When Sales Attack.

If you're like me, you haven't been at my blog since February. A lot has happened since then, but most of it has been pretty disheartening, and since I -try- to use this blog predominantly for things which are great or, at least, unique and worthy of highlighting, it has been really difficult to bring myself to break the silence. Also, busy-ness. The state of the tee art world reflects the state of the real world, but even so, some things are more important.

One thing that becomes vital to note now happened at Threadless. Longtime followers will perhaps recall years ago when Threadless streamlined their tees to all be $18, with Selects sitting at $25, for their outside of the norm content, frequently experimental print processes, and untested popularity. This wasn't ideal, really... prior, threadless tees fluctuated a lot print to print, but for the majority of prints, $18 was more than one would have paid before. Still, $18 was fair, and remains the standard in the tee world. But then we started seeing some full tee prints sell at $20, undermining the original intent, and it wasn't long before the average tee sold at that price point. What I didn't notice until just recently, however, was that the prices slipped up again... the average tee in the last few weeks has been sitting pretty at $22.



This sort of silent inflation makes a sale like the brief Camp Wannatee one Threadless is featuring this week (potentially til Wednesday, but Threadless is known for extensions, so who knows) both more exciting and somewhat insulting. A $12 tee is always a good deal, especially when the base price is higher, but the sale serves mainly to point out just how much a Threadless tee goes for these days. One can't expect the $5 clearances of the days when this blog began, but there is a certain disturbing nature to it, especially when one considers the other changes made throughout the tee world in that time. The vapid lie of "printing this mediocre work helps us afford to print less popular but better work" is clearly exposed when one sees this happening... either that road isn't working, and the site is still scraping by no matter what they print, or the price hike has nothing to do with necessity, which implies that perhaps the print choices have nothing to do with necessity either. Whichever way the truth tilts, it's a worrisome omen for artists and other sites alike.

That said, there are still regularly Threadless tees to be excited about, and sometimes they come from the least expected places. Above, we see sketchboy01's brand new print "Arabian Crescent," clearly an incredibly weak pun, but illustrated beyond its title. The magic of the Arabian Nights is present in the illustration... there's the twinkle of the stars, the exotic shapes of buildings... and that sliver of moon which came from the equally slim punchline creates its own otherworldly imagery, not only for the outer-space textures and craters, but the idea of this beautiful city springing out from the rock, hidden in a cave or carved from a mountain. The overall effect is one that creates a haunting new world out of a very old one. Our Western eyes still often see the Arab world as a large question mark... framing it against space makes it literally otherworldly, and anyone who has ever used their imagination is fascinated by the unfamiliar. Taking two images which we can easily identify, yet in most cases do not fully understand, lets the viewer walk the line between comfort and curiosity, and the lovely execution sells a piece that quite likely was conceived as a cheap joke, elevating it to stunning illustration.

By contrast, Design By Humans, once the white truffle of these sorts of tee sites with its regular $24 offerings, has become a comparatively affordable option. This is no small feat, since DBH is a far more "exclusive" tee site. Its designs tend to seek out a specific audience, and a far less populist one than most. Its inventory is without a doubt smaller than its closest competition. Its prints, while no longer as regularly experimental as in the past, still tend to be far bigger and often more complex than any site I can think of. It seems odd that they'd be able to maintain what is now a reasonable price point while other places are ever rising.

Once again, it is the current sale which highlights my concerns. DBH has, in the last year, been incredibly sale-happy, and while most people would likely be ecstatic to have the chance to pick up cheaper designs, a sale week at DBH is also not a print week. The concern, therefore, is that they're no better off... having to drop prices even further so frequently, at the expense of paying out to new designs, doesn't imply the sort of success the site should be enjoying. Long story short, for a paranoid sort like myself, the two top dogs in the tee world giving signs of weakness does not bode well for the scene as a whole.

