Contest Watch: Week of June 25

Late blog is late due to a million and one reasons, not the least of which being some good old fashioned summer laziness, so with the cool air of way-late-at-night surging in, and my fingers crossed for it not to downpour like every other evening this week, here goes:

Somewhere in the dregs of the "Fake Band Shirt" derby over at shirt.woot, homeschoolwinner came up with a charming little idea in Electric Bill and the Charges. For starters, it's a great band name, insofar as it parodies one of the classic band-name stereotypes (Someone and the Somethings) with deft humor... the idea is so mundane at first, but once you realize the finer points of the name, the point shines through. There could be a guy named Bill who goes by this name, and "the Charges" is a totally generic backing band moniker. Though really, once the absurdity sets in, the idea of an Electric Bill fronting a band, or even a band calling themselves Electricbill, is pretty classic. The logo itself is pretty perfect too... it definitely evokes a cover band at your local bar, while having a classic cheese factor that would be perfect back in the 70s as well. It's like Huey Lewis meets Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. And with a color scheme like this, it's quite possible the Muppets were on the designer's mind... it's fun and eyecatching, and answers the question "why the hell do I want to wear a fake band shirt?"

By the time I finish this blog, I wager the most recent Shirtfight contest will be over and, once again, I will probably be perplexed as ever over the eventual winner. I'm having a tough time cementing the weekly contest's taste, but pretty consistently it seems the answer is "not mine." As such, I am sad to announce that Mandolin's Pangolin, by r4fitch4, is probably not even close to the pick of the week. A shame, because it's certainly one of my fav's from Black and Blue week, despite making more sense as "Pangolin's Mandolin". Not the least of my appreciations about this tee is my appreciation for pangolins, which are about as underrated as an awesome animal can get. Also impressive to me is the use of shirt blank, with it showing through heavily among the creature's scales, while not making the overall feel seem disjointed, and the cartoony style, turning the little guy into a charmer in a fun hat. But I'm most digging the color palette. It seems to really run with the Black and Blue theme by giving off that purple-blue tint that everything seems to take on by moonlight. You can picture our friend here serenading his pangolin world until the late hours, while everyone has an awesome, pangolinny time. It adds a sense of magic to the piece, and implies a bigger scenario than the single character can convey.

As usual, Threadless picks up the bulk and slack of this segment, beginning with WanderingBert's simple but charming "Losing the Connection."It takes it's concept there and back again, first imagining a deer's antlers as television antennae. It's a fair comparison, with both sporting many branches and a daunting, weapon-like shape. One could even suggest that deer are in tune with nature as we tune in to television. But one would probably be more pretensiously verbose than I. What I do like best about this piece, however, is how it starts with such a simple idea, then translates it back to make it all the deeper... the deer is rendered as static and white noise, what most of us in the modern age most associate with archaic antennae such as these. It's an image that leaves itself wide open for interpretation and discussion, making it artistic in its simplicity, but for all the meanings we could glean from it, the final truth is that it looks awesome. And that's all I need to consider a buy.

Despite talking it up fourth, Babatai's "CHENAPAN" is without even remote reservations my favorite shirt of the week. It's a lovely drawing, for starters... the storefront here is made up of equal parts hand-drawn beauty and European charm. It makes me yearn to retreat to a small town overseas, where I can see this sort of scenery daily... a charming café or convenience shop just inviting you in to mangle the local language in front of the good natured staff. I feel like I saw any number of places like this when I was in Italy, and it brings me back. The colors, mostly earthy with a couple subtly less-natural tones, are calming and pretty much perfect for a good viewing. It's not only classic from this artist, but it's classic simply on the basis of aesthetic. It's so appealing you almost miss the fact that, hey, THIS CRAP IS WEIRD! I mean really, what the hell? Some little rabbit demon is fishing for a fishman? That's something I -definitely- didn't see in Europe. But the characters are so nonchalant about what is going on, and so whimiscally drawn that while they'll cause the average viewer to do a doubletake, they don't taint or cheapen the work, but naturally add to it. The weirdness seems totally in tune with the rest of the image, as if everything is so charming and unassuming that the totally quirky aspects blend in as though nothing happened. Absurdity is one of my first loves in art, but this piece's style is so great that I'd wear it even without the fish dude. I'd buy this in a heartbeat... it's truly wearable art.

