I actually had a really cramazing Thirsty Thursday post lined up for today, but it’ll have to wait until next week — I have an exciting announcement to make (well, two actually):
The full video won’t be up on Hulu until next week, but rest assured, it will be embedded ASAP (provided Congress doesn’t destroy the internet between now and then). There’s something vaguely satisfying about Jimmy passing his GED test while wearing one of my tees…
But even MORE exciting than this teeny-tiny step up the ladder of fame is the addition of ART PRINTS to the Ex-Boyfriend product line! While a limited selection to start, I hope to be able to add to the collection of available art prints in the future. Each 11″ x 17″ print is digitally reproduced on 100 lb. glossy cover stock, ships for FREE in sturdy cardboard shipping tubes, and is guaranteed to get you mad high-fives & fist-bumps at your next dinner party (if your dinner parties are typically held at the Jersey Shore. And if they are, the high-fives might be for your delicious rum-ham.)
Typically I try to not let my home life bleed into these posts too much — I am boring, Japanese robots are not. But the other night after I was done working, I laid down on the bed and Oliver just made a bee-line for my arm, and well…this happened:
Bliss complete.
Have a great weekend, guys! And for those of you mid-Atlantic folks still trying to shore up your holiday shopping, you could do a lot worse than stopping by my booth at the Punk Rock Flea Market in Philly on Sunday! I’ll have free stuff like comics, candy & stickers waiting for you, plus event-only deals on shirts, belts, bags & more! Not too shabby for a meager $3 entry donation, eh?
THE PUNK ROCK FLEA MARKET-DOME
461 N. 9th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19123
Also, in case you missed it: my very own Whale Trip tee was featured quite prominently all over this week’s episode of ABC’s Modern Family! Alex Dunphy knows what’s up; do you?
I love cheese. Actually, “love” is kind of a weak-sauce descriptor for how I feel about cheese. If there was a word stronger than “love”, it would probably only apply to a few things in my life: Meredith, my cats, the Baltimore Orioles, and cheese. Maybe self-foaming hand soap (seriously, that stuff is right up there with flight, fire, and the wheel as far as technological advancements go).
So it’s pretty gratifying to find that Culture Magazine, the final word on cheese as far as print media goes, saw fit to feature my Check Out My Goat Tee shirt in their Autumn issue’s “Gear” section. I’m pretty stoked. And as you can see, it looks pretty awesome:
Pretty rad, huh? I’m gonna go celebrate with a glass of pinot noir and a hunk of gruyere.
Saturday was the first annual Baltimore Run For Your Lives zombie 5K obstacle race, and this guy had a front-row seat!
The race was very much a full-day affair, with the first group of runners heading out into the course at 8am and the last one crossing the finish line around 6pm, followed by live music until midnight! This of course meant that Meredith and I had to get to the event around 5am to finish setting up our booth before the attendees showed up for registration at 6am—which meant a 3am wake-up to load the car up for a 4am departure time!
Totally worth it, though—a very fun experience, and a great place to meet new fans and make new friends.
I even snapped some pictures throughout the day, though I had to wait until around 7:30 or 8 for the sun to come up and get over the treeline. Here’s the booth in the early morning—we were soooo excited to see the sun, and big-ups to the folks in the Funtastic Foods tent for keeping us warm with a steady stream of hot chocolate!
The event area itself was the perfect setting for a mock-zombie apocalypse: remote, lots of forest, and very cold and overcast for much of the day. Our stuff went over really well, and it was especially gratifying to see my newest designs get lots of love from the crowd, though pretty much every design I’d brought with us carried its weight—it’s always nice to see that Fuzz has still got it! Even nicer to see older fans already in-the-know:
I love this sort of thing—I imagine it’s a lot like being a musician and never getting sick of hearing your song on the radio.
All in all, it was a great day, but really long—the booth pretty much looked like this from 8:20am (around the time the first survivors made it to the finish line) until we started packing up around 8pm:
And sad as I was initially that I had to work the booth instead of run the course, I eventually realized it was definitely for the best; way too many reports of broken legs, serious cuts and gashes, and sprained ankles, not to mention that fact that there were two water obstacles that necessitated running around in soaked shorts & tees in sub-55˚ weather, followed by a thorough hosing down to remove caked-on mud. The weather was miserable enough being dry and fully-clothed, thank you very much!