That being said, the trouble with conjecture is that it's only conjecture without knowing something deeper about selections, sales, and the like. The evidence is worrying, but the truth could just be that DBH wants you to buy awesome shirts like ecsu's "Decay (We're All Made of Stars)" and save some extra green while doing it. Not that it's not worth full price: the progression of the images makes for one of my favorite designs in a long while. The pink and the black provide a great contrast, and helps link the worlds of the self and the outside. The decomposition is shown in reverse... as the arm becomes built up, it is fleshed out, but it also becomes less corporeal. The idea is that the decay of one thing can create the growth of another. The stark colors also make the whole thing feel a bit more synthetic, though, as well. There seems to be another layer of commentary beneath the obvious themes, as though we are both built from and destroyed by the extraneous and the unreal. Whatever the case, though, it's a striking and original design, and something that makes me quite happy to see exist. Take advantage of the sales to show your support for this, or Arabian Crescent, or any truly worthy piece on either site. At the end of the day, this blog is about great tees. Find them, wear them, and support the continued spread of new ones. Because no matter what else might be happening under the surface, supporting great work is the best way to get more of it out there, and that should be the vast majority of what we're seeing. After all, I can't praise great art if it's not there.

Bearing With Me

One of the worst bits of being so absent blogwise is that I am left in the dust with Contest Watch predictions. Not that all that many pieces have printed lately that I would have predicted, mind you, but this Monday comes with a pleasant surprise at Threadless, and not just the $9 tee sale that y'all should be checking out if you read this in time.

No, Threadless has added a new alum to their roster, and unlike normal, it is with a design that has both a timelessness as well as the trademark humor Threadless was known for (that is to say, original, clever, and not based off the presumption that no one will sue if their characters are used illicitly). Welcome, then, MJ. As one of the most consistently original shirt designers out there, not to mention a literal apparel maven (have you guys honestly not been checking out Compete-Tee-Tion or Teemagnet yet?) it is well deserved.

"The Eating Habits of Bears" is really a two-punch joke, told with the first and third bear, but it's funny, the rule of three really works, because even though the "herbivore" joke is a throwaway, it winds the punch back for the final blow. Even so, it's a wisely chosen throwaway... "herbivore" is the obvious choice, and also has humor potential knowing that bears are anything but, and with the other bears consuming their fair share of animal-shaped snacks, a "candy vegetable" makes plenty of sense. Smart designing, made smarter by the simple but attractive graphics. A good humor shirt should indeed be simple to get, smart, creative, and hypothetically relatable, like a good joke is. Comics who play to an audience and give them what they expect are certainly popular, but the ones who really become legendary are more than a gimmick, more than their race or gender or beliefs, but truly a humorist that transcends all that. This is that sort of humor... perhaps not so lofty as some, but of the tried and true stock of the greats, using imagery familiar to all of us, not just one hardcore group of fans. I wouldn't be surprised if this tee finds itself reprinted regularly for that reason... it simply hits all the right notes of Threadlessness.

Just Enough Support

Why create art?

Well, for starters, it is cathartic. Pure art, regardless of form or canvas, is a bit of a release. It's like a discussion where you get that weight off your chest... it just feels right to let it out.

There's a joyfulness about it too. Some people get absorbed in the self-importance that can come with the minor fame art can bring, but others are simply in it to make themselves happy and hopefully do the same for others.

But what I love to see, especially in terms of the shirt world, is art which exists to evoke emotion, and I think we see this in Fleck's new Threadless print, Zenobia. It speaks to a fragility and a reality that even the mightiest things may be held up by mere twigs. Like a tragic hero, the city herein looks regal and well-built, but below the surface that could not be less true. At any moment the city's construction may be its undoing, and that carries an emotional heft just in the lines and buildings. The image has a tension of being temporal, by looking ancient and by looking frail. Still, if you're not into the search for deeper meanings, I can't think of many pieces that use the shirt canvas more perfectly, anchoring the design to the chest area, but filling the area artfully... I love how it flows from the chest to shoulder, with the bottom seam anchor sparse enough not to distract. The linework itself could be an illustration from an old history book. And the pops of red in the flags are perfect highlights. This is the sort of thing which, at any given time, is always on the cusp of being ignored and not printing. It's art because it can be. It's understated despite all the detail and size. And that seems to get lost in the shuffle. It's heartening to see an example of the opposite.

