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I just found out that the amazing Skummie is very sick. Although I have featured his tees on this blog more than once I really wanted to help get the word out about this. From his facebook page -

As you may or may not know I've been battling muscular dystrophy all my life. Wheelchair bound since a teenager. I still remained very independent and lived a pretty normal life. In the past few months l started feel sick and out of breath and it kept getting worse and worse it seemed. I was thinkin I had a bad sinus infection. So I got that treated and felt a little better but still feeling pretty shitty. I slept for 14 hours one day and got up for a while and ate. Still felt tired and wanted to go to bed again.`But I had zero energy to even transfer from my chair to my bed. My mom convinced me to go to the hospital. They did all kinds of tests and pumped me full of antibiotics and fluids. Thinking it must be an infection somewhere. My blood pressure was incredibly low. I nearly passed out twice that night. I really think if I had chosen to go to bed and not the ER I probably woulda died without the IV's. My blood was showing some concerning elevated creatinine levels which might indicate a heart issue. So all that night and the next day they moved me to the ICU and did scan and tests alll day. I felt very sick the whole time, couldn't keep any food down, couldn't sleep. Finally on the third day they did a heart cath angiogram to take a look at my heart see there were an blockages causing my heart to be working so poorly. The actual procedure was pretty basic, the they don't even put you out.

No blockages, good news right?

Well no... actually very bad news because is just means weak heart muscle is only working 10 percent of what it should be. Now for a normal person this would be ok but for a person with MD its very life threading. Any meds I could take would lower my heart rate to much.

So, I'm going to die from this?

Yeah..

Oh..wow......man...how much time do I have?

It's hard to say, for a while there it was sounding like I might not leave the hospital alive.

Three more days recovering and monitoring pass. Finally after a few more long days and nights I was stable enough to leave the hospital. Home sweet home! After all those days in bed getting bloated and unable to move took its toll. I was a mess, dizzy, slow, and groggy. So it doesn't leave me much time hopefully months. Just hope my ticker keeps ticking. Now I'm recovering now slowly but surely. Feeling pretty ok now most days. Still sick and still tired but ok. I hope my hands will get back to somewhat normal enough to draw again. Who knows...

The good news is that I'm going to try my best to get the new skummie line (at least four shirts and lots of cool shiz) Lucky for you I had a bunch of new finished designs ready to go before I got so ill. Not to mention all the designs I want to reprint in new ways. As well as designs I haven't used. It would be a shame if these designs didn't see the light of day. If it only works with You're support. If it all works maybe out skummie can continue beyond me. Just trying to live day to day. Now live your life cause you only have one.

Needless to say, I'm not taking commissions at this time.

Thank all of you for supporting Skummie!

-Kory "SKUMMIE" Schuerman

You can help by heading over to the Skummie store and showing your support by making a purchase. Along with the cool tees there are stickers, posters, hats and buttons. Go and check it out.

Zombie Romance

Zombie Romance by Yannick Bouchard

This is so brilliant you have to stop and wonder why no one thought of it before. While having a zombie couple in love sounds like a corny B grade movie on the outside, the idea has really been elevated by the artwork. The male is offering his love his heart, literally. He has ripped it out of his chest and is holding it out to her. It becomes this awkward scene where neither party knows quite how to react. Cast your mind back to your adolescence and you will remember being in a similar scenario yourself, shuffling your feet and mumbling as you didn't know what to do. Everybody has memories like that, making this remarkably relateable. That is something I never thought I would say about a zombie tee.

Illustrator

Illustrator by KidOF

This tee is a bit of a guilty pleasure as it is something only designers are going to truly get a kick out of. Re imagining what well known icons actually represent is geek humor at its finest. While some, like the painter and detective, are plainly obvious, it is the unexpected ones that make this so special. My favourite has to be the pornstar as it literally made me laugh out loud.

Extra Terrestrials

Extra Terrestrials by Glen Brogan

The aliens are massing and poor Elliot will have to pedal really hard to move all that weight. I am loving the total geekiness of having all these guys together.