Still, let my love of the last piece not taint you against the also awesome "Dinner is Ready," gracing us courtesy of Jacopo. Here, the weirdness is evident in everything, from the fun cartoony style to the bizarre idea. It's a great two-color design, utilizing its spaghetti dinner shades to solid effect and little surprise given the action. The scene plays out like a Monty Python one... the lumpy vikings are here to storm the tower, but the tower-dwellers are having none of it. Some medieval fortresses would use vats of boiling water as a weapon in their defense against hostile takeovers... you can imagine you'd probably run too if someone was about to dump boiling water on you. Here, the water has long boiled, pasta's been added, a sauce has been made, meat has been cooked, and the whole mess is about to bring some pain to the adorably vicious attackers. Yet they are ready: they've brought a huge fork as a battering ram. I love how this scene has its own internal logic... the war probably is commonplace in the world created here, though absurd to our eyes. It sparks the imagination... what is this world like? How did this rivalry start? What else don't we know? That's totally appealing to my mind. Give it an attractive and charming style and I am sold. I'll have to explain this to anyone who sees me wearing it. And I am fine with that.

Teefury Sneak Peek for July 4th!

We'll be getting to the Contest Watch this evening, but for now, allow me to give you a sneak peek at the Teefury sensation that will be sweeping the nation THIS JULY 4TH! That's Saturday, homey. Check it out.

Behold, "Once Upon a Time," by Sam Schuna. The artist describes it thusly: "Old timey typewriters are awesome, and this shows just a little glimpse of all the stuff that can come out of them with a bit of imagination." Ah, a bit of imagination... so refreshing to see a design pay tribute to that. The design rises up from its typewriter base like smoke... I love the way the linework overlaps and shows through, fitting scads of unique images in a small space... you can hone in and discover every last wonderful piece, or you can let the swirl and cluster of images stand as a whole, which I personally like because it replicates the swarm and spume of the imagination, where a million thoughts seem to rush at each other at once. The colors used to bring the transparent images to life are wise not only for being appealing, but for being distinct enough that every last detail is still totally noticeable. The typewriter anchors the piece at the bottom in a much heavier, almost woodcut style that contrasts with the elegant but simpler linework above. I like how it delineates the mechanical from the imaginative, and the tool from the creation. For people who have been yearning for a good, creative tee, this is almost a must-buy, and quite honestly an excellent gift idea for any true creative mind or appreciater of creativity.

It's really a welcome respite from a TeeFury which has, of late, seemed to be an outlet for media marketing above a purveyor of amazing daily shirts, and it shows just what sort of quality the site is capable of: when TF is at it's best, no other daily site can really touch them on designs. So mark your calendars: this will only be up for sale on the 4th, for 24 hours, and you're not going to want to miss it. Who knows... a purchase could send a message. A message that a design doesn't need to ride the pop-culture train to sell well. And a message that we need more curations from Sonmi and MJ. Pretty please? I can't imagine I'm the only one who misses the old "two and two and two" schedule.

I shall leave you with the final mockup, featured below.

Seventh Son of a Shredder Son

When I look for tees to review, I almost always seek out something I would buy and wear and love until it fell apart and I was sad. Something that represents my design sensibilities. I think that's what sets me apart at the end of the day. But sometimes something comes across my desk that I feel would benefit you, my readers. That is what today is all about; Jon Kruse, a skilled designer and emptees staple, came to me this week to discuss a write-up for his new brand, Shred. I'm always happy to discuss a review, and Jon made it easy to say yes with a discount code. From here on out, you can get 10% off your Shred order by using code "SINGULARITEE". Pretty awesome stuff, eh?