Intense in Tents

They say good things come to those who wait. I'm not a believer. Patience is a virtue because the virtueless want a monopoly on getting what they want. But every now and then, something good does finally pan out. And this week, after waiting a year, it is one of those times.

Blog favorite GinetteGinette gets a long overdue second print over at Threadless this week, and it is everything I could hope it to be and more. Please marvel at the wonder which is Tipi Man. They did the piece proud: the big, simple main graphic is appropriately huge, and given Threadless' printing quality, the likelihood is that even at this size, it'll still be soft instead of stiff. There's a charm in the odd little tipi character, and a shiftiness in its eyes that is intriguing. The real payoff, though, is how the simple graphic plays with the ornate background. It's like salty and sweet... the big graphic makes the belt printed flora seem far less overpowering, while all that detail allows the simplicity of the tipi to sit attractively without seeming one note or clunky. It's really smart design, and totally worth the wait... if Threadless' recent propensity for over-reprinted reprints and sell-out panderprints has finally opened the door for them to take risks on truly deserving oddities (and the overall quality this week coupled with yet another huge scoring "oh look pop culture things as real animals" print implies it might), I -might- start getting behind this whole generification of graphic art. There are lots of tees that have been overlooked out there, and while it's great to see one of my favorites finally get what it deserves, there's a long long way to go. A year is a damn long time to wait.

Charitee

If you haven't heard about the massive oil geyser in the Gulf of Mexico yet, you're probably living under a rock. If you're not concerned about it, you probably should remain there, or else allow someone to create such a home for you under a particularly heavy boulder. It's a tragedy which should really strike a chord as to the importance of moving on from our oil reliance, and ceasing being more concerned with owning guns and oppressing minorities than fighting for our environment. But if you're like me, you're nowhere near the Gulf, or don't know who to trust to donate time or money to. For those of you who can, donating directly will be the best option, but for the rest of us, take opportunities as they present themselves. As tee lovers, it is worth considering Threadless' new design "PeliCAN," all proceeds from which will be going toward helping the situation in the Gulf. It is a small step that can tally up to a big difference: this isn't the first tee Threadless has created for a charity effort, and the community is large enough that it can build a huge donation out of many small donations. Of course, 'round here, the biggest thing is creating a wearable, awesome design, but this doesn't skimp on art for the sake of message: the black and white combo is classy and classic, and the image is powerful and simple, while also highlighting some excellent execution on the oil. You get an awesome shirt to make people think a little harder about the world around them, and just buying it donates actual green to the green movement, not just awareness. If all charity was this easy, we'd have way fewer problems. It doesn't hurt, of course, that the Threadless summer sale is still going on for a few more hours, but with great art benefiting a vital cause, this is worth the buy at full price.

Gilt-y Pleasures (and Gilt-less Options)

When you're already Threadless, you don't really need to do anything for people in the tee world to talk about you. You're already the industry leader, already one of the most consistent sites out there, already known for both your quality and your work ethic. So what's left to do? How about turn the graphic tee contest into high fashion?

That's basically the end result of Threadless' current collaboration with the Gilt Group, some high-end salemongers who appear to be dedicated to getting people in ludicrously expensive, high fashion clothing for an only silly-expensive pricetag. I can respect that, even if I'm simply not fashionista enough to implement the site frequently. And the Threadless tees, while definitely on the steep side at $29, considering their normal cost, definitely are decked out to make the blow less painful. The tees are tri-blends, which basically guarantees them to feel like awesomeness, and the graphics seem super soft and "vintaged." I'm personally eying "Such a Great Height," a tee I love but simply don't wear very often because of it's ink-heavy printing, but other remixes are looking killer also ("Lions are Smarter Than I Am" gets a particularly royal treatment). Anyway, you're gonna have to sign up soon, as these limited editions are only on sale until May 6 at midnight. It's invitation only, but you'll be able to find one pretty much anywhere with this sale going on, even peppered throughout this paragraph here.

