click to enlarge COURTESY OF SEAMAN ON ST. CHARLES

From left, Seaman on St. Charles partners Jennifer McClure, Kelcey Byers and Lindsay Sutton.

click to enlarge COURTESY OF SEAMAN ON ST. CHARLES

Inspiration for Jennifer McClure's new company came from an unlikely place: anblog post.Written by the paper's digital editor, Jaime Lees, the April 2 piece explored the ubiquity of Lewis and Clark's canine co-pilot in St. Charles, with statutes all around town in celebration of the city's sestercentennial."There is so much Seaman all over St. Charles," Lees wrote, using the proper name of the handsome Newfoundland in the headline, followed by a full load of double entendres throughout the post.McClure was in stitches. "I hadn't gone running yet, hadn't had any coffee, but I literally doubled over with tears streaming down my face," she recalls. "It was just my kind of humor."Now, many people laugh at a pun-filled dirty blog post (even if, shall we say, not all readers were amused). Very few of them decide to turn their laughter into an actual company.But for McClure, a New Town St. Charles resident who works in marketing and communications, the Seaman-rich post provided unique inspiration."I couldn't stop thinking of Seaman jokes all day," she says. "When you have an opportunity like this, you have to rise to the occasion."McClure enlisted a graphic designer friend, Kelcey Byers, to draw up plans for some Seaman-themed merchandise. But while she loved the results, she started getting cold feet. "I thought, 'What am I doing? I don't have time for this.'" She tried to push the idea off on her friend Lindsay Sutton, "the funniest writer I know." Instead, Sutton suggested they run with it together — and from there, Seaman on St. Charles was born.The three women are now selling shirts, shot glasses and beer can koozies. "Come Together," one shirt readers. "Sorry I'm late," says another. "You're lucky I came at all." And, of course, Seaman's cheerful face features prominently.The trio unveiled their handiwork at their first event Wednesday night at the Beale Street Market on the Streets of St. Charles, to a positive response (although, McClure notes, the weather meant they had to pull out early).They're now gearing up for "Seaman Saturday" atthis weekend. Anyone wearing their shirts can enjoy two drinks for the price of one on certain specials, as well as special drink offerings McClure will describe only as "Seaman shots" and "a special Seaman drink." To learn more, you've got to be there in person. Future events are already in the works.McClure knows that some people might find the company's products tasteless, but she feels reasonably confident that the response will continue to be positive. In recent days, she says, businesses have even begun to contact them. "Folks in St. Charles really have a soft spot for Seaman," she says.See the company's Facebook page for more information