Introducing Blackwing 343 - A Tribute To Broadcast Television

Written by: Kaleena Quintero

Published on March 26, 2026

Last updated on March 26, 2026

Time to read 2 min

On February 28, 1983, a wartime surgeon named Hawkeye said: "Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen." Millions of people watched MASH, one of the most-watched television broadcasts in American history, sign off for the last time. Ten years later, Sam Malone straightened a picture on the wall and turned out the lights on Cheers. In millions of living rooms across the country, viewers sat quietly through those final moments, saying goodbye together. The credits rolled, but no one moved.

There's a special camaraderie that broadcast television brought to every home, whether in the heart of a city or at the end of a country road. It opened a new way to form connections and spark conversations, telling the same stories to an endless number of living rooms all at once.

Volume number 343 is a reference the scanlines found on early cathode ray tube (CRT) televisions. Early CRT televisions rendered their images in 343 horizontal lines of light, stretching from one edge of the screen to the other, creating the iconic and familiar pictures that defined a generation. The Volume 343 collection includes a 12-pack of pencils, a notebook, and an exclusive zine—more details on each below.

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Volume 343 Pencils

Introducing the Blackwing 343 Pencils. The pencils feature a colorbar finish inspired by the National Television System Committee (NTSC) test pattern and have a "TV snow" silver holographic foil imprint. The extra-firm graphite core is perfect for writing up your scheduled programming or reflecting on a finale episode.

Blackwing Volume 343 Limited Edition Pencil featuring NTSC Test Pattern Design with a colorful color bar test pattern, silver imprint, silver ferrule, and black eraser on a white background

Blackwing Volume 343 Limited Edition Pencil on White Background – NTSC Test Pattern Design. Featuring a vibrant striped pattern in lime green, cyan blue, violet, red, and blue, this limited edition pencil comes with an extra-firm graphite core, black eraser, and silver ferrule

Volume 343 Notebook - NTSC Test Pattern

This limited-edition A5 (148 x 210 mm) medium notebook features a color-bar cover inspired by the NTSC test pattern, matching the pencils. Inside the hardcover notebook are 160 pages of 100 GSM ruled paper. It also comes with a Vol. 343 pencil loaded in the pencil holster, ready for your next creative endeavor.

This notebook also features special silver-gilded edge pages.

Blackwing Volume 343 limited-edition hardcover medium notebook featuring an NTSC color bar pattern in grey, cyan blue, lime green, red, and blue. A5 size, 160 pages of ruled paper, with a side pencil holster. Part of the Blackwing 343 broadcast television collection.

Volume 343 Zine—Broadcast Television Tribute

Our first-ever limited-edition zine is here. Inside, you'll find an exclusive interview with John Dickerson, a familiar face on broadcast television and author of bestsellers including "Whistlestop" and "The Hardest Job in the World." He used many Blackwing pencils while writing his last book. You'll also find team memories of the TV shows we loved, themed puzzles, and a closer look at the story behind Blackwing 343.

Blackwing Volumes Limited Edition Broadcast TV Zine on White Background. The cover of the new Blackwing zine featuring a colorful broadcast TV test pattern design.

Stylized black and grey portrait of John Dickerson, broadcast TV journalist, featured in the Blackwing zine. Textured illustration with white label reading "From Print to Prime Time – A Conversation with John Dickerson"

From the silver-gilded edges of the notebook to the "TV snow" imprint on the pencils, every detail of Volume 343 celebrates the craft of broadcasting. Ready to start your next creative chapter?

Shop Volume 343 Collection