But ultimately everyone seemed to have a blast—especially this guy:
Many thanks to all the new fans I met this weekend! And those of you who couldn’t make it, fear not and remember, you can take 10% off your purchase now through the end of October by entering the coupon code HALLOWEEN10 at checkout! And Philly fans—we’re coming back up in December for R5 Productions’ Punk Rock Flea Market! $3 gets you inside to shop for awesome holiday gifts from a variety of vendors, and I’ll be there with new stuff on shirts, bags & belts! Even better: it’s indoors! Hope to see you all there:)
I was delighted to get an email yesterday from Elizabeth at Tenth Life, a St. Louis, MO-based cat rescue organization that focuses on treating abused and/or injured stray cats with special needs before adopting them out to forever-homes. A friend of her’s put her in contact with me after seeing my booth at Renegade Handmade a couple weekends ago in Chicago, and she very politely asked if it would be OK to name one of their new admissions after Fuzz Aldrin. Of course it would! 3-D Fuzz is pictured above. He’s had a rough go of it recently; Tenth Life’s vet believes Fuzz was clipped in the leg by a car a couple months back, which causes him to walk with a pronounced limp. So far he seems to be doing well, and following his upcoming neutering and microchipping, Fuzz will be available for adoption in St. Louis. C’mon, Cardinals/Rams/Blues fans—who could turn away a face like that?
To learn more about Tenth Life’s mission and how you can help (even from far away—Cash Rules Everything Around Us!), visit their website, and be sure to check out their video to meet some of their success stories.
Brittney was kind enough to send in a pic of herself sporting my Seattle Skyline hoodie and answer some interview questions:
Favorite websites to visit:
Tumblr, Facebook, and Flickr.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
A veterinarian or a teacher.
OK, after reality set in, what ended up being your first job?
My first job was at Safeway.
Beer, wine, or liquor?
Liquor, and wine on occasions.
If you could have a dinner party for any famous people, who would you invite?
Big Chocolate (Cameron Argon), Sonny Moore, and Lady Ga Ga.
Favorite place to visit?
Washington! (Ed. note: we are assuming she means the state, not the district, given the totally rad hoodie seen above.)
Five current favorite songs, albums, or musical artists:
Parkway Drive, Foster the People, Matt & Kim, Big Chocolate, and Skrillex. (Ed. note: I am old, and onlyrecognize Matt & Kim from this list. Would you care for a butterscotch, warm and lint-covered from storage in my cardigan pocket?)
Do you have any pets?
Yes, 2 cats and a chameleon.
How would you spend your lottery winnings?
I’d use it to move into a small apartment back in Washington.
Most regrettable fashion decision?
Jeans with sharpie drawings all over them -_-
If you could have any super power what would it be?
Teleportation!
What new designs would you like to see next from Ex-Boyfriend?
Perhaps something involving a silhouette of a dead tree, I think its a really pretty organic shape.
***
Wanna be quasi-famous like Brittney? Just send me a pic of yourself rocking your fave Ex-Boyfriend gear and I’ll send a list of questions for you to answer!
So this weekend was Otakon, Baltimore’s annual anime convention. Though this was my first foray into the actual convention center, Otakon weekend (along with Baltimore Comic-Con weekend) has long been a favorite event of ours, purely for the people-watching. This year I got to experience it first-hand as a vendor in the Dealer Room, and it. Was. Awesome.
We got a primo position, directly across from the restrooms (seriously. Guaranteed foot-traffic!) and had a pretty sweet booth set-up, if I do say so myself. For the sake of clarity, I snapped this before the attendees were allowed in for an unobstructed view; with 30,000 people strolling around in costumes that in many cases doubled their actual size, I figured I should take a pic before it got blocked out by a giant dragon:
Yeah, that’s Spyro. And there’s more where that came from!
Everyone’s favorite Pokemon trainer, Ash Ketchum, also put in an appearance!
Not sure what was going on here conceptually, but that hair is awesome! And those beads—like a Japanese Mardi Gras reveler from the future!
An assortment of costumed attendees.
Lots of cute doll costumes like this cupcake-themed one…
…as well as more traditional, less food-centric ones.
