Punk Rock Cock

Punk Rock Cock by Aled Lewis

Time to add another tee to the denial files. You can't own this at the moment, although there is a chance you may be able to in the future. This used to be available on threadless but has been out of print for some time now. If it gets enough requests for a reprint it will once again be offered for sale. The problem is that this design is so deeply buried that most people will never find it. If you, like me, would love to own this you better get out there and start spreading the word.

Shirts By Me

Shirts By Me

I recently came across a new t shirt site that is a bit different from all the others. Called Shirts By Me it is set up in the well known competition style that we know from sites like Threadless and Shirt Woot. The big difference is that instead of getting votes on your design, you get investors. Yeah I know it sounds weird but stay with me as it is actually quite clever.

If people like your design they can invest in it. This starts from as little as five dollars. For that they get a tee when printed and a percentage of the profits. Great way to get a cheap shirt in my opinion. Overall 50 shares are sold for each design. I like this idea because it ensures that only the best designs are actually going to go to print. Rather than a popularity contest they are asking you to put your money where your mouth is.

Everyone involved is trying to make as many sales as possible. The money raised from the investors is used for advertising. Add to that the investors and the designer both spreading the word and you can see that this site has the potential to take off in a big way. Whether it will or not remains to be seen. As an investor the only way you can lose is if the shirt does not go into print. Your money is refunded minus a dollar processing. So at worst you may lose a buck. Not really a big deal in my opinion.

The net profit is split 3 ways. The site takes the lions share at 50%. Nothing new there and quite fair as they are doing most of the work. The designer gets 25% which is not too shabby. The remaining 25% gets split among the investors. In reality as an investor you need quite a lot to sell to make anything worth while, but hey you got a cheap tee so really it is just a bonus. Reinvest it in another design and hope you hit upon a best seller.

To check out the site for yourself just click on the picture.

Run Alice Run

Run Alice Run from Pampling

I really love clever minimalist design where the smallest amount of elements are used to tell a story. This Alice in Wonderland tee is a perfect example. From a distance you see the grinning Cheshire Cat. Upon closer inspection you realise the teeth are actually the gnarled trees in a spooky forrest. It brings to mind the classic scene where the cat appears and disappears while up in a tree. Then you see Alice is running among the trees and in doing so has disturbed a flock of birds. It has a foreboding feel to it, enhanced by the colors and the look in the cats eyes. The whole thing just draws you in as it slowly reveals its story.

You can get this tshirt from Pampling in both mens and womens styles. Click on the picture to be redirected to the website.

Tabitha

Tabitha by mykajelina

Todays tee is from renowned gothic fantasy artist Myka Jelina. As with all her work it is precise and stunningly beautiful. I really like how the angel style wings complement the Victorian style clothing, as if a lot of thought went into the ensemble. Strangely there almost seems to be a little melancholy in her eyes, an effect heightened by the blues in the color scheme. The vine like scroll work in the background is a nice touch as apart from framing the subject it also forms a subtle love heart around her.

This tee is available on a whole range of styles and colors. Click on the picture to go to the website to see all the options.

Mayhem Repair Shop - TeeFury Review

Mayhem Repair Shop by zerobriant

I received my latest t shirt from TeeFury a couple of days ago but I just got around to taking a few photos so I can share it with you. I ordered this one as a present for a friend without any reservations as I have always had good experiences with TeeFury. As usual the tee arrived in a black plastic envelope with a triangular clear window in the corner. (I have never understood the purpose of that window). The shirt itself is a decent weight and 100% cotton. The printing is good (not the best I have seen but far from the worst) and for the price of just $10 these are exceptional value.

TeeFury prints limited edition pop culture tees. Each is available for 24 hours only.

Foxy Rider

Foxy Rider from Drop Dead

Not many companies offer all over front and back prints for tees. Therefore when you do see one it tends to stand out from the pack. This one takes it even further. The use of monochrome photography for the background really makes the colorful cartoon fox pop. The sheer silliness of a humanoid teenager fox sitting on a bmx bike while talking on his phone and holding a ray gun borders on the surreal. It is exactly the type of thing that really gathers my attention.

Usually I don't like brand names and logos emblazoned across tshirts, yet with this one the name has been turned into graffiti on the roller door. Unless you know that it is a brand it would just seem part of the design. Done this way it basically becomes an in joke for people who know the brand. I find that approach intriguing and quite cool.

This tshirt is available from Drop Dead Clothing. For sizing and price just click on the picture.

Juicy

Juicy by olechka

This tee really stood out for me just due to the fact that it not the sort of artwork you usually see on apparel. This is more of the kind of fine art you would expect to see hanging on a gallery wall. The elegant pencil style illustration of the woman is brilliant. She looks composed, serene and to me at least, a little stand-offish. There are some light circular lines around her head which give a sense of movement. What is really striking though is the watercolor style splashes coming from her hair. It seems as if she is flicking the color out of her life in much the same way you would flick water out of your hair.

This tshirt is available from Uneetee. Click on the picture for sizing options and pricing.

