News, Sports and Mind doodles.
Building a ‘Bad Guy’ from Scratch
Jul 29th
My nephew absolutely loves comic books. He’s got quite the collection and his 10-year-old brain is full of hero worship and an extensive knowledge of the Marvel and DC Universes. And I have to admit that I am a little jealous, because I didn’t get to read a lot of comics when I was growing up. Fortunately, though, I’ll be making up for lost time in the next few months as I dive into the comic book culture.
First off, this coming Sunday, July 31st, I’ll be attending the Summer 2011 Indie Comic Book and Art Show hosted by Tribe Comics and Games, and put together by my lovely SmashTag business partner, Jennifer Cunningham. It’s an incredible opportunity to meet and talk with local independent comic book artists and writers, and even take home some original works. I’d be disappointed if I didn’t walk out of there with something to go on my walls.
But coming up in late September, I’ll be participating in the CASA “Superhero Run”, joining hundreds (if not thousands) of people supporting CASA of Travis County. The one thing that sets this 5K race apart from most other fundraising athletic contests, is that it is highly encouraged that participants come dressed as a superhero or a villain. People can run donning their best costume ripped right out of the pages of a famous comic book, or even better, come as their own made-up character. I will be doing the latter.
Interested in registering the “Superhero Run” for CASA of Travis County? Please CLICK HERE.
But as an added bonus, I’ve been asked to help spread the word of this event by taking part in a very unique and exciting promotional opportunity. Along with a handful of other Austinites, I will be ‘tweeting’ as my character with its own Twitter account, sharing the details of whatever daily experiences a comic book character may come across. This will be a fun challenge to keep my creativity flowing, and of course it will help raise awareness to a good cause. But the first part will be the hard part (even tougher than running a 5K), and that’s coming up with my character.
The greatest comic book characters – both hero and villain alike – have been successful because their well developed personas, back stories and the environment they live in. Believe me, coming up with one is not an easy thing to do. Just look at what Stan Lee’s team tried to do with the NHL’s ‘Guardian Project’. In this blog entry we’ll examine what factors contribute to a great character. Also, I’m opening the floor to feedback to help piece together an exciting character. And because I’ve always been more intrigued with the villains’ roles in a comic book story, I’ve decided to make my character a bad guy. So, how do we make a good nemesis?
First off we need to determine if our villain is going to be some omnipotent super-being, or a normal human who is evil. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of those seemingly immortal characters because they’re just not interesting enough. They just pop out of nowhere and are inherently evil. DC Comics likes to employ several of these types in aliens ‘Darkseid’ and ‘Doomsday’ to battle Superman. On the other hand, DC Comics’ most popular villains are those who are human. Lex Luthor and nearly all of Batman’s enemies feature the story of an ordinary human going sour, and it presents a reflection on how susceptible humans are to evil influences. Man, you gotta love allegory!
So, my bad guy is gonna be human. Next category.
Another attribute to a comic book villain is his “special ability”. But we also know that not all characters have a power. Off the top of my head, I don’t think that any one of the crooks from Batman actually has a supernatural power, they’re just crafty and can somehow inspire or coerce a lot of people in fighting for them. I’ve always enjoyed the story about an ordinary human being who is suddenly bestowed great power, and it’s that person’s personality flaws that allow him or her to be drawn to the dark side. Marvel seems to do well with these types of villains, like Norman Osborn/Green Goblin, Victor Von Doom/Dr. Doom, and Johann Schmidt/Red Skull. Also, it’s fun that most of these villains have their own secret identities, as well. But here’s one of the features that I’m stumped with. I can’t decide if my bad guy should have a super power or not. And on top of that, should my character’s story require him to have a secret identity? Perhaps his story will come from the next factor…
Environment and/or Time. Some comic book heroes were created as a reaction to the volatile worlds they were written in to, some based on real world events. The now-well-known Captain America was originally trotted out as a hero to fight the Nazis in graphic capsules while our soldiers were fighting the real Nazis in Europe. Recent books have pointed their heroes toward dangers spawning from terrorism and the simple criminal element. So it makes one think what kind of villain would arise from the more immediate times we live in now? Would we have some ‘Riddler’-inspired character called “The Hacker”, who routinely compromises the security of websites and leaves twisted internet games as calling cards? Or perhaps a version of ‘Kingpin’ who oversees a powerful drug cartel in Central America? So should my bad guy persona be forged out of the heated environment that is the world we live in today?