Yes, would be the answer. It is pretty awesome. Jon's work isn't really my normal cup of tea, but his skill is undeniable. His lines can make evisceration hold beauty, and his themes hammer home the site's name, straddling the line between horror slashing and heavy metal fretting. My personal fave of the tees, Iron Eddie, revels in that '80s era, paying homage to Maiden by way of Skeletor, which makes it appealing in both a "comic art" and "metal art" way. Contrary to what I learned early on from fashionistas, the yellows and blues absolutely go together here: they sear against the tee. And while I'm personally not big on "branded" tees, I have to note once again: I definitely appreciate how every piece in the collection evokes the brand name. Many brands seem to slap their name on nonchalantly; Kruse insists on having that brand make sense against the art he pairs with it. It is undeniable that all these tees shred. Slap it on a classic black tee, and you've got a product anyone with a past of living on the edge will eat up. If you're that sort, definitely check out what the man has to offer, and support the little guys.

Of course, I know I have many diverse readers come through, some of whom might be quite the opposite of this aesthetic. For you, I recommend checking out Jon's other little site, Mediocore Clothing, which trades metal revelry for a couple well-chosen pieces of a more nostalgic and often humorous bent. You can even snag 10% off there, as well, with code "AWESOME". These codes will be going in our coupon bank for your future use, but we all hope you'll check things out now, especially while Shred still has that new-site smell. Enjoy!

Make it Rain!

Throughout March, as you may recall, we at Singularitee ran a contest for a free t-shirt. Our winner was frequent commenter and contest-watch featured designer, theinfinityloop. Her choice? The amazing Peachbeach tee Timberland, a shirt I can't recommend enough, especially for this season of cookouts and fireworks. Now, she's giving a little something back, and we'd be remiss not to mention it.

Ms. Loop set a goal for herself of a print a month, or 12 prints throughout the year, and much as this blog held a contest for our 25th Contest Watch Update, she is holding herself a contest for her 12th print. Details are at her blog: check it out and get tweeting about her on Twitter for a chance to win!

It comes at an excellent time, as today I would like to discuss her Rain Dance, a rare shirt.woot design that is actually brilliant, artistic, and widely appealing. With leaves sprouting from the border of the design and a faded outline containing the scene, the design fills the shirt expertly. The concept is stunning as well: the raindrops falling form two dancers. The rendering is spot-on... the drips and splashes look natural, and the bodies of the pair are as watery as the drops that form them. There is a great sense of motion caught here... the two dancers are caught mid-dance, frozen in the passion of their art, while also showing off a fluidity that echoes to the lithe bodies of dancers. It's one of woot's most impressive offerings to date, and also teetering on the edge of reckoning. If you're interested, now is the time to strike a blow for great design, support a friend of the blog, and possibly even give someone the chance to win a tee for free. As with all woot shirts, we can't guarantee how long this one will last: it may be gone by Monday, so hesitation is not recommended.

Contest Watch: Week of June 18

If there's one constant to rely on during what has become an at turns busy and lazy summer, it is the Contest Watch. The time when I tell you all about the awesome things you need to vote for. The time when I praise the people willing to take risks and be awesome instead of ride the waves of mediocrity. The time I talk about the following five shirts.

As today is the sale date of my Teextile pick of the week (Mitohapa's "Metamorphosis"), it seems fitting to start with a piece up for voting there: Julianglander's Battle At Sea. It's an easy pick for my tastes, marrying crashing linework waves with squids fighting whales, and with a simple color palette that nevertheless is an unsurprising choice for me to appreciate. The little bits here really do it for me, though. The main squid is so damn happy going to war against his whale, despite his brethren being defeated in ridiculous and humiliating manners. I also like the "ghosts" rising up, presumably representative of fallen soldiers on both sides, which create an interesting triangular feel to the piece.