Sleigher

Sleigher from 8Ball

I have another Christmas themed tee for Boxing Day. While yesterdays shirt was horror themed, this bad boy is a funny parody. I would love to rock one of these at a Slayer concert.

Black Christmas

Black Christmas from Fright Rags

It's Christmas and I just couldn't resist featuring this limited edition tee from Fright Rags. Black Christmas was a film ahead of its time, pioneering techniques like the classic “the call is coming from inside your house” and showing scenes from the killer’s perspective, four years before John Carpenter's Halloween. 

Rocka Hontas

Rocka Hontas from Denada

If Pocahontas was a teenager today you just know she would be a rebel. It is xmas eve what are you doing reading this? Get out there and rock on.

Loser Mountain

Loser Mountain from VNM

At first glance this is just another heavy metal style skeleton tee. It is not until you look closer that your preconceptions are swept away. The oddest thing is the crystal ball showing an image of a taco. The addition of mushrooms / toadstools in the background make me think this may have something to do with munchies bought on by drug use. The fact is I don't really know what the artwork represents, all I do know is that this is one cool tee.

Moonscythe

Dead Is The New Life from Moonscythe

I just came across this brand Moonscythe and they have some amazing stuff by fantastic artists. The one pictured at the top is called "Dead Is The New Life" by Tony Midi. Down the bottom is the fabulous "Cernunnos" by QuietOctober. Although it seems they don't have a website and run solely from facebook, this is definitely a brand worth checking out.

Big Deal Clothing

Big Deal Clothing

Since I posted a denial three days ago you were probably thinking you were safe for a while. Ha. You should all know better. Even though this tee is no longer available Big Deal has lots of other cool stuff you can buy. Go check em out.

Author Tone

Author Tone by Fourscore

I had a teacher at school who would drive us all insane by droning on and on about the tone of an authors writing. Everything we read had to be examined, dissected and studied until we got to the point of hating it, then we would move on to the next text. I loathed that class, as did all the other students. I read for escape, for enjoyment. I don't want to pull it apart to see how it works. The funny thing is I remember watching an interview with a certain author, years after school, where he was discussing a particular book that I had been forced to analyse. The author debunked myths regarding certain hidden meanings in his book. The same hidden meanings that our teacher had proclaimed true and scolded us for not picking up on them. I wonder if that teacher ever saw that interview?

Welcome to Skull City!

Welcome to Skull City! by Wagner Nogueira Lima

I always find optical illusions fascinating. I love the idea that when viewed from a distance this would look like just another skull tee, but as the viewer moved closer the reality would reveal itself. You are suddenly flying over a vast city and I just want to go down and explore it, discovering all the other secrets it is hiding.

Trollbuster

Trollbuster from Troll Clothing

This shirt is insanely cool and you can't own it. Sorry but it has been quite a while since I teased you. This is another one for the denial files as it hasn't been available for over two years now.

Cosmic Expedition

The Cosmic Expedition by Kate Rowland

I love the child like sense of wonder portrayed in this artwork. It actually reminds me of the covers on old science fiction novels. There is a lot going on here, but the limited color palette combined with that simplistic art style really brings it down to a coherent level. A beautiful and eminently wearable tee.

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway at Indie Minded

Once again it is you chance to win some cool tees. Indie Minded (formerly known as the Tee Gazette) is once again doing its 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway. Currently it is day 3 so there is still plenty of chances to get your entries in. You can enter up to three different ways each day. What I really like about it though is discovering some great new brands that I didn't know about. 

Centard

Centard from Threads Or Tales

This tee is both cute and strange, a combination that I find compelling. Two centaurs are looking at a little boy with a horses head, not too sure what to make of him. By the way his collar sits it would seem that he is wearing a mask, which makes you wonder just what is going on. Luckily you can find out the whole story, you just have to buy the tee. It is printed under the tag of the shirt.

Serpents And Snakes

Serpents And Snakes from Lead & Light

I am always attracted to tees that are different and this is a great example. Mixing mythology with bold geometric shapes seems like an odd idea but it works really well. Part of the reason for this is the quality of the artwork. There is almost an insane amount of detail. I love how real those snakes look. The simplicity of white ink on black helps pull it all together and give it a classiness that it would lack with color.

