It was one thing when Candy Crush Saga noted Dana Blatchford’s posting of his colorful, game-themed beard and added it to the game company’s own web page.

It was another when Blatchford decorated his still-growing beard with the colors of Red Bull, and the energy drink company and sports marketing giant shared the photo as well.

But Blatchford really realized his growing celebrity and fame when he was walking across the Walgreens parking lot in his hometown of Gloucester, Massachusetts and a man he had never met and didn’t know shouted happily, “Hey, Mr. Beard’O — you’re looking good.”

Blatchford is indeed Mr. Beard’O, who has turned growing a beard to an art form. His face adorns T-shirts and other products sold online through Facebook, Twitter and through the website for Beardsy, a California-based beard products company that showcases Blatchford’s hirsute creations. Now, he is firming up his own site to further expand the reach of Mr. Beard’O, who is becoming a true Internet character.

Can the art of growing a beard become a new career?

“I hope so,” Blatchford, 41, says with a laugh in his beardsly laboratory — the home he shares with wife Elizabeth and the couple’s two children, Ryan, 8, and Brandon, 4.

“That would be nice,” he says, still chuckling.  “I wouldn’t have to do much of anything.”

Birth of Mr. Beard’O

Blatchford, a 1992 Gloucester High graduate who works part-time at the Cape Ann YMCA and co-owns Detailed Cleaning Services with his father says the route to becoming Mr. Beard’O began when he decided to simply let his smaller, groomed beard grow out starting in January 2014.

As the year went along, he had another idea.

“I thought, hey, if the kids can put coloring in their hair, why don’t I do the same with my beard,” he said. “It was really just goofing around.”

But “goofing around” led to some opportunities. When he began posting photos of his beard decorated in all its glory online through Facebook and Twitter, friends and others shared it. Companies such as Candy Crush, Red Bull and Beardsy picked up on it, and Beardsy, which offers a wide range of beard grooming and other products, began sponsoring Blatchford and adding Mr. Beard’O T-shirts and even coffee mugs to its online repertoire.

Giant connection

Blatchford, an unabashed New York Giants football fan, has one T-shirt for sale saluting his favorite team adorned with his Mr. Beard’O face. And one of his proudest photos to date is one showing retired Giants’ star Michael Strahan — now the Michael alongside Kelly Ripa on ABC’s morning hit “Live with Kelly and Michael” — sporting a Mr. Beard’O shirt. Blatchford also received a note from Giants’ receiver Rueben Randle, sent “To Mr. Beard’O, the official beard of the Giants.” His beard fame even earned him an interview spot last winter on the NFL Network.

“It’s been crazy, but it’s been a lot of fun,” says Blatchford, who plans to launch his own mrbeardo.com site soon.

Following the fun

For her part, Elizabeth Blatchford says she’s found her husband’s Mr. Beard’O venture “pretty exciting,” as well.

“When he started (growing the beard), I thought ‘OK,’ but I never thought it would get to all this,” she said, smiling. “(The beard) has taken on a life of its own. It’s become like the fifth member of our family.”

But he admits he often ponders what he has created.

“Sometimes,” he says, “I’ll just stop and think, ‘Can you believe that people are out there buying T-shirts with my face on it?’ I don’t know where it’s all going, but it’s fun to find out.”

Staff writer Ray Lamont can be reached at 978-675-2705, or via email at rlamont@gloucestertimes.com.