Finding its way into the ol' CW for the first time in a while is ShirtFight. It's a bit ironic, really... the theme there this week was one I truly dreaded: ninjas, pirates, robots, and cowboys? Any time people actually BEG for the memes to come out in force, this little blogger gets worried. But like RIPT's concurrent "Robot Week," I feel I got far more than I bargained for for a theme that feels so entrenched in uncreativity. Probably my favorite is Robbielee's "Unplugged," and to me, the reasons should be obvious. One of the first things that caught me about the entry is the texture. The guitar has a faithful wood tone, and the robot gleams like the metal menace it is. I also enjoy the pun, with an electronic creation strumming an acoustic guitar. But even past that juxtaposition of plugged and unplugged, I enjoy the natural and synthetic interplay... the robot is decidedly bulky, especially compared to his instrument and the sounds which would come from it. Still, even his posturing shows him as shattering the stereotypes of his robotic past... I especially like the humble bowed head. And likely after that, he'll go shatter the last remainders of the human race. That's what robots do, after all, right? A very well-done character piece.

Off to Threadless, I can't say enough good things about Wah Wah Wahhhhh, a collab between Ivantobealone and Montro. A mix between a Debbie Downer sketch (hence the onomatopoeic title) and the Threadless classic "Spoilt," this gets a nod from me for being far more appealing than either of the two. Where Spoilt is chock full of words, this gives us far more to look at and appreciate. The shape is far more organic and wearable. And while the other tee relies on one caring about film, this revels in universal spoilers, branching to anyone who likes a little snark, dark humor, or bitterness in their day. It even seems a bit less dickish than ruining the end of a movie to tell someone that pandas will go extinct. I love the style also, with its old time nostalgia making a perfect fit for the barbed and factual humor, and the palette is perfection. With all due respect to Olly Moss and Rachel Dracht, it's simply far more appealing to look at.

I'm possibly alone on this next one, but for the few of you who will recognize just how brilliant k-proj's "Antlers Are In" is, I am quite happy to have shown it to you. The illustration itself is simple elegance, like it was snatched out from a sketchbook page. The animals selected are all recognizable, and the variety of poses adds a nice flow to the overall design. The layout itself works wonders also, creating an almost circle, almost swoop of creatures... all the branching and curving of antlers and horns only helps to tie the flow together. No lie, the inclusion of a jackalope here makes me smile, as well. The fine, penciled look of the linework makes the light blanks suggested a perfect fit, but even more so because both shades fit perfectly as the coloration of the woodland denizens inhabiting the shirt. Finally, I'm actually really jazzed about the small dots flecked about the design... they're dull against the white, but burn brighter on sand and cream, which lends even more visual interest to the whole piece. It might not make it to print, but I certainly would buy if it did.

Of course, if you enjoy your deer purchasable instead of hypothetical, do be sure to get in to vote for Grande Elusion, another collab, this time between the ludicrously talented buko and silverqe. The main illustration is wonderfully illustrated and ornate, while the glow elements make it magical. What I really love is that both designs relate to one another and yet stand seperately. Many specialty ink pieces only make sense in one light, or else need both to really keep the same appeal. This is two seperate and gorgeous designs made even better when taken together. It's really a must-see, so do go view the full submission... it explains everything far better than words can.

Slipping my mind

We at Singularitee would like to apologize heartily for the following mind-slip: Chow Hon Lam and William Chua's "Solar Power" printed. It was part of Threadless' second sale week tee series, and like everything else blog related, I was far too out of it to remember that this epicness was also a contest watch piece. As a result, the shirt stock became decimated. Again, I truly apologize, since this may have cost you some awesomeness.

It came out great, though, with all the mystical Asian beauty that it implied, from two of the best minds in the shirt world. You can tell their calibre easily, as it's both artful and wearable, to the point where it was such a familiar and logical print, I didn't even remember having written it up prior. Funny how that happens. If your size is still in stock, pick it up quick. If not, it is never too late to request a reprint. I bet we'll see this return by the year's end.