Over the next few days these are the questions I’ll be pondering, and hopefully by the end of the weekend I’ll be able to piece together a semblance of what can be called a “bad ass villain”. Then I can take that character and create havoc throughout the TwitterSphere, much to the enjoyment of myself and anyone who dares follow my bad guy.
As always, your input and feedback is not only appreciated, it’s valuable. So please join us in the next few months as we immerse ourselves in the awesomeness that is comic book glory. 
And don’t forget, the Summer 2011 Indie Comic Book and Art Show is THIS SUNDAY at 6:00pm! CLICK HERE for more info.
Excelsior!
SmashTag Finds its First Home!
Jul 20th
Looks like we’re making some progress at SmashTag Concepts!
Yes, I know the mannequin doesn’t have any pants on, that’s just how we roll.
But one thing I’m enjoying in starting a small business, is seeing the little “wins” that have the potential to move our unique brand a little closer to a successful enterprise. And while we still plan to build a larger online presence in the near future, we do not forget that we are also part of the Austin creative community. With that in mind, it was only natural to decide to take SmashTag’s local brand of witty, clever T-Shirts and promote it the same way many local artists do with their own wares.
So, I’m proud to announce that we signed with our first Austin consignment shop today – a brand new store called ‘A Town Austin Lifestyle Store.’
This marks the first “brick and mortar” storefront for SmashTag, where you can find our four available designs: “Dude, you should Tweet that”, “Don’t tag me, bro”, “Left behind.” Rapture 2011, and “Adios, Mofo” shirts.
So please, stop by the simply awesome looking “A Town” Store on 5502 Burnet Rd. (at the corner of Burnet & Shoalmont Dr.) and check out our threads, as well as collections from many of Austin’s most talented artists and creators, especially JenHeartsArt.
Hopefully if this keeps up, we won’t have to sell shirts out of our car anymore. :-p
Adios, Mofo.
Jul 14th
One of the main ideals behind my new venture, SmashTag Concepts, is to produce and offer quality t-shirts with humorous designs. Every now and then, I’ll come up with a design that could be deemed controversial, and as we inch closer to the next series of elections I’m confident there will be no shortage of those designs. Whether or not my partner Jennifer Cunningham and I actually make them into t-shirts is another matter.
But one design I could not hold back was one I came up with back in May, when Texas Governor Rick Perry was being mentioned as a potential GOP Presidential candidate. While making this shirt design, I never thought that I would later have to make an important decision that would have impacts on both the financial future of SmashTag Concepts, and on our brand itself. Here’s the story.
To me, one of Perry’s most memorable moments as governor was a 2005 television interview with KTRK Houston news reporter Ted Oberg. At the end of the interview full of misdirected answers to hard-hitting questions which only frustrated the reporter, a confident Rick Perry uttered one of the most awesome phrases to ever come out of a politician’s mouth: “Adios, mofo.”
Here’s a KSAT article’s recollection of the incident.
KTRK reporter Ted Oberg was interviewing Perry on Monday about the governor’s plan for school finance when Perry politely told the reporter he would have to wait until Tuesday for details about the plan.
“In saying goodbye, I told the governor, ‘Try as I may, governor, I guess I can’t win this one,’” Oberg said.
About 10 seconds after Oberg and Perry said goodbye, the camera crew was getting ready for the next interview with another TV station when Perry, unaware that the camera was still rolling and his microphone still on, said, “Try as I may, governor, I’m not going to wait that long. Adios Mofo.”
Perry apologized to Oberg for the jab. That was six years ago, and while today some may argue that the term ‘Mofo’ is vulgar (I happen to enjoy the word as a humorous, harmless poke), the phrase is still a fond memory to most Texans. So, with a possible matchup with President Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012, I felt it would be fun to create a design that didn’t side with one campaign or the other, and still provoke a little thought. So I came up with this.
