Review: LABz T-Shirts – Part 1

The good folk from Zazzle’s LABz sent over quite a few tees. Thanks guys! Today I will just tell you about two of them. For those of you who don’t know LABz is a special project supported by  Zazzle that so far has produced some great t-shirts using various printing methods as well as a couple of iPhone cases. I don’t know for sure but I think there was a contest where 10 designers were chosen to have their designs on these limited edition t-shirts. As of writing there have been 7 tees printed and because you are a probably an idiot when it comes to math I feel compelled to tell you that there are only 3 more to come. I’m sure that won’t be the end of LABz though.

First I will start with the Orion t-shirt by Matthew Curry as this was one of the t-shirts that I missed when it was for sale. As you can see there is a lot going on in this design and the placement is non-standard. The design is low and shifted to one side but it doesn’t create an awkward balance in the tee. The print goes over the bottom seam and across the side seam so of course there are a few flaws but because of the nature of the design you don’t notice and even if you did it could be seen as being a feature.

As I said before I am not a big fan of branding on the outside of t-shirts but if it’s done well or of the logo is cool then it can work. As you can see, this tee scores well on both counts. The logo is printed using high density ink too which is great for people who like that sort of frill. For me though, I’m glad it is on the back of the t-shirt because I would be driven crazy with the constant desire to touch it. The tee was printed on an ash grey American Apparel.

Next up is Group Shot by Mildred which I already mentioned in the blog. I don’t have much to add to the previous Group Shot article except that Mrs. Retro thought it was cute. I totally didn’t expect that because I think it’s a bit creepy and she finds a lot of things creepy that I don’t.

In this tee there was no external Artsprojekt branding and the logo on the back is a rabbit and Mildred’s signature.

Both of these t-shirts are really well done and even though LABz is experimental these tees are professionally done. I am really looking forward to the next three t-shirts. I hope they really push the envelope on them. You can check out the LABz webpage and even sign up for a newsletter to make sure you don’t miss out on the tees. And be sure to check back here for the next LABz review. With a bit of luck we will have more coupons to make the tees even more affordable. Full price is just $17.95 though so no coupon no tears! There should be a new t-shirt very soon too.

DC Comics comes to Zazzle

Zazzle are pretty good at getting what must be pretty lucrative licenses and getting the DC Comics license is a big event. Now you can get official Batman, Superman, Super Girl, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern and Justice League merchandise that you can customize and it’s all in one place.

I am not really into comics. When I was a child in Ireland it wasn’t easy to find DC or Marvel comics and when you did find them they were a little out of my price range. I did enjoy the Batman, Superman and Wonder Woman TV series though as well as the Batman and Superman movies of course. I loved the original Tim Burton Batman movie and I was a big Prince fan at the time so it was bonus that he did the soundtrack.

Anyway, I think that there are a lot of crap designs on these t-shirts that are really only suitable for kids but the Batman store has a nice selection that even adults could wear. I think they really could do better though. Zazzle did amazing work with the Star Wars stores. Hopefully they will add more interesting designs to the DC Comics stores soon.

Check out some examples below. I think you can also get $4 off t-shirts at until March 8th with the coupon code: 4OFFPATTYTEE.

Move a head t-shirt from LABz

At least there have been 3 posts since my last LABz post. That means I am not entirely slacking off. Anyway the latest tee from LABz is out and as usual it is a limited edition so if you want to get your hands on one of them don’t wait around. You can check the details below the image or just click on it to go to the LABz page.

I have mixed feelings about this tee. The design is exceptional. Hell, calling it a design is an insult. It is a beautiful piece of art. I think that it lost a lot of its vibrancy on the tee though. Of course that is only to be expected. On the other hand it may be a different case if you hold it in your hands as the t-shirt uses gold foil which often doesn’t photograph well.
Another thing about the t-shirt is that it is quite feminine and I wonder how many men would want to wear it but when you look at it closely and see the skull it is kind of scary and I wonder how many women would wear it. Having said that, they are limited editions so the people who buy them probably look for fashion that doesn’t fit into normal conventions.

http://www.zazzle.com/move_a_head-248246621744444333?gl=amandalynn&rf=238721863515327049

Below is the original painting that this tee was based on. It must have taken a lot of time to make a painting as intricate as this ready for printing on a t-shirt.