For the rest of us who don't need no stinkin' elite invitation only club, thankfully Threadless has been printing some really wonderful tees at the main site in the last two weeks. My fav is far and away featured to the left: Adam White's "Mellow Yellow." I have no clue what the title refers to, unless it wishes to revel in the dental hygiene of these disembodied mouths (which is kinda nasty), but as a pretty big fan of the soda, and a fan of, if not mad about, saffron, I'm down anyway. It's hard not to, of course... this is a big, colorful print that makes one really believe in art meaning something still. It's eye-catching and bold in every way... you can't make something this out-there without being bold, and as my regular readers probably have seen in action, the average tee-buyer is about as likely to take a risk on something this creative as they are to eat a grenade sandwich. Still, this is the sort of print that makes reviewing things at all worth it. It's a unique experience, and keeps one's faith up that there is still a market for creativity. Art should be inspiring, and it should seize your imagination. If this doesn't at least do the latter, I shudder to think what you're imagining. Though I guess if you imagine these demonmouths regularly, I'd shudder a bit at that too. Fair is fair.

With Threadless slowly phasing out new Selects (yes, I'm very sad about this too) one can only hope they will be replaced by more chosen contest winners like this. The last two weeks have shown definite promise in that arena, and make me very excited for a continued trend. If we could also see some promise in the "not printing any more star wars or three wolf moon tees" department, the would would be a magical place once again.

Dual Updates - They're "Da Bomb"

This week has been a bit of a busy one, and I've been unable to make good blogging time except for the most important and time-sensitive of posts. As such, astute and seasoned readers may well have believed me to have forgotten a pair of required updates. Rest assured, I have not, and it was only a matter of time that I would make it to them. Specifically, now.

Our dual-update comes courtesy of Threadless, which is one of my favorite places to update from, since it is not subject to the brief lifespans that so many other sites have. Though in these cases, we may be seeing some artificially created limited-time runs. Boom Box, for example, is already selling quickly. It's not too surprising why: from a pure popularity standpoint, anything with anything Mario on it will sell well. The populace is unable to appreciate anything unfamiliar. But we've already gone over this: the piece is far more than its reference, and is a model for how to work with a reference and still create something original and artful. Alexmdc sells himself here, where most people just sell a popular product and reap the rewards. Not only is the art itself skillful and slick, but everything works together. The bomb with the boom box makes sense. The sheer 80s glory in every element works perfectly (consider the high-tops, the boom box, the Say Anything pose). The colors are brilliant (I'd buy almost anything on this shirt blank). It is a complete concept. A "lesser" character from a popular universe is used here, meaning it was selected for its appropriateness in the concept, not for its saleability, as well as making it far more wearable to the uninitiated viewer. This is more than just a gaming shirt, and that's why it works so well.

In stark contrast, we see joaolauro's
"The Cat Who Mistook His Wife (and the Kids, and the Furniture and Even the Parrot) for a Hat." While the title is its own reference, classic psychology texts don't often reap the same rewards as pop culture. It's further hindered by a lilac blank: I'd argue it looks hot as hell, but I'm sure plenty of people will be tentative anyway. And while cuteness is always a good sales mechanism, the sheer oddness of this piece makes it less apt to be effective: if people love the familiar, the odd is far too difficult for them to even try and appreciate. It seems Threadless knows this, as it seems to be a bit less stocked than the average tee would debut at, but the smaller stock will likely mean a speedy depletion as well. The elements that make this a harder sell for the sheep will almost certainly make it a must own for others, and considering the spring sale looming ahead of us sometime in the coming month or so, it could be a smart investment to grab one now now now anyway. It's certainly worth it: the concept is pretty hilarious and adorable all in one, and the style is no less charming. It's an overall great tee and in many ways very unique among the masses, so if you're interested, I'd definitely keep tabs on it just as closely as the far more populist Boom Box.

