A newly released iOS 10 app gives a nod to Brownwood and Underwood’s Cafeteria with sticker images created by Texan artists. The app’s co-creator is Jeff Blagg, a Brownwood native. The app features over 150 “sticker” images that can be added to text messages, hence the play on the name “TexMessages.”
A press release for the app is as follows:
TexMessages, a new Texas-centric sticker app for iMessage with graphics designed by Texan artists, times its January 10th release to take advantage of Apple’s new mobile operating system, iOS 10. One of the core features of iOS 10 is the creation of a new App store designed specifically for iMessage apps like TexMessages, which features over 150 unique Texas-themed stickers.
“There is no state in the country where the residents have more state pride than Texas. We wanted to create an app that would both celebrate all things Texas and allow Texans to show that pride in a fun new way. We have emphasized local landmarks, local dishes and popular phrases that are meaningful, distinctive and quintessentially Texan,” said Jeff Blagg, TexMessages Co-Founder and native Texan.
The sticker app contains five sections: Texas, Food, Nature, Texas Talk and Football. The app is free to download and includes more than 30 stickers across all categories at no cost to the user. Additional stickers may be unlocked via in-app purchase. The new App Store for iMessage was designed to improve the messaging experience by allowing users to browse and select stickers to either send on their own or apply directly to another message or picture – all without leaving the Messages app.
Jeff Blagg
“The new Apple features give users such a seamless, user-friendly experience. We wanted to take that and add a bit of Texas to it. Everything is better with BBQ sauce!” said Mr. Blagg.
The new app features an extensive and diverse collection of Texas-centric stickers created by six artists, all local to the Lone Star State. Featured artists include Isa D’Aniello, Lauren Dickens, Ryan Feerer, Chloé Jane, Lin Zagorski, and Angela Zavala. Users will spot iconic landmarks, beloved dishes, legendary critters and unmistakably Texas catchphrases.
While, the app offers users many of the classic and expected stickers such as BBQ and oil wells, the real charm appears in the more unique and local ones, including the Austin bats, Dublin Dr. Pepper, a banjo-playing jackalope, a Texas-shaped waffle, a beer-guzzling armadillo and a love-struck Bevo.
The artists were so instrumental in the app’s creation that it includes a ‘Meet the Artists’ section with brief bios of each contributor. “It’s not just about creating stickers that excite our users and are fun to use… it’s also about showcasing the people, places and things that make Texas special. To accomplish our goal, we sought out local artists – true Texans – and gave them creative freedom. The range of artistic styles lends the app an authentic, diverse and appealing aesthetic you won’t find anywhere else. It truly represents the many sides of our great state; every sticker is a little work of digital art,” said Mr. Blagg.
“We are thrilled to be able to introduce an app made for Texans, by Texans, capturing the state’s true essence through her famous icons and best-kept secrets. Whether you are discussing which Tex-Mex spot to go to or letting a friend from out of state know how great life is in God’s Country – TexMessages will help you text like a true Texan,” said Mr. Blagg.
About TexMessages:
TexMessages is a new Texas-centric sticker app created by Jeff Blagg and Nathan Wilds of BJH Studios, a company that specializes in producing intensive niche-market mobile apps. The TexMessages app features over 150 original Texas stickers designed by six local Texas artists. For more information, please visit www.texmessagesapp.com. Follow us: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