Due to the fact that Perry has not officially announced a possible run, we at SmashTag only produced 20 limited edition shirts. However, the shirt was shown off by our screen printer to a few people, one of whom was a conservative political blogger. The blogger expressed her desire to sell the ‘Adios, Mofo’ shirt on her website along with other knick-knacks catered to the conservative base. The printer also informed me that this particular customer orders 300-400 shirts on a regular basis, and it would be the largest order in SmashTag’s young existence.
While we weighed the prospect of landing this first big order, in my mind I really knew that I didn’t want to allow someone else to take my design and pass it off as either ‘left wing’ or ‘right wing’. The beauty of the simple design is that it can be interpreted either way. Nowhere on this t-shirt does it say ‘Perry 2012′ or ‘Yes We Can.’ Obama supporters can view it as a playful jab at Perry’s past folly, while Republicans can perceive it as a funny ultimatum to the president’s administration. But the last thing that I wanted was to see the design designated as coming from only one point-of-view. Also, Jennifer and I felt it was important to protect our brand in its infancy and to not have it be associated with one political ideal or another. Lastly, I considered the possibility of this t-shirt taking off and becoming the mantra for conservatives and Tea Party enthusiasts, and I dreaded the prospect of going on some news station – local or national – having to explain that the t-shirt is neutral.
So, with all that in mind, we declined the offer to have a large number of shirts made and sold on the blogger’s website, even if it did represent SmashTag’s first major order and would have funded the next few series of shirt production for all our other designs. It shocked me that after only one month of business that we would come to make a decision like this. But it goes to show that one of our designs certainly falls into the category that we are basing our brand on – Clever, witty, creative casual.
I believe we made the right decision.
To order your Limited Edition ‘Adios, Mofo’ SmashTag shirt, please visit our storefront at http://smashtag.etsy.com
Rapture Shirt Faceoff
Jun 2nd
If you’re a friend of mine, follow me on Twitter, or have accidentally stumbled across this blog in the last couple weeks, you’ve more than likely been subjected to announcements about SmashTag Concepts – a new ATX local business venture I started with Jennifer Cunningham.
Our debut contribution to the masses was this ‘Left Behind. Rapture 2011′ t-shirt. And here in Austin, it was an immediate hit. Out of our initial ridiculously limited edition of 20, half were gone after two days, and I believe only 2 are left after we first rolled them out a week ago.
Well, while doing some research today I stumbled across one of the ‘big’ t-shirt websites – SnorgTees.com – and they too offered a ‘Rapture’ shirt. So, the competitive-creative in me immediately started sizing up the designs.
I know some of my friends who are Texas Rangers fans would like the t-shirt offered by SnorgTees because of the font, but the design limits itself to the May 21st Rapture date. Although I think the font they chose is a little boring, the text effect they used added a decent touch.
Meanwhile, on SmashTag’s ‘Rapture’ t-shirt, I chose the font similar to ‘Olde English’ because of its ties to religion and the church, and referenced an obscure movie that dealt with the subject of Apocalypse. Also, I believe we did ourselves a favor by not putting the specific date of the “Rapture”, and just the year instead. It really worked out for us with Mr. Harold Camping pushing back the next Judgment Day to October. So you know we’ll be rolling out more ‘Left behind’ shirts between now and then.
So what are you thoughts? Which one of these Rapture t-shirts would you choose?
Coming this month! SmashTag Concepts – Series 2
Jun 1st
After the overwhelming response to our first T-shirt design in May – the ‘Left Behind’ Rapture shirt, Jennifer and I are excited to announce the next monthly collection for SmashTag Concepts.
On June 22nd, SmashTag will roll out three new designs, introducing our newest lines…
The Twitter Line – featuring “Dude, you should tweet that.”
The ‘CougarBait’ Line – featuring “I clean pools.”
And the “Holla at your Koi!” Line…
More T-shirt and preorder information will be here on StivzCreative and on our Etsy pages by early next week. In the meantime, please follow @SmashTagATX on Twitter and become a fan of our Facebook page.
Each month, we’ll be giving away a free T-shirt to one of our Twitter followers and to one of our Facebook fans.
Please note that the T-shirts posted here are preliminary designs and may not correctly represent the final design and product after “Awesomeness Tuning.”