Personal Space

Threadless has done a very wise thing in showing us, the Contest Watching Public, a new coup this week. "...Well, I'm Just as Confused as You Are," a Biotwist piece made of awesomeness, is among the new selections. It's amusing, well executed, and purple. I presume all of you will be on board for at least one of those reasons.

One thing I like here, besides the strong "WTF" moment of the concept, is how otherwise natural everything would be without the other helmet-man. The diver's shrug is more pronounced, but you can get the feeling of his sinking to the ocean floor while its buoyancy is lifting his limbs, and the astronaut may be pointing, but it seems a natural "I'm floating in freakin' outer space" gesture. They're surprised by the meeting, but otherwise nonchalant about it. It's a great little detail that makes a great little tee greater.

Ritornare

It's been way too long, guys. Hope you didn't miss me too badly, but I've had other things to take care of, like "relaxing," "seeing friends," and "being generally unreliable." While I love y'all and my duties as this here blog's headmaster, I enjoyed every second of it. Deal.

We do have a bunch of awesome to come this year, though. In the near future, we'll begin a series of "resolution" posts... 'tis the season, and we always think the big boys could use a little help. As for the "little guys," we're going to try and "resolve" to make a more concerted effort to cover the smaller sites. We're a big fan of what they do, but it's sometimes hard to find the real gems (especially being that I'm not really huge on "branding"... make me some wearable art, but I probably don't want your name on my chest). And of course, there are some secrets in the pipeline... there are a couple updates I'm excited to tell you about when they come through, and hey, isn't it about time for another contest?

Let's get immediate, though: we're out of the woods on the big holiday sale season, which means a lot of sites are getting back to printing new tees. For Threadless, of course, the end of sale time generally signals fewer prints per week (I've always loved how they're one of the few to embrace the idea that a sale works best and motivates most with new product), but they've made up for less product by offering the awesome Spaghetti Western, a former Contest Watch entry from Laser Bread. This looks pretty much amazing, from its simple, iconic graphic to it's subtle yet classic punchline, and not to mention colors to ensnare an Adder's heart at first sight. We're hoping this is a great sign of things to come for Threadless this year, because there are a whole bucketload of great tees to release, and we can't wait to see it happen. We will, of course, be sure to keep you updated as we go. We are all about the rare occasions when quality is rewarded.

Tee-Cember: Here We Come A-War Sailing

There's a distinct satisfaction in the tee I present to you today. It is, of course, awesome, or I wouldn't be bringing it to you at all. It is a tee I've lusted after for a while and finally get to own. It is incredibly skillfully executed, with a vintage feel and style and a one-color sepia-tone palette. But most importantly, Battle of the Ironclads II is a survivor.

Like Travis Gentry's "All Dinosaurs Go To Heaven" before it, Robbie Lee's second print at Threadless is most remarkable for being a shirt.woot outcast from a woot-born tee designer. This is big news for me because I'm a huge proponent of the best of woot's designers succeeding elsewhere. Seeing a design like this take the prize at the top tee site out there, where the best of the best congregate, proves that top-notch work is coming from woot every week... it's just not printing there. It's my sincere hope that we start seeing even more of this sort of thing in the new year... there are a number of designers who truly deserve a shield, and each has numerous designs worth printing. What better time than the present?

Speaking of presents, this is, of course, the last full week of Threadless Saletime, and this week's deal ($10 tees across the board) is pretty hard to deny. This one, of course, counts, and there's still time enough to get it in the mail by Christmas for your favorite history or robot buff.

Tee-Cember: Crazy $9 Threadless Madness (Again)[And Sale pt. 3)

Note: since our original post, Threadless has shifted to a great bulk deal... any order over $50 has an extra percentage off (up to 20% for orders over $100), so if you've got any bulk orders that you've been waffling on, now would be a great time.

I shouldn't have to say this more than once, so here goes:

HOLY CRAP ANOTHER $9 T-SHIRT DAY AT THREADLESS!

