Woot Double-Take Update

So in the long long ago, I insisted I would be updating y'all with the results of the shirt.woot do-over derby. I was pleased overall: here's what unfolded



While first place went to the expected bunk, second and third place were both solid prints. Second place winner methepainter brought us "Night Job," which is peaceful and artful and HOLY CRAP IS THAT DUDE STANDING ON A GIRAFFE??? I think that's the part I most enjoy here, is the idea that this guy, in order to paint the moon, had to find a massive giraffe to stand upon. A sea giraffe no less, it appears. It's the sort of bizarre that I love. And speaking of loving the bizarre, geekfactor12 snagged third with the utterly ridiculous "Dinosaurs Who Are Communist For Some Reason." The title alone should be enough to urge a purchase, but the subtle tones and offbeat humor are also prime reasons to snag one.

My personal pick of the litter during the ECs is artulo's "Thrifty Fill-Up," a piece I predicted would get printed in my preview and one I've loved since its original derby. The blithe look of maniacal glee on the bottle's face is priceless on this one, and while I may be alone on this, I think the red is quite nice against the creme. This is officially update 17 for loyal contest-watchers, so grab it while you can if you're collecting.



Also showing merit: fellow Editor's Choice picks like dirtdirt's "Gluttony: Thy Name is Pete," which has a pretty decent name too, all things considered, but the real charm is in the wholly unrealistic look of the fat cat, as well as the speech bubbles rattling off his list of snacks. It proves that cute can still be done in a unique way. And while Pete circumvents woot's "cute" cliché with personal charm, another cliché is averted in Drakxxx's "Battle Fungale." It revels in the popularity and nostalgia of video game shirts, but it brings a high level of artistic prowess into the mix... the scene looks like a classical sculpture, something one might see as the centerpiece of a fountain in Rome, or in the middle of a Florentine piazza. Elements from the game abound, and are worked in so they fit the scene, but more importantly to the wearer and the appreciator of art, there appears to be a lot of negative space showing through, which should assuage any worries regarding the size of the print.

All in all, enough good stuff came of the week that it almost makes up for what has been a rather disappointing year so far over at woot. We can only hope there is more in this vein ahead. As always, though, if there's something here that strikes your fancy, buy it now. The vast majority of these shirts could very well be gone as soon as next Monday, so don't hesitate too long on them. Woot shirts are a short-lived breed, and the good ones doubly so.

Holy Fuck I'm On The Awesomer

The Awesomer. It's purpose speaks for itself: to be a record for all things awesome. I've garnered a hit or two from it before, but had a handful of them just recently that made me a bit confused, so I looked in deeper. And, er, holy fuck.

See, I had this little shirt printed at LoiterInk a while ago. I'm proud of it... happy it printed and excited to see it firsthand when I pick one up for myself... but I didn't feel it was my business to promote so heavily on my own blog. And then the fucking Awesomer decided to do it for me. Show offs. I find this pretty epicly awesome, and I wanted to thank the fine people at Awesomer enterprises for finding me awesome, as well as frequent blog follower Jaden Kale for apparently tipping them off. I'm a bit blown away, and I hope any new readers enjoy their stay and continue coming back... I promise it can only get better. I knew I should have updated earlier this weekend.

More to come shortly.

Contest Watch: Week of February 5

This week was epically difficult to narrow down... Threadless alone could have doubled the length of this post... but in the end, we must be editors always. Here's what would have pained me too much to pare off.

We start at Design By Humans this week, who have unveiled a new layout. I am ever resistant to change, but at least they have added some very useful features... a forum, for starters, as well as a ton of reprints and, best of all for me, a more user-friendly vote interface. It's therefore only fitting that they should be our headliner... and what a bang they do start off with. Above, you see Rhanga, a collaborative effort between design powerhouse Jimiyo and Chris Parks. I see pure Jimi, though, with the smooth vector lines and skillful detail one expects of his work. But the killer here is the color. The golds and reds and whites are as mystifying against the black shirt and each other as the Balinese mythology the image is based on. It totally evokes that east-Asian imagery and brings out that exotic beauty... a creepy beauty, but beauty nonetheless.