Contest Watch: Week of June 11

I'm really sorry to leave you hanging last week. There were a lot of SUPREMELY great Threadless subs, which I will happily tell you all about when they hopefully print. We do, however, have somewhat exciting news: contest watch tee "A Visitor From the North" by VonMonkey is up for support at Cameesa. $10 + shipping gets you a piece of the action, as well as residuals from every sale once it prints.

In what seems like deja vu, we start off with a Uneetee design by Againstbound. This week, it's Samurai Epilogue, a design I've seen make the rounds for a while now, and simply needs a good home. The more I see it, the more I want to own it. It's simple, but the flow is perfection, snaking up diagonally to the shoulder. It's also a brilliant representation of peace, with the instruments of war laying dormant long enough to become overgrown with life. It's stark beauty... help it gain a life at uneetee, and check out the end of their summer sale while you're there.

shirt.woot's theme this week was "the sun," and if that sounds like a boring theme, you'd be right. Most of the shirts did nothing but illustrate the theme exactly, which is why I appreciated Mitohapa's "Sunflowers: Vase-sized photon sources." A bit verbose with the title, but mercifully creative with the concept, the piece imagines literal sun-flowers, sprouting and exuding a sunny charm. Characterizing the flowers helps give them even more sunniness. The colors remain earthy and warm throughout, and the design makes great use of the blank, melding organically with the tee, and making the whole thing quite wearable. It's a piece that would make a great summer shirt. Hopefully we'll get a chance to see it around again next summer. I can't imagine the wearer ever being in a bad mood, and that's sorta what summer's all about to me: sitting back and simply enjoying yourself. And sometimes getting sunburned. But mostly enjoyment.

It's bird and music week at Threadless, I do believe, and to celebrate, we start with Song Bird, by quister. Like Sunflowers, the piece creates a great organic border with the blank itself, which helps it almost have a 3D feel... the outside layer of leaves pops off the background trees, with the focal image between them, as though it was all a diorama. That focal bird is one of the best re-imaginings of a music note I've seen... the plump little body is the perfect shape for both the note and the torso of a bird, with the stem making the neck and beak. While the stem itself makes the note visible, the body is bird-perfection, decked out in colors that shine and camouflage in equal measure, like an elusive bird of the jungle would be. One has to imagine this bird's song is a hell of a tune, as well. Great execution.

On the avian side, we're also given Magnitudinous Vocabulary, by Fleck. Taking inspiration from the loquacious macaw, which can produce a verifiable facsimile of human speech, it lauds the merit of grandiloquent verbosity. I'll drink to that! Besides its praise of literacy, which is something I can always get behind, I enjoy the use of the parrot to deliver the message. Its monocle and pipe don't hurt things, but the idea of an extremely well-educated parrot, instead of one who merely, well, "parrots" back, is both a natural choice and a wise one, meaning the bird doesn't need the accoutrement of the aristocracy to put forth that message. Besides the topic and choice of vehicle to convey it, though, the execution makes me quite happy, too. The lines build a very ably drawn bird, and the colors are spot on as far as what one would imagine for the breed, but I do quite like seeing the faded texture on it, as well. I feel fading out makes the bird more wearable for more people, instead of relying solely on a bolder wearer who can handle its equally bold colors. It also does wonders for the texture, especially on the branch. One could certainly do worse than promote themselves as a proponent of literacy and art, and they certainly could do worse than sport this shirt to do it.

Finally, for the music lover who doesn't love birds, how about an octopus? In an idea I'm sure must have been done already, orchard brings us Octopus Jazz, in which an octopus becomes a full jazz ensemble. As I said, I'm sure this can't be a first, but I still love the concept, but what I love more is the execution. The two color earth-toned print works great for a jazz-era concept, and minimal color schemes always look classy as hell when done right. The octopus' tentacles wriggle and writhe in a brilliant tangle, as they should: it's almost pointless to draw this sort of thing if you're not going to draw in the sinewy motion of those arms. But what I like best is the smart use of the blank. The linework is all blank space, and it creates some awesome visual draw, especially since the shirt and the color of the octo are similar foliage greens... the similar colors look great against each other. As a musician and lover of all things cephalopod, I am all for eventually owning this tee.

