What does a figurine of a Richardson Ground Squirrel astride a missile, a t-shirt featuring three dakrats gazing at the moon, and a vinyl sticker of a dakrat looking unbothered near a pile of cash have in common? They are all part of a line of products being created by MAFB’s many entrepreneurs to acknowledge this summer of dakrat-instigated mayhem and memes.
The MAFB Spouses Club was the first to jump aboard the dakrat merch train in early June. Marketing Director Christian Steinborn developed a shirt for a fundraising event with the words, “Came North. Found my tribe,” alongside an iconic image reminiscent of the Three Wolf Moon shirt whose Amazon reviews took a comedic turn back in 2008. But recently others have begun to bring their intentionally ironic wares to the base community. Two such merchandise vendors include “ARF! Studio” and “Dash of Vinyl.”
“ARF! Studio” is owned by Senior Airman Savannah Trevino and her spouse Nicholas. Stationed in Minot for just over a year, they have already begun to make core memories here, most notably the birth of their daughter Murphy. Through their business, they offer custom 3D printing and CNC sign-making. Nicholas shared, “With a strong background in 3D modeling using software like Blender and Nomad Sculpt, we started out creating 3D models for FPV racing drones, game design, and various home craft projects. Over time, we refined our services and developed our skills, and we officially launched the business publicly [21 July,] coinciding with the debut of our dakrat merchandise.”
He elaborated, “The inspiration for our dakrat merchandise actually began as a fun family project. With an entire army of dakrats living in our backyard—one of whom we affectionately named Jeff Bezos (since he was leading a rapid environmental destruction project in our backyard)— we decided to 3D print these little statues as gifts for our friends and family. Their enthusiastic response and encouragement to start selling them is what truly launched the idea and turned it into the business we have today.” The lamp featuring a dakrat astride a Minuteman III Missile is a favorite of Nicholas’s while many customers have gravitated towards the statues that include a customizable business card holder.
When asked about the feedback these products have received Nicholas noted that, “[It] has been overwhelmingly positive! People love the creativity, and we’ve even seen folks hosting paint-your-own-dakrat nights… It’s been fantastic to see everyone embracing the dakrat craze! The memes and the positivity have brought so much joy.” Committed to wildlife preservation, Nicholas stated that 20% of their profits go to the World Wildlife Fund, meaning that those who buy their products are not just supporting a local veteran owned business, but helping conserve the world’s wild places.
“Dash of Vinyl” is owned and operated by Alyssa Dasher. Originally from Marion, Illinois, she has been stationed at Minot for a year and a half. Her business, which she started here, offers custom t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, tote bags, stickers, patches, key chains, bookmarks, mugs, and hats. Her inspiration for dakrat related products was also the recent dakrat boom on base. She shared, “I think the way the base community has handled the dakrat boom has been pretty funny honestly. At first everyone – including myself – was super annoyed but now we mostly just laugh out of desperation because what else can we do?”
When asked about her favorite products and best sellers, Alyssa said, “One of my personal favorites is a sticker I make that has an image of a dakrat and it says ‘At Least The Dakrats Get To Enjoy My BAH.’ The best seller currently is a sticker I make of a dakrat in an officer’s uniform and it says ‘Dakrats: The True Base Commanders.’” Her dakrat merchandise has been so well received that it has been shared with people at other bases. “I have people from Hill AFB in Utah ordering dakrat merch as well,” she noted.
From local nuisance and worldwide news phenomena to a fashion and decor craze. The dakrat economy is certainly booming in 2025.
For more information about “Arf! Studio,” or to order products and request customizations, readers can visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578254914616 or through their Instagram handle arf.studio.offical
To learn more about “Dash of Vinyl,” and to place an order, readers can visit her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61578284018443 or through her TikTok shop Dash of Vinyl.
Both businesses accept requests for custom orders.
