Alpacalypse! by David Maclennan is a masterpiece of absurdity, and my favorite design this week. It works because the alpaca is one of the silliest, most harmless seeming animals possible. It’s very shape, all neck and shaggy fur, looks soft and vulnerable, even misshapen. Their reputation is all centered on that fur, and when people think of alpacas they imagine oddball hippy farms and the mountains of peru. So there’s a huge surprise to see this ridiculous animal presented as a deadly-serious horror movie villain, standing on a pile of skulls as crowds flee in the big city. You naturally try to picture what the alpaca could be doing to cause this, and the hilarious results just add to the design’s appeal. And best of all, the movie poster style is nailed really accurately, so even just a glance makes the concept clear. Awesome stuff.
The Awkward Years by Ronan Lynam (Ronami) won the MTV’s Awkward contest, and was a strong choice. It’s genuinely funny to think of a shark as having an awkward stage, and smart to apply the headgear-style braces to his familiar teeth. There’s a real sense about the piece that while the shark is a bit pathetic now, he’s on the verge of becoming the great, legendary animal we know so well. I think the strongest aspect of the art is in those pleading eyes- they immediately make a connection with the viewer, and you’d have to be a monster not to sympathize with the poor guy.
The Other Star by ronin84 (ronin84) mines that rich similarity between deep sea exploration and space travel. The emphasis on the star shape and the moon in the background make it easy to assume that we’re looking at a crazy discovery out in orbit, but the specifics of the helmet and fact that the star is a starfish indicate an underwater setting. So there’s this great push and pull happening, where our protagonist could be close to home in the ocean or far out in the universe and encountering a starfish-like star or alien. Mysterious, and with all those glows, shines and gradients it also manages to be absolutely beautiful. There’s a real sense of wonder captured here.
Hiding by Alex Solis (alexmdc) kind of threw me for a loop, because the catalog thumbnail had me expecting an all-over pattern like this. Instead, the pattern is literally a rectangle on a white shirt. It’s a bummer because that takes me out of the concept- instead of being amazed at how the chameleon replicates the pattern, I’m thinking, “Why doesn’t he just take one step the the left and turn white?” This design had a neat idea because people forge a connection with a design when they discover something about it like the hidden chameleon, but the production really didn’t do the concept any favors.
H is for Hulk! by Walmazan (walmazan) totally won me over with the thumbnail, a brilliantly simple piece that expresses the character in a fun and instantly recognizable way. In the thumbnail. Unfortunately, the shirt itself appears to pare down the art a step further, leaving just the H on the shirt, which takes the design from awesomely barebones to so abstract it no longer makes sense. Without the rest of the word Hulk, it is not at all obvious that the character is spelling an H. Instead it sort of feels like he’s pulled his shorts up too high and is really proud of his armpits. It loses the smartness of the complete word, and I’m honestly baffled as to why anyone would set it up this way. Given the thumbnail, could it be a mistake? I hope so, because with the full word it’s a great design!
Threadless prints new shirts every week, chosen from the designs submitted by and voted on by site members. Most winners get $2000 cash and $500 in Threadless credit, with the possibility to earn more through Bestee awards, poster prints, and reprints.