As I said above, Threadless this week kicked my ass... but one of the ones I could not pass up was RecycledWax's Original Sin. I'm a big proponent of the idea of natural lines... something that looks organic other than digital... but RW is a total pro at using those smooth, rounded vector lines to his advantage. This particular piece is a take-off on the Adam and Eve story, but the touches make it much more devious. Eve is blank-faced, emotionless, offering out the apple as if she knows exactly what happens next. It's not surprising she might seem so hypnotized, as there are eight snakes to the expected one. The best curveball, though, is that the snakes actually make up the tree, giving it a much more ominous feel. The whole piece has a soulless feel to it, which is a compliment for this... it really hammers home the darker aspects of the story. It gives off that brilliant creepyness that the girls in The Shining do. Also, the snake is the incarnation of the devil, and really, the devil should be soulless.

Shirt.woot's heartbreak theme, otherwise known as "Derby 81: Crap," actually had a handful of gems hidden beneath the plaintive cute critters and the, well, scads of literal takes on the topic. The one most worthy of mention, Drakxxx's Hi Ho Heartbreak, isn't even safe... admittedly, it is one of the worst shirt titles ever. Thankfully, though, we do not wear shirt titles, because the art here is, as usual, top notch. The "broken heart" is not shattered, but simply malfunctioning, making the concept already head and shoulders above everything else. Making the heart have a steampunk flair really makes the piece more visually interesting. But besides the literal aspects, the robots themselves are heartbreaking. They're little more than drones, slaves to the upkeep of a constantly breaking heart, and their faces betray... nothing. They're empty. And that makes the design itself heartbreaking.

Despite having a lot of great work to look through, my favorite by a mile was a Threadless piece: Vortices, by josephwilliam. I love everything about it... the bold color contrasts (one of my favorite combos, no less) make it a likely buy alone, but the style of the deer/antelope is equally attractive. I enjoy the grasslike shoots at its feet, and praise the skeletal structure drawn out behind the textures of the creature's hide. The white is more contrast, and the idea itself adds a lot of offbeat flair to the piece. While I'm not normally a fan of huge geometric expanses of ink, the triangle here is positioned in such a way that the animal escaping it fills a good enough portion to evoke jumping out of the void. The fade where the void and beast meet is just one more detail I find praiseworthy. As a whole, it's just one big, bold piece... brazenly and shamelessly artistic, powerful without having any solid objective, and perfect for the medium. I can picture this as a tour shirt for the latest indie band, most likely something akin to Pretty Girls Make Graves. But I don't want a band shirt. I want it as it stands, and God do I hope some shirt company picks it up, because this may well be my favorite shirt in a long damn time.

DBH has the daunting task of trying to outdo that kind of praise, and it simply is not going to measure up. Still, there is something undeniably magical about Aquarush, by AlexBeltechi. The soft colors in soft-focus meld together fluidly and work together skillfully against the intricately illustrated oceanic oddities crawling throughout the shirt. I'm a big believer in execution taking simple concepts into the stratosphere, and much like his recent DBH print took the tired tree and did something big with it, this does the same for the oft-utilized sea life it portrays. This will be a perfect summer shirt, and I have to hope DBH takes the reins and makes it so.

So that's that. I wish the pieces I had to pass up all the luck in the world... I still love ya, guys! Check back here next week, when hopefully such difficult decisions won't need to be made.

Why I Otter...

With a week of unexpected bigness, such as this one, I'm glad to be able to squeeze in some smaller peeps as well. To me, it makes a big week even bigger... biggerer? Biggerest? Regardless, for those unfamiliar, I'd love to introduce you to Rethink Clothing.

Rethink is a site I quite respect the concept of. The main point of intrigue that sets it apart: it's dedicated to college artists. I can see nothing wrong with that... what demographic is more likely to need the extra funds? They've got a fair payout (with potential for growth) , and a fresh outlook... even if you're not sold on the "Rethink" part of the brand, keeping prints college-based means plenty of potential for pieces that bring a youthful mindset into the game, along with the boundary-pushing aesthetics that the new blood tends to bring to its art movements.