Natural Selecta

Natural Selecta from Imaginary Foundation


This tee speaks to me in a way that it might not to most. I enjoy a wide variety of music from all eras. There really is nothing new. Each genre is a progression of what has come before it. Music evolves in a similar to plants and animals.

Forest Grump

Forest Grump from Choonimals

Normally I would write something about this tee but this time I am just going to use a quote from the site because it is brilliant.

Forest Grump lived in the woods,
Roaming the forest collecting treats for his hood.
Hunters shot at him and barely missed,
It made him grumpy and kinda pissed.

Batman

Batman from Mr Four Fingers

I always get excited when I see someone doing new and unusual things with iconic imagery. In this instance it is Batman, but not as you have ever seen him before. Although it is that strange red mouth that jumps out at you, what I find really interesting is how the silhouette is so recognizable. With no facial characteristics it could really be anything, which proves the impact modern media has had on us all. The other thing that I find amazing is how the fade is done. Instead of using more traditional methods like halftones, lined triangles form a broken geometric pattern. It is such an unusual and interesting addition that I find myself continually drawn back to that part of the artwork.

Broken Image

Broken Image from J!NX

This tee literally made me laugh out loud, proving just how much of  geek I am. It has made me ponder a future where we can display any image we want on our shirts like a screen wallpaper.

velociRapper

velociRapper by Biotwist

Once again we are being told the world is going to end, which reminds me of a joke that was floating around last time. I remember seeing a meme stating that we had misheard and it was raptors coming, not the rapture. With that in mind I decided I would find a cool raptor tshirt and this is by far the greatest one I came across. I especially love the Flavor Flav clock hanging around his neck.

Sexpot

Sexpot from Pinup Girl Clothing

Sexy retro pin up girls are always cool but artist Dale Sizer has come up with something even better. This is one bad ass, sassy woman. From the cigarette hanging out of her mouth to the tattoo on her arm, she epitomises a rockabilly style. Throw in a keyhole frame an some hot rod pinstriping and you get a tee that stands out from the crowd.

T.V. Crab

TV Crab from Insomniac

This is one of the most bizarre, yet coolest tshirts I have ever come across. I have no idea if the artwork pertains to something or if it is just surrealism for surrealism's sake. Either way I want one in my wardrobe.

I See Colours

I See Colours by Tony Riff

This one of those crazily cool tees that Threadless does so well. The bright colors really pop against the black and white cartoon character on a grey shirt. I like to imagine that this guy stepped out of his own era and upon seeing modern television, his brain just exploded. His eyes popped out and all the technicolor that he witnessed came gushing out of his eye sockets.

Hi Fi Band

Hi Fi Band by heikowindisch

This is one of those crazy genius tees that just don't pop up every day. I love the fact that, although similar, each character is unique with different facial hair and instruments. The artist not only had a brilliant, unique idea, they took the time to make the artwork great as well.

Red Riding Hood With Wolf Heart

Red Riding Hood With Wolf Heart from Restyle

I was drawn to this tee because of the zombie theme, but it turned into an interesting study in psychology for me. My mind has been so bombarded with standard fairy tale images that I honestly thought Red was holding an apple. It proves the point that you see what you expect to see. When I finally discovered that she was actually holding a heart, it added a whole new dimension to the story. Now I am sitting here wondering what else I have missed that has been in plain sight.

Heavy Metal Tshirt Fail

I came across this on facebook and it was too funny not to share. I have no idea where it is originally from, so if anyone knows leave a comment.

The Lurker

The Lurker from Raygun Robyn

The lurker at the heart of the cosmos sees you and he will eat you. What I really love about this Lovecraft inspired tee is the fact it is so different from all the others. Cthulhu is shown as a black shape, blotting out the stars. The contrast is really effective. Having the monster become the neckline is also unique and works beautifully. The lack of detail means this could be an monster, therefore offering a much broader appeal.