San Francisco based Amanda Lynn works by day restoring and painting motorcycles and metal sculptures. When she’s not working, she paints on her figures on doorways and walls around SF and throughout the country, usually accompanying graffiti mural productions.
The dark image of a skull with deer antlers framed in gold hints of a trophy motif. Gold foil spot colors has been added to the photograph of the original painting.
Available on American Apparel Brown Men’s & Women’s Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T’s. On sale through Sunday, February, 28th.

Rob from LABz has once again kindly supplied the T-Shirt Review readers with a coupon which brings brings the cost of the tee down to just $12.95 plus shipping. Awesome. Just enter the coupon code: AMANDA5OFFAP before checkout.

Tom Slick T-Shirt

I’m surprised that the tee blogs haven’t picked up on this one yet. I’m sure they will soon though as it has been sitting in my to do list for a few days already. One of the latest youtube sensations is Tom Slick aka Epic Beard Man taking on a young punk a public bus. Look around and I am sure there will be tees popping up all over the place related to this video. Check it out and then read on.

Crispy Tees (along with guys in every POD on the planet probably) have created a version of the t-shirt Tom Slick was wearing at the time of the altercation. A fairly accurate version too but as it is just a text design it was a case of matching the text.

Here are a few from the PODs that I have seen:

War is not a game t-shirt from LABz

It’s really clear how irregular my posts are this month when I am telling you about the new LABz t-shirt just two posts after the last weekly tee. I have been very busy of course but I am sure you are not interested in that. If I told you that I am working on an as yet unannounced t-shirt project you may be interested but the truth is, while I do have an unannounced t-shirt project I haven’t had time to work on that either.

Anyway, about the LABz t-shirt. This one could be my favorite yet. It’s very colorful and carries an anti-war message. I’d say that it might even be a conversation piece. The LABz tees are limited edition so procrastination means you miss out.

Price: $17.95 plus shipping. [[ I think you can get 10% off with this coupon: TSHIRTS10OFF ]] More info below.

Chicago based Vadym Chalenko employs the image and voice of a child soldier to emphasize his passionate commentary on war.
Vadym’s Weapon graphic uses hand created watercolor textures over a hand drawn illustration, and features a simulated process screenprint with spot hits of black high density inks to outline the machine gun and outlines.
Available on American Apparel Yellow Men’s & Women’s Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T’s. On sale through Sunday, February 21st.

Everyday Life from LABz

I can’t believe I missed out posting on the previous LABz t-shirt. To be honest I didn’t really think that they would stop selling it after one week even though that’s the system. It was my favorite tee yet last week but there’s no point in talking about that. The latest tee too, is pretty awesome. I haven’t seen a tee like this before which is part of the reason I ranked it awesome. The one thing that I would be worried about though would be all that ink on a dark t-shirt. Usually a print that big on a dark tee needs a lot of ink which not only adds to the weight of the tee but makes it a little stiff. I don’t like stiff t-shirts.

Below you can check out a short bio about Max Estes. This time they didn’t include any information about the printing methods employed which is a bit disappointing but I guess that means it is just a standard screenprint. I hope they really break out their creative juice for the next t-shirts.

Max Estes is an American illustrator based in Oslo, Norway. His first picture book is due out in spring 2010. Recent clients include: Obama for America, Dark Horse Comics, and The Easter Seals Foundation. His work was recognized by the Society of Illustrators. His daily comic reflects his wry take on life, and experiences with his imaginary friends. For this tee-shirt, we sampled some of our favorite comics into a grid of snapshots.

Unfortunately there are no coupons handed out this time that I know about.