I Wanna Rock

I Wanna Rock by emberplastik
 
There are a lot of tshirts around with a rock and roll theme yet none of them come close to the awesomeness of this. They always take themselves too seriously. Rock and Roll is supposed to be about fun and this tee captures that perfectly. Here the traditional two finger metal sign has been transformed into an impromptu concert. The digits have come alive in a sort of finger puppet mockery. Axl Rose and Slash entertain the crowd while the other three headbang. The cartoonish style of the artwork and bright colors are a great parody of cheap concert posters that you see plastered around and keep the fun vibe going.

This tshirt is available from Springleap for girls and guys. Click on the picture for more info.

Free T shirts !!!!!!!

After the massive success of last years 12 Days of Christmas giveaway the awesome folks over at the Tee Gazette are doing it again. Starting on the first of December 12 lucky peeps are going to walk away with free tees. Lots of independent and indie brands have donated merch to give away including some of my favourites. Head on over there now to check them all out and get the details on how to enter.

Tree of Wisdom

Tree of Wisdom by jimiyo

As a tshirt motif, the tree of life has been done so much as to have become a cliche. Therefore it is really exciting to find a new take on it. In this case it has morphed into the tree of wisdom. That makes sense to me in this day and age. Due to advances in science and medicine we are living longer than ever. In our technological driven lives gaining wisdom is much more important than life, and a lot harder.

Having the leaves of the tree form into a giant owl is the perfect way to get the wisdom message across. I am not too sure what the fish flying around represent, possibly a religious thing, but they do give it a delightful surreal quality. That is just reinforced by the birds flying around the bottom. I think this artwork is just superb.

You can get this from Redbubble on a whole range of different tshirt colors. Click on the picture to see all the options.

Hic Sunt Dracones

hic sunt dracones by amarillo

If you have ever looked at old maritime maps you will have noticed the sea monsters, usually serpents drawn out in the deep water. This tee takes that idea and completely flips it around. The land itself becomes the dragon while the ships are drawn out at sea. Using hills to represent scales and vegetation for shading is inspired. I can imagine that from a distance this would look like a generic dragon tshirt, only revealing its secrets as you got closer.

This tee is available from Goodjoes. Click on the picture for sizing options and price.

Triceraton Icon

Triceraton Icon by matt_diecast

It has been noted over the years how many ancient civilizations have similar themes and gods in their artworks, even though they could not have had any contact with each other. I am not going to get into a discussion here about all the theories that try to explain this phenomenon. I merely bring it up as an introduction to todays tee.

I really like the idea of a dinosaur depicted as a god because, to me at least, it takes the whole ancient gods debate to another place. It as if it is poking fun at science, pseudo science and possibly religion as well. The outfit and jewellery bring to mind Predator, and anyone who has seen the Aliens vs Predator movie will know where I am coming from on that point. Conspiracy theorists and general nutjobs could read a whole lot in this.

This tee is available from zazzle in a whole range of styles for both men and women. Click on the picture to see all the options.

Run Little Red

RUN by Ellen Ward

There have been a lot of tshirts done in the Little Red Riding Hood theme so it takes something extra special to stand out from the crowd. With this one it is the way that it uses the whole shirt as a canvas running from the shoulder all the way to the opposite corner. It makes it seem as if little red is fleeing downhill. The skeletal trees add a wintry foreboding aspect really increasing the tension. In the distance the wolf is in full flight, struggling to catch her.

To me this is reminiscent of old childrens storybooks, which is just not something you expect to see on a tee. I really wish there were more tshirts around that were this clever and engaging.

RUN is a new addition to the Threadless lineup and is available for both sexes. Click on the picture for sizing and pricing.

Scifiction

Scifiction by tolagunestro

I thought it was about time to add another tee to the denial files. You can't own this because it is no longer in print. In fact it took me a while just to find out who the artist is. This was originally sold by teefury way back in 2008. It really shows you how much the demographic of that site has changed with time. So kick back, drink in the awesomeness of retro science fiction and shed a tear because you will never own it.

Three Stoogebergs - Redbubble Review

The Three Stoogebergs by Scott Weston

I just received my Three Stoogebergs tee that I ordered from Redbubble and I have to say that I am impressed. After getting it out of the hard cardboard envelope the first thing I noticed was the little tag attached by a mini clothespin. It has the care instructions on it but more importantly the designers name and website info. It is so nice to see a print on demand company that does not treat its designers like slaves.

The shirt itself is American Apparel stock. After having a good look I cannot fault the printing. Perfectly centered and no white underlay bleedout which is a problem on a lot of dark tees. I bought this as a Christmas present for a family member, so I was a little apprehensive as this is my first order from redbubble. I needn't have worried.

This tee is available in multiple styles and colors. Just click on the picture to be taken to the website for all the options. Alternatively if you have a lot of patience this design is also up for voting at Qwertee. Once it gets enough votes it will be printed there and be quite a bit cheaper. You can cast your vote here

The Edge Of The World

The Edge Of The World by TangYauHoong

Once upon a time everyone believed that the world was flat, and that if you sailed too far you would fall off the edge of the world. How could the world be round ? All the water would fall off.

