The Chargimals were originally created as part of the chronic illness support community The Unchargeables. Like little mascots that fit with various diseases. They gained popularity within the community and people started requesting more and more.
While having these images with the accompanying text was fun, it felt a little empty. Their names were long and difficult and we didn’t know anything about them.
That’s when we decided to start writing little stories for them. Small back stories that would look nice on the Facebook and Instagram stories. And with that came the idea to give them their own social media, so their stories wouldn’t get lost in the community posts. It all snowballed from there!
From August 2019 we’ve been working on The Chargimals as a team. Not a day goes by that we don’t conjur up something Chargieville related. We’d like to introduce ourselves.
Creator Natalie
Hey I’m Natalie, mom to a little girl and 3 fur babies. I love anything entrepreneurial, to create, to write, to build something from scratch just with my imagination. It makes my heart sing.
I live with Fibromyalgia, Hashimoto’s Disease, Graves’ Disease, Cold Urticaria and Raynauds Disease. Originally born and raised in Amsterdam, but always wanted to live in a warm place (preferibly on an island). That dream came true when I moved to the Canary Islands, where I still happily reside.
Creating The Chargimals is just so much fun, especially with this team. Hope you enjoy the as much as I do.
Writer Jenni
Hi, my name is Jenni. When I’m not writing, I can be found binge watching my favorite shows, having deep, meaningful conversations with my therapy cat Luna, or waiting for yet another doctor’s appointment. I live with Crohn’s Disease, IBS, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Anxiety, and PTSD. Writing the adventures for The Chargimals has given me a creative outlet and a way to express to others all the the things I wish they knew about what it’s like to live with physical and mental health conditions. I can’t wait to see what we come up with next!
Illustrator Toni
Hi! My name is Toni. I am an illustrator, animator, and father to an overdramatic puppy named Koda. Storytelling is my passion, and I am so fortunate to be able to bring the Chargimals and their world to life through my illustrations.
I live with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Attention Deficit Disorder, Panic Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder and Major Depressive Disorder. I’ve always wanted to be able to give back to my community in some way, and I never would’ve guessed that developing two chronic pain conditions would give me the opportunity to do that. Working on the Chargimals has given me the chance to do what I’m most passionate about, while also bringing education and advocacy to the Chronic Illness Community.
You can view my work on my website or order your own illustrations here
The Amazing Tracie
My name is Tracie, and I’ve been living with chronic illnesses since I was a pre-teen…I just didn’t know it then. Throughout the years (20+) I was diagnosed with multiple chronic illnesses. I’ve since been diagnosed with Delayed Sleep Phase Disorder (DSPD), Severe Reverse Abnormal Migraines, Fibromyalgia, Bipolar Disorder Type II, Anxiety, Depression, Hypothyroidism, Tachycardia, Severe Hay Fever, and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS).
I am a wife of 11+ years to a Combat Veteran with PTSD, which poses its own set of complications, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! My husband is my biggest supporter, and ultimately my best friend. We are currently living in WA State with our 4-legged babies.
One of my biggest joys comes from working for The Unchargeables as Natalie’s Executive Assistant (AKA The Amazing Tracie, as she calls me…LOL!). I help manage anything and everything shop and Chargimal related. All the behind the scenes stuff comes across my desk at one point or another…LOL! But most importantly, I get to see how much this community is helping everyone struggling with chronic illness.
Being a Chargie gives me strength, courage, and hope to continue to fight through the hand dealt to me.
Junior CEO and story tester Emmeline
The most important part of the stories is the test phase. Every single story is read to Emmeline (Creator Natalie’s daughter) and she gives us feedback. Is the story fun? Is it boring? Does it need something extra? Too much bla bla?
Her favorite Chargimal is Foggy and she made her calico cat Lily in real life, Foggy’s cat in the stories. With the passing of the years, she is more and more involved in character development and story writing.
The process of bringing a new Chargimal to life
It all starts with a request from a follower/fan. We get requests for specific Chargimals through our social media and on our Patreon page. There are so many requests we can’t keep up! So how do we decide which one gets made and which one doesn’t?
First, we collect all the requests in the master request list. For the Chargimal to land on the list the person who requested needs to provide us with the text that describes the Chargimal.
For example:
- Name: Bellydonus
- Nickname: Elly
- Represents: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Favorite Color: Purple
- Superpower: Can run super fast when she needs a bathroom
- Prone to: Increased bathroom usage, extreme stomach cramps, social anxiety
Their favorite color is the color of the awareness ribbon for the condition they represent (if there is one). We also ask for some specific traits their chargimal should have. We want as much information as possible. The best way to learn about a specific condition is to talk to people who live with it every day!
Step 2: The voting stage
From the master request list, the chargimals go into the voting stage. Over on our Patreon page you can get voting rights for as little as $2 a month. That gives you the right to vote on your favorite ones. The ones with the most votes go into development.
Step 3: The Introduction
Once the vote is closed, illustrator Toni starts drawing and writer Jenni and creator Natalie start writing their introduction story.
When all of that is done, the new Chargimal is ready to move into Chargieville. Their intro is posted to Patreon first, and a couple weeks later he or she will start making regular appearances on the social media channels. Merch will be available from the moment of their first introduction.
The exception
If we only make Chargimals that people can vote on, we would never get to the very rare conditions. The ones like cold urticaria and selective mutism that we have Chargimals for.
That’s why there is a way to get your very own Chargimal made without it coming to a vote. When you become a superfan on Patreon, you skip the voting process and we go directly into creation mode. Go have a look on Patreon to see how this process works.
Contact
For anything Chargieville related you can email us at contact (at) theunchargeablesshop (dot) com
We respond to every single e-mail, please give us 24-48 hours to get back to you. If you have not heard back from us after 48 hours, please resend your e-mail, we may have not received the first one.
Want to request a new Chargimal? Send us an e-mail with the following information:
The text to describe the Chargimal. Fill out the text below for your requested condition. Feel free to consult with others while making this text, for example in facebook group about your specific disease. The more people participate, the more accurate it’ll be.
- Name: Bellydonus
- Nickname: Elly
- Represents: Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Favorite Color: Purple
- Superpower: Can run super fast when she needs a bathroom
- Prone to: Increased bathroom usage, extreme stomach cramps, social anxiety
Their favorite color is the color of the awareness ribbon for the condition they represent (if there is one). Also include any specific traits the chargimal should have. We want as much information as possible. This helps us make the stories as accurate as possible.