Problem was, while I really liked their promise, both in ideology and in their catalog, I wanted something to really hit me before I brought them to you guys. It perhaps says something about me that I found that in their latest print, Otter-tude. The design is brought to us by Sam Larson, who clearly knows how to make the otherwise adorable bad-ass. This otter will headbutt you without thinking twice, and has the helmet to prove it. He smokes cigars in front of the Surgeon General, BECAUSE HE CAN! This simply wriggles into that niche of complete offbeat work that is difficult for me to say no to. The colors are a bit trippy, which is actually a positive given the image, and while I'm usually tepid on photo-collage work, I enjoy this because of what the final product creates. It's well-arranged, and brings the man-about-town by day/tough guy by night otter to life. This could be the print that puts the spurs to Rethink's success, and from what I've seen since they first came on my radar, they're only getting better. Grab one of these, confuse your friends, and be able to say "I bought from those guys when they were tiny."

Teefurious Updates

MJ is a bastard.

I say this because I've already got two update posts this week, with another I'm sitting on for Friday, and she goes and curates "Roundup," by Travis Gentry (tgentry to you wooters, TGWA if you recall it from Threadless) for tonight's teefury. I feel like I blogged on this eons ago, so I'm not gonna waste time finding it, but it's simply one of my favorite humor concept pieces... the art is well rendered, and the concept makes me laugh every time. But I already had a blog planned for today, and now I have to do two. Even if this one is a quickie. Bastard. But hey, update 16. Can't complain too much there!

As with all teefury shirts, we may see this one again somewhere else, but not at this price. We'll keep you updated if it finds another home, either at another print shop (hopefully) or elsewhere. For now, though, scoop this up in the next 23.5 hours... you may never get the chance again.

War of the Words

It was last November when shirt.woot's last Editor's Choice prints occurred. At the time, I had selected four pieces that I felt should print that week, as I did Thursday for the Editor's Choices going on there now. These were the shirts I felt had to print, whether I had talked them up before or not. Half have printed since then. Today, we see the third.

It is, in many ways, very appropriate to see EdgarRMcHerly's Fiction vs. Nonfiction finally available for purchase this week, while woot provides us a fourth installment of the Editor's choices that passed it up last time. Cameesa is the lucky purveyor... having been fully supported a while back, they are now ready to sell the piece to the world. At the time of its first mention, I'd given it only a cursory review, but it's definitely worth praising the shirt further now. The designer captured the peaceful fantasy fiction can provide, as well as the matter-of-fact seriousness of much non-fiction. The details and linework have as much character as the books' content, but my favorite part is the very subtle, possibly unintentional commentary. I see a war on imagination here, despite both factions being books. Perhaps the artist wants our minds to expand, instead of staying so serious. Perhaps we shouldn't let the very real worries of the non-fiction life overpower our ability to escape and create and utilize our mind. Whatever the case, I think this is a shirt that will make its wearers very happy when they get it in their mailbox. Now, to get that slacker Damiendone printed, and all four of that derby's picks will have found homes.

Since Cameesa is not really a "contest," I don't talk up my favorite contenders in my normal contest watch. While most contests ask for only a vote, Cameesa prints all shirts which get "fully supported." This means that you need to plunk down $20 to "vote," but it also means that if 24 other people are willing to do the same, the shirt is guaranteed to print, and you get a copy before anyone else. There's no risk... if you really want the $20 back and the shirt you want isn't printing, you can get it back. You can even vote on multiple shirts on the same $20... you'll get the first one that is fully supported, but the others will then lose your original support. I've got a couple shirts I particularly would like to see succeed, so while you're checking out Edgar's shirt, throwing a little love behind Coq Music, Color Bleeding, or Momento (by monsieur-pimpant, againstbound and kooky-love respectively) would make me a very happy shirt supporter.

14: The Update of Unlikability

Big things at Threadless this week. For starters, a massive girly tee sale... "Sweet Tees 4 Sweeties," the tag line reads, and the presumption here is that it's therefore a Valentine's Day sale. If you have a "sweetie," or if you ARE a "sweetie," this week is an excellent time to pick up shirts during your own special sale.

Now, us guys could be a bit miffed... I mean, how long is the idea that we get nada for Valentine's Day going to be perpetuated? Thankfully, what we get is a crapload of awesome tees... including former Contest Watch denizen "Not Safe For Work" by WanderingBert. As I said at the time, the humor and characterization are what set this apart from the generic Threadless "list" tee. I can't wait to wear my own Wheely Chair of Woe.

Also of note this week: the first round of monthly Bestees. It's an incredibly hard choice, as there are some definite favorites last month, but objectively, I had to toss my vote to Valorandvellum's Seven Swans, and that's where I'd recommend you place yours if you're undecided. Because it is awesome. And just as awesome, you simply HAVE to check out this week's collection at The Select Series... half push the boundaries, half are simply fun, and all four are unique, as the selects should be. Take a look... I'd be surprised if you were disappointed.

