Compete-tee-tion

Uneetee‘s Midnight Howl by Michael Mendoza is the site’s first new print after an extended Mystery Shirt sale, so it’s a little disappointing that it’s not more impressive. The style seems to be a mix of photo and photoshop brush, which is a tough thing to pull off well. And for me, this isn’t in the successful category. The tiny halftones look cheap, in large part because the dots are so light compared to the black shirt. The one thing I will credit the design with is it’s flow- I think it does a decent job of using the full dimensions of the printing area. One last gripe, though- what’s up with the price? In the past, Uneetee has been very consistent about having winning designs on sale for their first week. It feels odd to see a design debut at full price.

Winners at Uneetee earn $500.

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Uneetee‘s popular Mystery Shirt promotion is back and offering up one new design for $6, unseen by customers. If you like Uneetee’s house style, it might be worth a gamble! Bear in mind that there’s only one design, so if you order more than one you will get duplicates.

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Uneetee‘s latest winner is Raven by Arindra Prakoso. Bird shirts are generally a recipe for success, but unfortunately this one just isn’t working for me. Some of that may be timing- DBH released two raven-themed shirts by kdeuce recently, both of which are more interesting takes on the subject than this piece. But more than anything else, I’m annoyed by how unnecessarily creepy this rendition is. That red splatter in such close proximity to a disembodied head really makes the bird look decapitated. Is there really an audience for that kind of thing? I guess there must be, because this isn’t the first time Uneetee has gone with decidedly gory artwork. It’s not a direction I relish seeing because it strikes me as lazy and easy- I’d rather see a story being told, a statement being made, or at least some interesting or innovative design instead of yet another blood splatter.

Winners at Uneetee earn $500.

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Uneetee is getting in on the Spring Sale action, listing all shirts at just $15. There’s some good stuff tucked away in the catalog, so it’s worth a look.

Interestingly, Uneetee now also features an area of the site called the $7 Teescount, which has several tees at $7 each. It’s an odd move to me in light of the fact that Uneetee also has a $12 Insanitee deal, but $7 is tough to resist. Even better than the price, some of the current Teescount designs are pretty great (and, amazingly, available in most sizes). It’ll be fun to see how this new area of the site evolves.

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Uneetee‘s Soldier’s Soul by AgostoFilipino is the site’s newest print, and one that stands out to me because it has such a strong military theme. While a lot of battle-inspired shirts focus on glory and drama, this feels like a much quieter, more angst-filled vision. He seems like a man haunted, someone doing what needs to be done but taking no joy in it. That’s a unique and more honest sort of portrayal, so I’m glad to see it. That said, I think the artwork itself could use some work. The man’s face seems strange and not in the same style as the rest of the piece. The helmet is even more problematic- because of the way the highlights fall and the art is cut off, it almost reads more as some kind of jaunty chapeau. But while it’s imperfect, the theme alone makes the design worth a look.

Winners at Uneetee earn $500.

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So… Uneetee‘s new design, Sacrifice by Kayas, appears to be about a girl getting shot in the head. Now, I’ve seen guys post comments on shirts before about how if they wear pink, or a shirt with a cartoon on it, or food with faces or whatever that no girl will talk to them. This is the first shirt I’ve ever seen where I think that would be a legitimate complaint. I mean, holy crap. There is blood splatter all over the shirt. And it’s all very literal, rather than symbolic (the way a design like Threadless’s Flowers in the Attic is). It’s creepy as hell. There’s no story here, no metaphor- just violence. Even worse, it’s really poorly done. The girl is well-drawn, but the splatter is clearly much less skilled and even appears to include a couple of coffee cup stains. Yikes.

Winners at Uneetee earn $500.

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Ultrabike by Michael W. is Uneetee‘s newest print, and one I kind of enjoy. While a lot of shirts that use networks of gears can feel a bit stale and cold, using bike parts to ground the scene grants it a lot more personality. Instead of just seeing cold metal, you feel the breeze in your hair and imagine towering over forest paths. Bikes are machines with personality, an extension of the human using them instead of a mere tool. They’re made for adventuring and seeing new places, so why shouldn’t they themselves become experiments? It’s a neat angle, and the mechanical emphasis places it in a different category that most other designs with mutanty bikes.

Winners at Uneetee earn $500.

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