There. I'm sure you've got the point, right? So until 11AM, EST, tomorrow, Threadless will be selling all its shirts for $9. Sort of like on Black Friday, only it's, er, White Monday? At least it looks like that from my window. So whether they're trying to rake in as little profit per shirt as possible to prove that business is about quality of product, not necessarily how much money you make, or just trying to make sure all the shirts I want sell out, if you missed them last time, or need more, now is the time.

The best part about sales like this is that ALL tees are $9, even new ones, and this week (not to mention last one) there are some mega scorers printing, such as the charming Why Is An Owl Smart by ilovedoodle. It's a very tasteful graphic with an adorable character and an appealing concept (not to mention some excellent use of negative space). The whole catalog is, of course, worth perusing, but it is certainly an excellent place to start for so cheap.

Tee-Cember: Threadless Teas (Sale pt. 2)

For reasons I cannot even pretend to understand, Threadless is spacing their new releases out this week. Six came Monday, and six more (three new, three reprints) came today. Our sources state that there are still more new and reprinted tees to come, but the best of them came this round, with gumbolimbo's "Stop! Tea Time!" These proper English gentlemen charm through this fun graphic oddity, which for me cannot be unlinked from "Stop! Hammertime!" And really, that makes for a shirt you can't touch in and of itself. The style of the characters and the always fun mint blank, however, help step it up to being 2 legit 2 quit.

Threadless, of course, is in the midst of their holiday sale, and this week they've upped the ante. Not only are all tees $12, but they're offering free shipping on all orders over $50. They're promising new perks every week, but with stocks dwindling after Friday's huge discounts, we cannot do better than advise you repeatedly: buy in stages. You don't want to miss out on some super savings, but you also don't want to miss out on the tees you want.

Prelude to Tee-Cember: Threadless Holiday Sale pt. 1

Like sands through the hourglass, so too are the days of our tees, and once again we're fast approaching the holiday season. We're planning another Tee-cember celebration this year, with daily posts on some of the places we don't get to touch on as often, the latest and greatest sales and print updates, and of course, our insanely awesome (don't laugh, they are) weekly updates. We hope you will not miss it, because we hate wasting our breath if you're gonna be ingrates about it.

First off, though, Threadless has sneaked in with their annual holiday sale a week early. Like last year, there seems to be a theme of increasing and changing bargains, so as always with their sales, we at SingulariTee suggest getting the essentials now, and checking back weekly, to get the best combination of deals without having your favorites sell out on you. The starting deal is certainly solid enough: $12 tees. Everything in the catalog, that is, so we're talking half-price selects especially. Personally, I wish the first sale roll-out was stronger, but it came with a personal present: polynothing's Attack of Literacy, reprinted and ready to buy. This is majorly on my list, so I'm excited to get a chance. It's the pulp feel, largely... it takes the zombie apocalypse feel and makes it, er, literate. Half the fun is mulling over who is participating in this attack... Shakespeare and Poe are well represented right up front, but I've been slowly mulling over the other antagonists since I saw it print originally. We like to think that if you're a frequent reader, you probably also are the ideal audience for a shirt about literacy, or know someone for whom this would be a perfect gift. We like to think lots of crazy things over here. Definitely the pick of the week here, though, both for my own chest and for your future gift giving.

Travelling Without Moving

Today, for one day only, Threadless is slashing shipping. And by slashing, I mean there is none. For anyone. So if you happen to be in England, or Mexico, or New Zealand, or Mars (presuming they ship to Mars), your shipping is just as free as ours here in the states. It's from now til Tuesday, 11am Eastern (that's like 3p GMT, for the rest of y'all to base off of), so now's a great time to make those small orders that you might otherwise have put off for too much shipping.

Since it's all about Travel at Threadless today, how about checking out last week's brilliant "Void" while you're there? This band-it piece is simply brilliant in execution and concept, and truly makes for a striking double-sided piece. The stark black-on-white color scheme really reflects the infinite nature of space, as well as its mysteries, and the nice big print shines in such a simple palette. It's an iconic image of seeking out the unknown, made doubly wonderful with the back-print that conveys the infinite, magical nature of space by portraying the void as so easy to traverse. Definitely a great buy, and an appropriate one for today's promo.

