Finding the Perfect Name (Without Losing Your Mind)

Have you ever tried to come up with a name for a business?

It’s a lot harder than you might think. You want something short, sweet, original, and memorable. The problem? Most of the good names are already taken.

For a while, I ran my small merch business under the name Martin Sosa Design. It did the job, but let's be honest—it was long, hard for people to remember, and not exactly clever. Worst of all, it wasn't memorable. I knew I needed a change. The longer I waited, the harder it was going to be to finally take the jump and rebrand.

So, I started brainstorming.

The Birth of "Lokull"

The name I finally landed on is Lokull (spelled like skull, but pronounced like local).

It’s a simple combination of "Local" and "Skull"—short, sweet, and completely unique.

How did I get there? Well, at markets around town, people used to see my booth and say, "Hey, look, it’s the local Ojai skull guy!"

...Just kidding. Nobody ever called me that.

But they did start associating me with my signature skull design. If you've seen my work, you know the one: a skull graphic where the word "Ojai" is cleverly concealed within the eyes, nose, and side sockets.

What's Next for Lokull

That design sparked a bigger idea. Lokull isn't just about one town. The goal is to create custom, localized graphics for different cities so people can proudly represent where they're from with a high-quality shirt, sticker, or hat.

That’s the start of my story. Welcome to Lokull!