This tee takes that concept and turned it into a stunning piece of art. The edge itself running from the shoulder all the way to the bottom gives an amazing sense of movement and space. The grid like pattern on the cut away adds the depth needed. The small boat seems lonely all the way across the other side, lost in the sea of blue. What really gets me though is that the boat is heading straight for the precipice. With his back turned to where he is going does the boatmen even know what he is heading for ? The seagulls flying around above the drop are just the perfect finishing touch.

Available from Designs by Humans, this is available in both mens and womens styles. Click on the picture for sizing and pricing info.

Fruits Attack !!!

Fruits Attack! from A better tomorrow

Todays t shirt is just pure silliness. Using the old martian invader type movie posters as inspiration it flips it around so that fruit from outer space is attacking the Earth. It works so well because so many of those type of movies were ludicrous to start with.

I really like how instead of the usual attacking flying saucers watermelon and citrus halves are used, raining down death and destruction with their juices and seeds. The creatures themselves I am not so sure about. They seem to be mutated strawberries. The greatest part for me is right at the bottom, where hardly noticed there are cuts of meat and bones on the ground. It as if the fruit are getting revenge by turning humanity into food. I love the pure craziness and tongue in cheekiness of it all.

This shirt is available from A better tomorrow in a range of sizes. Click on the picture for more information.

Audio Trippin

Audio Trippin by dsilva

This tee is like an acid trip without the acid. It is an amazing illustration with such a surreal approach that it makes me just want to look more trying to figure it out. The title "Audio Trippin" gives some clue as to what is going on which is reinforced by the wires at the top. The skull which is the center of the piece brings to mind heavy metal, although artwork based around the heavy metal culture never looked like this. Then there is the Lovecraftian monster of tentacles and eyes at the bottom and back of the skull.

To me this tells the story of how music has evolved over time, and in the process become an all consuming monster. In this day and age we hear music everywhere. We can take our own selection of music with us anywhere we go to ensure that we can always listen to what we want.

I think the greatest thing about this tshirt, as with all surreal art, is the fact that it can mean something different to everyone. How you decipher it depends on how your mind works. That means that when you wear something like this, it will mean something different to every single person that sees it.

This tee is available in lots of styles and colors for both men and women from zazzle. Click on the picture for options and pricing.

Le Coucher du Soleil

Le Coucher du Soleil by MrWayne

Aside from the stunning artwork, what I really adore about this tee is the storybook like nature of it. It is the type of purely whimsical thing children imagine. The fatherly moon putting the sun to sleep at the end of the day by reading from its favourite book. The blanket becoming a city skyline is a stroke of genius and adds texture at the bottom that balances the night sky at the top. It is just stunning.

This tshirt is available from lafraise in both womens and mens styles. Click on the picture for sizing options and price.

Judith + Holofernes

Judith + Holofernes by Frank Barbara

Of the multitude of tees that I own this is one of my all time favourites. In fact I have worn this so much I have nearly worn it out. I love watching peoples reactions when they see it. Generally they dismiss it as a bit of a lovey dovey design, due a lot to the flowing lines and colors. However every so often you get somebody who looks at it closely. You can pinpoint the exact moment when they realise that she is holding a severed head. Their eyes widen and mouth opens just a fraction. I live for those moments.

I also adore the artwork itself. It uses nearly every inch of the available print space without looking boxy. Some people may be put off by the color discrepancy between the design and tshirt shown. I can tell you that with my tee the colors are middle of the road between the two. I think this may have to do with the lighting in the model photograph and differences between rgb color display verses cymk printing for the design view.

This tshirt is available via threadless. Click on the picture for pricing and sizing options.

Triceratops Riding A Tricycle

Triceratops Riding A Tricycle by Biotwist

This is the first tee to be added to the denial files. That's right you can't own it, yet. You see this design is up for voting at qwertee and will only get printed if it gets enough votes. At this point in time it has been up for voting for nearly a year and has less than 40 votes. I find this to be a great shame as it is such an awesome design.

The silliness of a dinosaur riding a bike just grabs me. The artwork is superb. He seems almost sad, as if he knows that he can't ride a tricycle. That is quite an achievement considering the general lack of facial expressions on reptiles. The red and white propeller cap dangling from his horn just seals the deal for me.

So if you are feeling generous, or if you really want to see this printed and own it like I do, head on over and cast a vote it's way.

The Watcher

The Watcher by BewareOfYajuu

I have an unnatural love of all things weird and bizarre, so I just could not pass up the opportunity to show this great tee. I think this is supposed to be an alien, however I like to think of it as a sea creature. It does have a strong resemblance to an octopus. Personally I don't think that is such a great stretch of the imagination. The worlds oceans are still a mystery in this day and age with only a small portion having been explored. We do know that there are some very strange creatures down there.

Regardless of if you think it is an alien, sea creature or something else entirely there is no disputing that it is a great design. The colors work perfectly together, while the flowing lines contrast beautifully with the angular border. In fact that border sort of resembles a keyhole. Maybe this is to represent a mystery being unlocked.

This tshirt is available from Artsprojekt in a range of styles and colors for both men and women. Click on the picture for pricing and options.