
Boom Box by Alex Solis (alexmdc) stands out in a big way as the best of the week. This is a perfect bit of nostalgia, taking some of the greatest parts of the 80s and combining them into a glorious moment. We’ve got a Mario villain standing in the classic Say Anything pose, blasting beats on his boombox while wearing some sweet hightops. The boombox-bomb wordplay is just an added bonus. What’s especially neat is the colors- the gold pops nicely on turquoise, and sets the scene for the 80s well without being too over the top.


Fisherman’s Find by Esther Aarts (gumbolimbo) is so skillfully done that this piece is fun to just explore, relishing in the way each detail is rendered. I love the balance of the piece, with the weight of fish evened out with gleaming stars. There’s a gorgeous softness to the glow of the moon, which seems to reflect off the glass of the bottle. The fisherman is appealingly precise and geometric, with just enough detail to reveal a bit of character. It’s a triumph of technique. Of course, having said that, I have to admit that I don’t particularly care for the concept- the idea of the fisherman in a bottle seeing himself in a bottle and so on just isn’t particularly funny to me. It’s a testament to how well-executed this design is that I like it in spite of that!
The Cat Who Mistook His Wife (and the Kids, and the Furniture, and Even the Parrot) for a Hat by Joao Lauro Fonte (joaolauro) is pretty freaking cute. Loosely based on an Oliver Sacks title, it shows a gentlemanly sort of cat riding an old-fashioned bike while wearing his family (and most of his possessions) atop his hat. It’s a great idea, made even better by the softly worn style. While there are some areas that feel not quite resolved (the lowest cat on the hat and the mustache both could use some refinement), it’s still a tee I’d wear and buy. Charming and interesting.

Sir Rhyddcelot by Esther Aarts is this week’s Select, a gorgeous piece done up in sunset-like colors. The coat almost becomes the main character, a technicolor daydream coat of sorts that holds within it a landscape of homes, sea and sky. It’s day within the coat and night without, the scene capped off with a reading moon that reflects the habit of the coat’s owner. It definitely starts to tell a story, because you find yourself wondering who this guy is, and, uh, what his story is. Awesome stuff, and I love the strange angle of the protagonist.


In Real Life by Marika Mattila and Benjamin Berg (Akaka) imagines a family portrait for the modern era, with faces replaced by text smileys. It’s a slick idea with instant appeal, and some of the juxtapositions (like the mother figure with her grimace and tongue hanging out, and the confused puppy’s tilted head) make the concept even stronger. The style is a little too loose and cartoonish for my personal taste (I think something more detailed and realistic could have created a funnier contrast), but it’s still a solid piece.
Grandma’s Hot Air Balloon by Brent Schoepf (wowrainbows) is the kind of image that immediately evokes emotion. You can almost see the breath of the balloonist hanging in the air as it travels onward, an optimistic yet old-fashioned vehicle that brings color to the beautiful but bleak land below. It feels a bit like finding an unexpected postcard in your mailbox, a pleasant distraction from the junk mail and boring envelopes that just makes you smile. I’ll admit to being a bit annoyed by the repetition of the tree shapes, but in the end it’s a minor issue because the feeling of the design overpowers it.


The Official Guide to Music by Kris Howard (krishoward) is easily one of the cooler text-based designs I’ve seen, using the negative space formed by text to create a music note. The sheer number of styles used is impressive, even more so because they’re all unique and relate directly to the genre they’re representing. It’s skillful, but also a lot of fun. I’ll admit to finding the color choice a bit boring (I preferred the gold on black of the original submission), but it isn’t overly harmed by it. This is a classic-feeling shirt that any music lover would enjoy.
Stop Animal Testing! They Don’t Know the Answers! by Nestor G Gomez is this week’s TypeTee. While it’s not a new sentiment, this phrasing is probably the most compact and effective that I’ve seen. Visually, it capitalizes on the absurdity of the idea, with a chewed up pen and paw print magnifying the humor. It carries the feeling of frustration, a nice touch. Solid work, though nothing exceptional.
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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