Contest Watch Plus: Week of January 29

Hello again, and welcome to Contest Watch. Emergency exits are at the top right corner and at the bottom. If you're experiencing discomfort, please try a size larger. Button up, buckle in, and enjoy your flight.

We start off this week at Chimpogo, where littleclyde presents "High Tea, High Seas." One of the things I love about the smaller sites is that designs like this can stand out where they might not in a more competitive environment. I am unsure what keeps drawing me to pieces like this... there's clearly some unresolved love of the sea that I'll someday need to come to terms with, and since the waves will be made out of water, not some dude's beard or steam from a teacup, I fear I'll be eternally disappointed. Anyway, once again, the cascading lines of the sea/steam have lured me in, especially with the stark solid contrast of the ships, and the way the whole piece fills the shirt (as well as that rare excitement at the thought of a Kelly shirt I'd actually wear) wins me over as well.

Over at Threadless this week, we see that the sea is far less innocent than a cup of tea (not to mention less relaxing) to Roadkill3d. In a move that may-or-may-not make it past the Threadless print-censors, he offers up a racy design with an equally provocative title: The Kraken Feeds on Virgins. It's definitely a bit more adult than most Threadless fare, but then, if they've printed Dick Firestorm...

To review, however, there is so much elevating this from simply sexy to fully artistic. The colors, for example... the blue used for the virgins and the red of the kraken's arms contrast beautifully with the otherwise dark palette. The flow of all those arms and hair makes everything tie together. The octopus itself is virtually flawless, and the women aren't half bad either. The scene is so otherworldly and gothic that you can't help but take it in for the artistry it is. I understand how it's probably not everyone's cup of tea, and it certainly isn't a shirt you're going to throw on for Casual Friday or Sunday Dinner, but a print at Threadless would be one more indication of their position as on top of the shirt game, and a pass from them would hopefully lead to the designer checking DBH's prude meter as well. A design this courageous and stunning at the same time deserves the recognition somewhere.

Way less potentially controversial is Gentlemen by Jameses.x. It's got more of those wonderful lines, but more importantly it's got a totally charming overall style. These guys are two of the most stylish monsters ever, and they make quite a pair. The impeccably manicured but impossibly hairy baron is masterfully textured, but the other is why I love this so much... he's like an alien W.C. Fields with his multiple eyes and drink (and no discernable mouth, but I digress), and his cluster of eyes is simply wonderful to look at. It's my kind of adorable.

While I've often said that my sea-scape fascination puzzles me, it's nothing compared to my bemusement at two successive weeks of cat-related content. This week is a bit less straightforward and a good deal odder: Eight Legged Cats Have Cool Names, by Fat Pigeon. I'm not sure what sort of cool name they'd be given... the obvious joke here would be Octopussy, but can I put in a vote for Purrybdis? Hopefully that's the angle Mr. Pigeon intended, because Mr. Eight-Arms McFuzzypants is decidedly an uncool name. But while titles can convey so much, you just don't get to flaunt them on a shirt. You certainly can flaunt the lines, though, and this is all about them... the catbeast is made up of little else, to the point where any outline feels unintentional (especially given the total lack thereof in its head and body). More important are the thicker lines, like its legs, flowing out as if in water and inhabiting the shirt's torso. Likely even more vital is the line of the yarn ball, which is well done tangled, but really interweaves with the cat in a way that draws in the eyes, as well as one that any cat owner can recognize. It also, along with the eyes and (to a lesser extent) nose, creates a striking visual draw against an otherwise subtle palette.

Finally for our regularly scheduled programming, we're on to Design By Humans. Besides that big sale that's still going on, they've got a special contest running that teams up with Fleetwood Mac. Given that I'm no fan of their most iconic member, this is a pretty weak team-up to me, especially since I'm unsure whether DBH and Fleetwood Mac even have much of a concurrant fan base. I'm hoping to be able to find a pick worth talking up anyway, but for now I'm glad to have found Year of the Ox by archanN. It does what DBH does best... HUGE colorful prints? Check... the background looks all but hand painted and fills out the shirt beautifully. Wraparound printing? Certainly looks like it, and the "ribbons" around the shoulders unfurl in a way that makes that overlap work great. Art over concept? Most definitely. While the ox of the title is definitely distinct, and done with a festive, ethnic flair, this shirt is all about how the shirt looks. There's nothing to get, nothing to ponder... it's wearable art. I see arguments all the time about "not wanting to wear an art gallery." This is the sort of shirt that simply has no better canvas.

