be all that bad. With so many awful things on the news every day, humor keeps the world a bright and happy place for me. So, I've surrounded myself with humor and good laughs running this company. Funny, but it keeps me going strong!

If laughing doesn't improve your mood, restore your energy and help you feel less alone in the world, then just remember that a good laugh is the second most fun way (after sex) to burn unwanted calories. We know it works! We've lived and breathed it for the past 30-plus years, and we're determined to spread it around. So, welcome to NobleWorks. And please—consider yourself warned—you're about to peruse some of the best greeting card humor known to man, if I say so myself.



Sincerely,
Ron Kanfi