Two Dinosaurs Caught in a Chinese Finger Trap by Justin White (jublin) is my pick for shirt of the week because, well, just look at it. This rules! The concept is inherently funny, alleging a new cause for extinction that capitalizes on the odd, tiny hands of a T-Rex. But what won me over completely is the character so effortlessly conveyed- instead of the blank, superior gaze most dino drawings put forth, these reptiles are scared and embarrassed from head to toe. There's even some great texturing, adding personality and dimension. One of the most well-done shirts I've seen recently.
Yes, Yes, Yes, Yes by Jim Unwin is the first of this week's Selects. There's a kind of raw, unfettered enthusiasm here that appeals to me. And I have to say, as much as the reality of the situation might suck, I think that bold YES would be my internal first reaction to seeing a towering robot coming my way. For a minute at least, it would be pretty damn awesome. I have to say, though, that while I like the art I can't imagine paying $25 for it. Most other tees at this price point have some kind of added value (printing process, limited edition, etc) that make it worth that. Here, even the artwork itself is pretty simplified, making it difficult for me to assign it a higher worth.
Yes by Pinky is this week's second Select. It's a complex piece, but the reliance on geometry unites the elements and prevents it from feeling too busy. The color choices make it feel like a hot summer day, packed with travel and excitement. Overall a very cool, unique-looking piece and a welcome addition to the existing Threadless catalog. But I am a bit disappointed with the length of the design- it feels short on the long Threadless tee.
Sea Beard by David Fleck (Fleck) is like Poseidon come to life, with all of the ocean flowing from his beard. The transition from beard to wild, stylized waves is well-done, and I like that the chaos of the water is reflected in his wind-whipped hair. I think they've also nailed the print on this one, which is large enough to carry the overwhelming concept. I'm thinking sailors and other fans of the water will definitely enjoy this piece.
Up the Down Escalator by Randy Aquilizan (ir0cko) stands out for its use of photography, something not seen often at Threadless. It's certainly a style they could stand to do more of, and I think it's fair to say that as the full-color, heavily illustrated tees that often dominate lately continue to win, people will look to work like this as an alternative. What I'm not quite getting is this photo itself- it doesn't feel like a great fit for the medium to me, largely because I can't imagine wanting to wear something that pretty clearly looks like an escalator. Maybe if the perspective was more extreme I'd have a different opinion. So this one's not for me, though I wouldn't mind seeing more work in this vein.
JOB by Chow Hon Lam (Flying Mouse 365) is another gem this week, doing what Threadless is best known for (those famous pop culture mashups and that clean, vectored style), but it's done with such skill and humor that it still somehow feels fresh. The idea is funny, taking a crack at the ridiculousness of the Bat Signal (what, did the police chief cut out a stencil?). The attention to detail is a big plus, using a more organic shading on the bat than the spotlight, which helps to make the little guy feel like a character worthy of sympathy. Solid work, with appeal that goes beyond just comic book fans.
LOL by Amy Midkiff and Eric Fan (Kookaberry) takes advantage of the hyena's reputation for a cackling call with the seriousness of their reality as a dangerous animal. It's like a lolcat for a more threatening brand of beast. The sketchy, realistic style is a nice contrast with the type balloon. But I have to say, I am really bummed out that the print is small and centered on the chest- in voting, it was a huge sideprint that helped to give the animal even more of an imposing look. After seeing that version, this feels much cheaper.
10 out of 10 people agree: We all agree by David Staffell is, as slogans go, pretty strong. It pokes fun at the unlikelyhood of any poll ever reaching that number, and the usually trivial topics people have weighed in on. The type treatment and icons are definitely appropriate and will appeal to the trivia crowd. In general, though, it feels kind of bland and lacking that specialness that I expect from Threadless shirts.
Electric Sky by AJ Dimarucot (the110) is the rare shirt that I think actually suffers from having too large a print. Let me explain- blown up huge on the shirt, the design becomes about stripes of color. To me, that's not the strength of the shirt- the strength is that those stripes are the sky. With the massive print, the trees get lost low on the shirt and feel like an afterthought. Compare that to the much more successful hoodie print, which gives enough black above and below the stripes to give them context. With more white space, the stripes tell a story. But without, it just feels like a really loud shirt without much purpose.
Put your best foot forward... by Phillip Poindexter is, to me, an example of a slogan shirt where the style is what makes it really work. It really nails classic cartoon style, and the transformation from letters to legs is both in keeping with the style of the times and something that creates a nice link between the text and graphics. Definitely more appealing and wearable than the bulk of Type Tees, even though I'm not particularly digging the specific phrase.
Threadless prints new shirts every week, chosen from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Winners get $2000 cash and $500 in Threadless credit, with the possibility to earn more through Bestee awards, poster prints, and reprints.
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Thursday, April 30
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