Trick or Trick

Oh what a week for Threadless... with no less than four awesome tees making their way immediately into my cart, it's easy enough to call this one of their best weeks ever. We may end up saying more about more of them later, but for now, let us focus on a former star of film, screen and contest watch.

Cruel Joke garners tenso his alumni shield, and a deserving win it is from a guy that seems to be chock full of puns and non sequitors. It's a totally Threadless joke tee... any good one should have a solid punchline and a style that doesn't distract from that joke. This one delivers with a little dark humor, with a simple but attractive style that has wide appeal. It would feel at home in a Far Side collection, with that crisp comic style and the personified slugs. To me, that means the nail has been hit on the head. If I had any critiques, it would be that the size is maybe a titch too big for the simplicity, but nevertheless, it's a soon-to-be classic from an account that I'd be shocked to not see often in Threadless' print schedule.

The Total Sum of Ancient Lizards Ascend to Our Lord

For this, the first week of our tenth month, heretofore known as October, let it be announced that Threadless, purveyor of cloth garments of the highest sort, shall be holding a vast discounting of their most classic wares. If thy tastes doth lean toward the vestments which have withstood the test of our times, perchance you will wish to purchase one for but $12. A mere pittance!

For those of you more enamored with the new ways, your eyes shall be pleased to direct to the bottom of Threadless' front page, where you shall be treated to wonders which you will truly marvel at. Namely, Sir Travis Gentry's tribute to the monstrous lizards of old, the Dino-Saurs. In All Dinosaurs Go To Heaven, this man of lines does magic two-fold. Firstly, he becomes the first woot-based designer to print not once, but twicely at Threadless. However, what could be even more the joyous occasion, this is verily the first fruit to come purely of that barren woot vine. It is a piece once up for print at woot's derby, and much as naught but weeds grows in its infertile soil, it is a matter of celebration to see such a seed of promise grow so tall in the fertile crescent of Threadless. It is proof that woot needn't be a place bereft of quality... to be sure, if you work to the standards of this gentleman, while you may not succeed at their fouled reservoir, your potential can blossom truly anywhere. For many, it may be more to their liking to carpetbag around where they can manipulate with their dastardly deeds, but, kind readers, we trust that you are wise enough to realize what is the higher calling. We congratulate Mr. Gentry for reaching that level.

Noodle No More

So, I am not going to lie, I find "Dinner is Ready" by jacopo to be one of the most charmingly weird fun shirts in the Threadless catalog. As I said long ago in a contest watch, it has this whole world laid out in this one scene... a bizarre, magical world, and one that you can imagine all the inner workings of bit by bit. I always like that in shirts... something so offbeat that it can't be anything but the designer's imagination, but so accessible that you're drawn in to make it familiar, instead of blocked out because you "don't get it". If you find that you don't get it too often, maybe you're the one missing something.

That all said, I feel that in retrospect, dumping pasta on your enemies might be the wrong way to go. Sure, you might scald a few, but once it lands, you've just given them a heaping pile of carbs, and regardless of the hype against them in recent years, we all know that carbs do give us energy. And I'd think that's the last thing we'd want to give our enemies. Possibly a bad call, viking-gnomes.

Dressed to the Nines

EDIT: AS OF EARLY 9/10, THIS PROMOTION IS STILL RUNNING! CHECK IT OUT BEFORE THEY PULL THE PLUG!

Hot tip: Threadless is celebrating the wonderful date of 9/9/09 with a presumably one-day sale of $9 tees. That's half price, guys. You can double your Threadless awesome. And surely everyone who's read this blog even infrequently knows Threadless tees are worth it, especially on sale.