So there we have it for the regular watch, but why the plus? CW regulars may recall this feature the last time shirt.woot held a do-over derby. This time around is no different. Contest Watch has quite a few runners in this race... six to be exact (the other two shown below)... and a good number of other pieces that I'd love to see print as well. Below are my horses for the inevitable Editor's Choice week to follow this weekend's results... the ones I think have the best chance of showing up for sale: Artulo's "Thrifty Fill-Up," BootsBoots' "And His Head Swelled With Pride," Zenne's "Greedy Pirate," and tgentry's "The Beginning of the End." Honestly, though, there's a lot of stuff they could print that I'd be quite happy seeing and inevitably buying. Check back here for results before the new Contest Watch on Thursday, and through the week for potential updates.

Dawn & Blue Heavens

Design By Humans decided to have a rather solid sale last weekend, out of the blue. At the time I found out about it, I figured it was a weekend-only deal, and decided it was probably too late to post it here, but all signs state it will continue on throughout the week. It's a pretty arbitrary time to have such a solid sale, which is why I expected a quickie, but I'm certainly not going to object to an extension.

How solid are we talking? Well, if you want any of their new DBH "perfect" tees, it's incredibly weak, as not a single one is on sale. It gives me the feeling that the sale is less about "the humans," and more about "getting rid of old stock so we can reprint on our new shirts." That don't confront me none, because every one of those "imperfect" tees is discounted heavily: Every other tee is $12 or $15. This is akin to 40% off here, and that means it's a great time to finally get some of their specialty tees, which but rarely drop below the $19 mark, especially if you've been holding off because you were uncertain about how some of their specialty print methods will pan out. Shirts like Sonmi's "Daydream" are a perfect choice... an evocative piece that blends the feelings of night and day, perfect for any dreamer, and with subtle embroidered stars to give it an extra kick. It's definitely a sale worth trying to budget in.

13 and other lucky numbers

This week is Bestees week at Threadless, and there is a lot of quali-tay work coming out on it. For my money, Andyg's "Capistrano Spring Break" is the best of them all, and not just because it's the 13th CW entry to get printed. The bright and joyful colors are a home run, and it is a worthy addition to Andy's classic cartoonist style and adorably devious content. For more, check out the original review.

Also worth mentioning from the new crop: smusi's "I Am Shy But You Can Reach Me." Besides exhibiting one of Threadless' artists' lesser praised skills (turning out great titles), it is a beautiful, subtle and evocative piece. Deer and trees are perhaps tired
themes, but to me the execution here is what not only keeps this fresh, but makes it powerful enough that even its decidedly feminine touch doesn't keep me from being tempted to purchase it. A solid piece from a designer who's about as new to the site as one can get.

As for the Bestees themselves, the horse I picked for Design of the Year didn't win, but the winner was nevertheless fully worthy: Roadkill3d's "Red," yet another shirt we've discussed before. Again, it's the impeccable illustration that sells this first and foremost, but the clever noir twist on the classic story is enough to make even a late-in-the-year print like this one good enough to overtake over 300 other pieces. Very well deserved.

In fact, most of the rest of the awards were, if not spot-on, very well-chosen. Designer of the year was no contest, as was Newcomer of the year... both winners had an incredibly deserved lock on the titles. The Slogan and Select awards were given to unarguable quality. The only questionable call, to me, was the "Groundbreaking" design... I'm fairly unsure what prompted its print to begin with, though. The complete results are in the link above, but I'd like to make a specific note of their "Unprinted" winner, Jean_Warhol, elsewhere known as Warholbot. While I probably wouldn't have selected his "Un Deux" as his first Threadless print, the designer's distinct, often colorful and always thrillingly odd work has always struck me as so obviously Threadless that he wasn't even on my radar for the award... I simply kept forgetting he had never printed. Needless to say, a very well deserved "finally" print, and hopefully a stepping stone to seeing some of his best stuff make it to cloth as well.