How Quickly Time Flies

I'd like to apologize, dear readers, for my extended absence this weekend. There are times when the real world gets in the way of blogging, and while I certainly missed you guys this week, some things are more important. That said, it feels like forever since I last chatted with you.

It is made to feel even longer considering that recent Contest Watch feature, Wotto's "Dark Side of Doodles," is up for sale at Teextile all week. It was quite a quick pick, so it serves to bolster the illusion of an even longer absence. It's also quite a worthy pick. It's distinctively Wotto, but also among his most fun and accessible tees... all the characters are charming and awesome, and the color scheme is classic and classy. I can't recommend enough that you pick one up. Today is the best day, as it's on sale for $12, but if you miss it, grab it at $15 any time for the rest of the week. Your chest will thank you for it.

Bull Shirt: Today Only

The new trend in tee sites seems to be the quick-n-dirty One Day Only site. TeeFury seems to be the pioneer here, but the basics are always the same: the site prints your shirt for a limited time, pays you based on what you sell, and then you get the rights back when the print run is done. It's the ultimate in impulse buying: often you literally have 24 hours before the shirt of your dreams is gone forever.

In case you need something else to get frantic over every midnight, I present to you RIPT Apparel. RIPT just started yesterday, so you really haven't missed much, but you definitely shouldn't miss this one: it's a rare print by Dave Perillo, known also as Montygog. The piece is A Bull by the Horns, and it is chock full of the fun, retro style the designer is known for. The bull is the obvious focus, being the "punch line," but there's plenty to see in the stripe of characters... each car almost has personality, and there are some fun sight-gags added in if you let yourself peruse. The throwback cartooning, however, is what you're really paying for with a Montygog piece, and he doesn't disappoint here... the colors, shapes, and humor all give a nostalgic feel, even for those of us who weren't born when the nostalgia was freshest. Personally, I can't help but remember the old Wacky Races cartoons just looking at it. How dastardly of the designer!

RIPT tees are only $10, and this one's only up until Midnight Central tomorrow, so if you're digging it, you hep cat, now is the time to grab it, and support a new site, a unique designer, and your wardrobe's right to some unique, individual tees.

Threadless Sale Continues!

For those of you not keeping track, Threadless' Summer Heatwave Sale is going on still, until 10am Wednesday. The experts here at Singularitee would suggest that it will probably go on until Monday, like Threadless sales normally do, but we would also suggest you wait at your own risk. If you lose out on some super awesome sale tees by playing Russian Roulette like that, it ain't our fault.

Much like last week, there are some epic prints rolled out for week two of the sale, including what I find to be easily the best of the bunch: Murphy's Law, by Alvarejo. Sure, there were some huge prints last week, and I'm definitely stoked about the six staff-and-alumni picks debuted throughout the week (dare we ask for six more this week?) but this one is the new shirt I want most. It might be hard to appreciate fully from the pic posted here, but this is absolutely epic artwork and coloring... the lines are flawless and the image all but shines. It's also brilliant conceptually... it takes the idea of Murphy's Law (that anything that can go wrong will) and carries it to the extreme. Your boat is sinking. That's bad enough without having a giant octopus dragging it down, or a sea monster rise up to destroy it, to say nothing of the griffin that has apparently decided to do battle with the two leviathans. The captain's loss is our gain, though, as the sheer imagination of the scene is captivating.

As with most new tees these days, this one isn't sale-priced, but it's certainly worth the full one if you can swing it. There can be no guarantee that shirts like this will last 'til the next sale, so I'd be sure to make haste. As for what IS on sale? I'd keep posted here: we'll be sure to keep you updated on Wednesday as to what changes.