Ivory

Ivory from Colus

I really love the work of Colus Haveng. It is such a unique, distinct style and this elephant tee is a great example. Although highly stylized the animal is instantly recognizable. There is always symbolism used, in this instance a giant upside down Y shape that doubles as the tusks. It seems to ask "Why do we kill these animals for their ivory?"

Surreal Emu

Collaboration between Travis Price and Any Forty

Seriously cool, limited edition and truly unique - what more could you ask for? I can't make up my mind if this multi eyed emu is the result of genetic engineering gone mad or a covered up toxic spill. You can make up your own story. 

Reckoning

Reckoning by cpagoaga

The compact disc ushered in the digital era and revolutionized entire industries, replacing cassette tapes, records, floppy discs and vhs tapes. We are now at the point where the cd itself is becoming obsolete. Will those forgotten technologies that were sacrificed by the discs meteroric rise now seek their revenge? Will anyone care about the once loved shiny circle?

Brains! Brains! Brains!

Brains! Brains! Brains! from Death, Shred!

There are a lot of zombie themed tees around yet this one caught my eye for one reason, the lack of a zombie. We don't even see the gun wielding hero. Instead we see the damsel character, which I find a really interesting choice. These days this is considered a bit politically incorrect and most artists would portray the woman as a heroine instead. This shirt stays true to its retro theme and I love it for that. Available in both mens and womens styles.

Pipe Dream

Pipe Dream from Fullbleed

On the surface the idea of a visual mash up of an eclipse and a skateboarder seems ridiculous, yet in reality it is brilliant. I think a lot of that has to do with the way the colors have been handled. The silhouette colors of the skater in the pipe have been reversed, mimicking the way the usually bright sun has been turned dark.

Across The Pond

Across The Pond by Beadler Works

Simple and poignant this tee packs a visual punch. While the overall shape resembles a water drop, the circle of night sky calls to mind a full moon even though there isn't one shown. It is a very subtle way of bringing depth to this melancholy scene.

The Immoral Compass

The Immoral Compass by Phil Wheeler

Beware the man that uses the immoral compass as a guide in life. Mimicking an old illustration of a compass, this shows us that sinful choices are everywhere. Keeping with the nautical theme tentacles are entwined throughout, which is vaguely unsettling, in much the same way that sea monsters on old maps are. It is the center of the helm where it all comes together, with a little shading giving the impression of an eye staring at you. Intentionally creepy and perfect for this design.

Killer Queen

Killer Queen from Ultra

The artwork on this tee is fairly open to interpretation. The character may be a robot, human, alien or something else entirely. The most intriguing thing for me is that the mask appears to be floating, as if there is nothing in the armor. It makes me think some spiritual presence like a demon is at work.

Delicious Pops

Delicious Pops from Denada

The torture of constantly being bombarded with images of happy people eating things (by insidious advertising agencies) has made me fall instantly in love with this tee. Turning the tables and showing a happy ice cream eating people illustrates the absurdity of the ads we see everywhere.

Death in the Stars

Death in the Stars from 604 Republic

I really like tees that come out of left field but this one made me laugh too. Double win. Turning the Death Star into the Grim Reaper is very clever in itself yet it is the detail that makes it. The most noticeable is the light saber scythe. On a deeper level all stars are death dealers. These giant balls of flaming gas will kill you if you get too close, are exposed to their radiation or go supernova.

Slices Of Wolf

Slices Of Wolf by Nicolas Barrome

I am not sure how to describe this. It is quirky, surreal and has a touch of humor. I really like the slice in the wolf's forehead revealing a pea for a brain. The style of the illustration, with the crossed eyes and tongue poking out, turn what should be a macarbe scene into something almost cute. There is something about this that appeals to me at a deep level and that is what art is all about.

Ruin

Ruin by Dan Mumford

There are certain artists that have such a unique style that you can instantly recognise their work. Dan Mumford is one of those people. His work is always amazingly detailed and has a brilliant sense of light and shadow. The main problem is that small images on the net just can't do it enough justice.