LABz: T-Shirt by Mildred

As I mentioned sometime before Christmas, Zazzle have a new project called LABz in which they produce limited edition t-shirts using the latest technology and techniques. We are supposed to be seeing a new t-shirt every week and perhaps this year we will.

The second LABz t-shirt and the first of 2010 comes from designer, Mildred and below the images you can read the description. But first check out the fearsome creatures on this shirt.

We hit up our guy Mildred for a bio. Here’s what he told us. “I’m a guy. I make stuff and eat and sleep. I also like beer and pizza. i’m from Michigan but i’m in CA now. who knows where next. the end.”

Mildred’s Group Shot image uses bold, full-bleed screenprinting with flocked outlines on selected characters, and an iconic Mildred character and signature in flock on the back.

Available on American Apparel Army Green Men’s & Women’s Fine Jersey Short Sleeve T’s. On sale through Sunday, January 17th.

The tee costs just $17.95 but the guys at LABz have very generously provided The T-Shirt Review readers with a $5 off coupon. Use MILDREDLABZ5 at checkout. $12.95 is great value for this awesome t-shirt.

LABz at Zazzle

I think at this point most of you have heard of Zazzle as old Rude Retro here is a Zazzle shopkeeper and I occasionally mention them. Anyway, unbeknown to me they have started a new project called LABz where they release a new t-shirt every week. This is not your typical print on demand t-shirt either as you can see.

Each week we offer one new ultra-embellished t-shirt featuring amazing art from a member of the Artsprojekt Global Creative Network. These tees rock multiple printing methods and inks including high-density, foils, flex, flocking, and more. LABz is doing it all: incredible Artsprojekt illustrations and designs, the best high-end printing, and a new featured t-shirt every week.

It is a really nice tee. I wouldn’t wear it because I don’t want to have people ask me who she is. Yep, I don’t really wear tees with big faces on them but I do like it. Here is a bit more information about the shirt itself.

This week we are featuring a design reproduction of the original painting “Thought Progress” by Texas-based illustrator and painter 2H. This piece features a hypnotic stare from a brooding girl with glasses and an abstract geometric print on her shirt. We used a clear gel ink to accent the rims of the glasses, in an effort to create the same kind of effect you get when you do a spot UV on a printed paper piece. We also popped a copper foil logo collaboration with Mr. 2H himself, Joseph McSween, on the back between the shoulder blades.

Anyway, if you want to get this tee don’t procrastinate as it seems they are either only on sale for a week or they have a limited supply. This is the second LABz t-shirt, the first one is no longer on sale.

The t-shirt is just $17.95 with $5.00 off on this great shirt by using this code – GET5OFFJOE2H (code valid through Sunday)

Poll: Should Zazzle censor Obama Psalm 109:8 T-Shirt

Zazzle have just announced they won’t be allowing users to sell goods connecting President Barack Obama to Psalm 109:8. Here is an excerpt from their announcement:

after great thought that we have determined that these products, in the context of the full text of Psalm 109, may be interpreted in such a way as to suggest physical harm to the President of the United States. In deference to the Office of the President of the United States, and in accordance with federal law prohibiting the making of threats against the physical wellbeing of the President of the United States, Zazzle has therefore determined that these products are in violation of the Zazzle User Agreement and not appropriate for inclusion in the Zazzle Marketplace. We have begun efforts to remove them from our website, and we will be vigilant to the publication of similar products moving forward.

What do you think?

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse

Apparently it is Mickey Mouse’s 81st birthday today. I knew he was old but didn’t really know he was that old. Anyway. to celebrate Mickey’s 81st Zazzle is offering free shipping purchases of $35 or more as well as 30% off Disney gifts! And there are a lot of Disney products on Zazzle and they are priced well and from my own experience with Zazzle they are top-notch too. With that in mind, it is probably a good idea to get some Christmas shopping out of the way and save money at the same time.

Mickey Mouse is one of the biggest cultural icons of the modern age and his popularity is sure to continue. Don’t forget to check out this list of alternative Mickey Mouse t-shirts that I compiled not that long ago.

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