We also spied this creepy quasi-Gentleman from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
The whole Joker fam, including Joker’s Daughter, Harley Quinn, and the clown prince of crime himself!
And nothing Japanese-inspired would be complete without an appearance from the Mario Bros (or Sisters!), Mario & Luigi.
There were also some more generic characters, like this spacey schoolgirl.
And this attendee, who seemed to have a pretty original look going on, though the hat, bowtie & jacket definitely remind me of Cheap Trick’s Rick Nielsen.
There were also a TON of steampunk aficionados in attendance throughout the weekend…
And of course, you had your staples, which ran the spectrum from your traditional Darth Vader (shown here attempting to choke me out from afar via The Force)…
…to more creative renderings of classic characters, like Leia in a balloon bikini.
By far one of my faves was just this cute little pink bear, giving me either the double-bird, or two thumbs up (I hope the latter.)
Even better, I got some new super-fans! I saw this one sporting her new Fuzz tee the day after she bought it, and (shocker of shockers) experienced seeing someone I don’t know walking around with my stuff on for the very first time. I imagine it’s a lot like hearing your song on the radio for the first time. The Beatles>Jesus, Me=The Beatles…am I a god? Probably only when facing Gozer the Gozarian on the roof of an apartment building. Baby steps!
All in all, it was a great experience, and I can’t wait to do it again next summer. To fans new and old that came out and said hi, you guys are awesome! And especially thanks to Adrienne, Tony, Lauren, David, & Andrea for helping me man the booth and pimping my wares throughout the weekend—you’re all the second-best friends a guy could ask for (the wife wins that one every time!)
Hey guys, sorry for interrupting my usual boozy Thirsty Thursday post, but we just added two awesome new designs from new guest artist Jamie Fales that I couldn’t wait to introduce!
Jamie operates out of NYC as Noosed Kitty, and her art mixes a love of Japanese pop art signifiers with western design trends to create a unique illustration style that’s very cool. Check out her designs Post-Apocalyptic Heartache and Injured Owl, and also her other art in her Etsy store.
1.Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
Long Island, NY
2. Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your creative processes?
Not really.
3. Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?
Some artists I admire are Paul Barnes, Jessica Joslin, and Jonathan Weiner, but the list is endless. I’m inspired by anything from mundane daily activities to a crazy dream I had. Japanese art was an early influence on my work.
4. How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?
I’m sure there are but I can’t think of any as I’m typing up answers to these questions.
5. Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?
Yes, I graduated college with a BFA.
6. What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?
I tend to do all my work on the floor with the tv on in the background. I usually work in watercolor and pencil but I’ve recently started using oil paints which I’m enjoying thus far.
7. Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?
Not really.
8. What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?
I probably spend more time on flickr than any other website. Other sites I like: Etsy, Vinyl Pulse, All Recipes, Mental Floss, Crime Library… you know, the usual.
9. Do you have any pets?
One cat named George, or as I like to call him – Captain Awesome.
10. Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?
None of the above.
11. If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?
I’m pretty happy right here. Perhaps I’d travel back a few years to when I had dinner at the Good ‘n Plenty restaurant. That was one of my favorite meals and I wouldn’t mind eating it again. Sorry if this interview is somewhat lackluster. (Ed. Note: It’s cool, we’ll just assume you’re Batwoman and trying to throw us off the scent of your crime-fighting alter-ego.)
12. Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?
All of the above. Cake – 30th Anniversary Cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory. Pie – apple crumb. Cookies – Girl Scout Tagalongs. Ice cream – homemade cheesecake ice cream (that’s right, I make my own ice cream). Candy – Swedish Fish and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I like me some yummy food.
Alright class, that’s about it. Say hi to Jamie, and be sure to check out the rest of the guest artist series! We’ll be back on our regular blogging schedule next week!
Regular readers will know that for the last three weeks I’ve had the immense pleasure of introducing designs by some truly great artists for my guest artist series. The series continues this week with Houston-area illustrator Heather Matter. You can learn more about Heather’s work at her blog, as well as check out other pieces at her Etsy shop.
1. Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
I grew up in a small suburban neighborhood outside of Houston, moved to Minnesota with my husband after graduating high school, and then we moved back to my hometown a few years ago.