Have a great June!
Introducing: SmashTag Concepts
May 27th
On Wednesday, I did something that I’ve always wanted to do. I started a small business.
Ever since I moved here 3 years ago, I’ve wanted to contribute to the creative culture of Austin, TX, and I’ve always wanted to develop a brand. After an abbreviated dance in the ad industry, I trudged through the frustrating world of freelance. During that time I found an outlet through social networks and stand-up comedy, and those became the inspirations for this newest venture…
Creative. Casual. Clothing. Catered to the fun Austin scene and the like-minded individuals across the globe. Offering funny and clever T-shirts, jewelry and other apparel, and having a lot of fun in the process.
Here’s how it started. Over the last few months I had been fiddling with some funny T-shirt designs after perusing through websites like SnorgTees.com and BustedTees.com and saying to myself “I can do that, and I can do it better.” But I never thought I could turn my ideas into new business. It wasn’t until I posted one of my rough original designs on Facebook and caught the attention of fellow creative Austinite,artist Jennifer Cunningham (@JenHeartsArt), who immediately said “You should totally make that.” She also added that she could help.
So over the following weeks Jennifer and I met to discuss my designs and how we can put them into production and retail. We had originally planned to roll out this little venture in June with an initial series of five or six products. But then the Rapture didn’t happen.
Last Saturday, when it became apparent that I wasn’t going to Heaven that day, I immediately thought up a T-shirt design and began contemplating how fast we can produce a few, since creating a product based on such a topical and time sensitive issue was going to be a marketing and logistical challenge. After a few text messages between myself and Jenn, we decided to pull the trigger on our simple “Left behind. Rapture 2011″ design.
On Monday, we shopped around for T-shirts. On Tuesday, we dropped them off to James at ASPCO for screen printing, and by Wednesday we were ready to announce our limited edition of 20 “Rapture shirts.”
I was pleasantly shocked at the initial reaction to the shirts. And soon we were delivering the shirts to our fellow Austinites and shipping orders to California and Seattle, Washington. And just like that, Jennifer and I found ourselves in the T-shirt business.
Over the next few weeks, SmashTag Concepts will be finalizing and releasing new designs (some of which you’ve probably already seen if you’ve visited this blog before). Be on the lookout for concepts on topics and pop culture such as Twitter, the 2012 presidential race, Austin Party Animals, other randomness, and the “CougarBait” clothing line. We’ll roll out the new T-shirts in stages between now and the end of the year. I’ve never been more excited.
Thanks have to go out to Jennifer Cunningham for getting behind my ideas and really helping in laying out a game plan. Also, I have to thank all the people who responded so positively to the initial designs I shared, that was the motivation I needed to take the steps towards turning “mind doodles” into tangible items to share with everyone.
So here’s a toast to SmashTag Concepts, our friends, and to you reading this blog. Let’s have fun this year. We hope you enjoy what we have for you.
T-Shirt Fun: “CougarBait Clothing Line”
Apr 25th
Here’s another creation that comes from my stand-up material.
Some day I hope to start a series of T-shirts called the “CougarBait” Clothing Line – for those young gents out there who like the ladies with a little more experience, and who could use a shirt that will catch their attention. Here are a few examples…
T-Shirt Fun: “Holla at Ya Koi!”
Apr 22nd
Some time ago I lived near a koi pond, and I found myself saying this every time I walked past it.
I crack myself up sometimes.
(And yes, I am aware of the clipart stamp. This is a rough draft.)
T-Shirt Fun: “The Playoff Beard Joke”
Apr 22nd
About this time last year I wrote a joke about a potential T-shirt design that would be marketed towards female fans of the local AHL hockey franchise, the Texas Stars. I would later use that joke in my very first stand-up comedy open mic attempt. Afterwards I came to the conclusion that it was more of a “visual joke”.
But for those unfamiliar with hockey tradition, throughout the course of the playoffs, hockey players will grow “playoff beards” and not shave until they are either eliminated from the postseason or they win the championship. Some fans (including myself) will get into the same spirit and also grow playoff beards. So I thought it would be a funny idea for the merchandising department of the home team to come up with this… for the ladies.