My source is confident that ALL TEES will be on sale, which is amazingly convenient since this week there were no less than 5 stupendous new selections, two of which were past contest watch faves. For starters, we have Ivantobealone & Montro's collab, Wah Wah Wahhhhh, which is the ultimate Debbie Downer tee. I originally lauded it as better than Threadless' classic Spoilt, because simply put, the humor here is way more spot-on. This is hefty cynicism at its finest, while Spoilt is more about being a dick for the sake of being a dick. This, instead, is all about the truth, even when it is tough to swallow, and disillusioning yourself from fantasy. Which can also be summed up as being a dick, but to a more noble end, I feel. Also, more importantly, this is universal. Everyone can relate to the "tough love" humor here, while the prior is really only meaningful if you're a movie fan. But more than anything it's style that wins the day. The bright colors and nostalgic whimsy of the illustration make for a suckerpunch when you finally check the shirt out.

On the other hand, there is the much moodier and darker colors of Song Bird by Quister. At first blush it amounts to nothing more than a visual pun, but the fact is, at first blush many wouldn't even catch that pun. The designer hides the elusive bird in a wonderful canopy border, with a deep jungle behind it, but more importantly he hides that musical element within the bird itself... it looks exotic and intentionally so, like so many quirky denizens of such areas, so the fact that it is built from a music note, the vehicle for a quick punchline, is really a "wow" moment instead of an "awwww" moment. It's too beautifully rendered for the weak pun to become a con.

While these won't be $9 forever, they certainly will be awesome (and if I recall correctly, they push the Contest Watch official tally over 50, so hurrah for that). I certainly recommend either... they look to have come out wonderfully. More's the luck if you can snag one while the price is cheap. The shindig should be starting at midnight central: that's about a half hour, guys. Get your game faces on.

Threadless Goes Back to School

We're perhaps a bit early for Threadless' normal "back to school" sale, by around a month, but nevertheless the site is bringing it to us for the next two weeks, until the 17th. Shirts are starting at $8, so it's definitely worth checking out, especially if you're rocking an unpopular shirt size. And as always, it's best to snag these things early... you never do know how fast something will sell out, especially if it's new to the sale racks.

One of the most exciting things about this sale is that, unlike many recent ones, Threadless has discounted EVERYTHING in the catalog. Which means you can even get brand new tees for a discount, like Ivejustquitsmoking's "Hoot! Night Owl!" It's really one of my favorite new shirts, surprising when I'm neither a huge coffee drinker nor a big fan of photo-collage work. Still, this is just so spot-on and creative. Besides the fact that many people find it hardest to "quit smoking" when they're having coffee, there are a number of other great connections of content... the cups with the beans, bringing the coffee pretty much from beginning to end of its brewing journey... but also and more importantly the idea that a nocturnal creature like an owl might need that extra kick of energy like we humans do, and juxtaposing that image with our own alertness salvation. The colors and shape work brilliantly and super-attractively together. And really, I'm simply impressed with the textures and shape. I don't know how the designer put this together... whether he created the image from a bag of coffee beans and some of his own cups, and photographed the end result, or if he built the whole piece from bean photos and some stock cups, but whatever the case, the end result looks authentic and you can tell that there was a lot of time spent executing this so perfectly, along with the great concept to go with it. It leads to a photo-real piece that used the technique without looking like a gimmick. To me, this one is a must buy. So must-buy it before it sells out.

Past Glories

We at Singularitee aren't particularly enthralled with this week's selections from Threadless (The Select curations especially are a special kind of let-down). It's always a bit sad, since we like to laud the new as soon as we find it. Thankfully, though, last week was a near goldmine that we were unable to explore due to other obligations, and one of the most valuable treasures Threadless dug up was The Composition, from the clinically under-printed NiNTH WHEEL. It's the sort of invention probably every musician wishes was real, a keyboard which works as a typewriter. As such it evokes just as much of an "if only" feeling as it does a smile or even a laugh. The illustration is skillful, and pretty true to what an old typewriter would look like, and the colors work brilliantly (even the ever-hated heather gray is a stellar choice), but the concept is really the heart. It's the sort of juxtaposition that makes Threadless more than just a t-shirt purveyor, but also an art gallery and an institution of creativity... it's a combination that goes great together but requires a creative mind to bring it about. May Threadless never forget what makes them more than just a clothing shop.