2. Has that at all shaped you as an artist, or otherwise affected your creative processes?
Growing up near the coast has probably influenced my interest in the ocean and all of the mysteries that it has to offer. But where I’m from is mostly urban sprawl with little scenery, and I’m often dreaming of beautiful, dark forests, majestic snow-capped mountains and even arctic tundras. And anything that is far removed from reality. I think my surroundings have forced me to draw from the well of my imagination in order to escape the uninspiring landscape of motels, shopping malls, office buildings, and the unbearable heat.
3. Can you let us know about some other visual artists that you admire and draw inspiration from?
Camilla d’Errico and Camille Rose Garcia. Japanese art, both past and current, has been a big influence, including the works of ukiyo-e painter Katsushika Hokusai. I have also been really inspired by Ernst Haeckel’s Art Forms From Nature; there is so much detail and accuracy in his work, it is stunning. And although there aren’t any specific photographers, I love abstract and macro photography, especially black and white.
4. How about non-visual artists (musicians, friends, family, public figures, filmmakers, writers, etc)?
Music, movies, and books are a huge source of inspiration for me apart from nature. Muse, Radiohead, and The Killers are what are playing right now, and I also listen to plenty of classical music as well. Sci-fi, fantasy, and horror movies are my favorite (even if they are terrible) and if you give me a good book to read you probably wont see me for days. If I’m not creating artwork, I am usually reading first, then doing what I should be doing second.
5. Did you receive any formal art training, whether it be in college, or elective classes in high school, middle school and so on?
I have been drawing since I was little, and I took art all through high school, but since then my formal training has included one photography class, one drawing class, and a brief oil painting class. So I am basically a self-taught artist. The idea of paying off student loans for the rest of my life never appealed to me. And I tend to change my mind frequently (no, seriously!), so trying to focus on one degree just seemed impossible. But I have always believed that you shouldn’t give up on educating yourself just because you can’t afford schooling or can’t make up your mind.
6. What’s your creative process like? Do you work in silence, or with music/TV/some other background noise on? Do you have a specific space set aside for working on art? What are your preferred mediums?
Ha! If I had a process I would be doing good. Every day is something new. Usually I start early in the morning with a cup of tea, put on some music that fits my mood and try to focus on one or two projects to get me through the day. Some days it’s sketching out ideas and creating line work, other days it’s Photoshop. But most of my ideas form in the short period of time between when my head hits the pillow and I fall asleep. I’ve done a lot of my work using pen and ink, but right now I’m experimenting with the fluidity of watercolors. And I am lucky enough to have a room for my own studio, but I always end up in the kitchen/living area. From there I can look out into my backyard, and the birds and the squirrels always crack me up.
7. Do you have any pop cultural guilty pleasures you’d like to admit to?
Eh, not really. I don’t get into most of the obsessions that a lot of people do. Anything Sci-fi or fantasy is cool, and I do have to admit that I would love to go to ComicCon, but I’m not over the top obsessed. Over-marketing and commercialism turn me off to a lot of things.
8. What are some of your favorite web haunts? Any blogs or websites you’d like to turn more people on to?
I love National Geographic for the amazing photography and inspiration, and I’m frequently on Wikipedia looking up anything from the history of tarot cards to Ancient Egypt. I’m all over the place. I like everything. I’m also on Etsy and Flickr way too much.
9. Do you have any pets?
I have one amazingly crazy cat. She’s part-horse, part-monkey, and part-squirrel, with a little bit of cat thrown in. She is extremely talkative, likes to gallop around the house, and jumps to the tops of our doors. She’s a handful all on her own. I love all animals, especially the ones that are fuzzy and goofy!
10. Beer, wine, or liquor? Which kind (ales, porters, pilsners, reds, whites, rums, vodkas)?
If I could get drunk off of root beer I’d be an alcoholic. But I don’t drink.
11. If you had access to Doc Brown’s Delorean in Back to the Future, when in time would you go?
I probably wouldn’t be able to make up my mind! Definitely any time before I was born. I don’t feel the need to relive any moments of my past, but maybe I would want to see what life was like here before the states were colonized. And I think visiting the 1920’s would be fascinating. There was so much going on in that era.
12. Cake, pie or cookies (ice cream and candy are also acceptable, but be specific)?
If cheesecake were a drug, I would have overdosed a long time ago. It’s killer.
our customers
1.Where are you from (both originally and currently)?
