the bluecotton blog

Today is the 23rd of November in the year 2011. If you don’t know the significance of that date, it can only mean one thing–you’re not a true Muppet fan. That’s right, my friends. Today is the day that The Muppets’ first theatrically-released film in 12 years–appropriately titled “The Muppets”–finally comes to theaters! I’ve been a fan of the Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie, Gonzo, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Animal_(Muppet), and the rest of the gang (seriously, I could go on and on and on) for as long as I can remember. It would be an understatement to simply say that I’m excited.

As much as I love the core characters, one particular group of Muppets holds a special place in my heart. Of course I’m talking about one of the greatest rock bands in existence–Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem. The band consists of five members: Dr. Teeth (obviously) on keys, Janice on lead guitar, Sgt. Floyd Pepper on bass, Zoot on sax, and fan-favorite Animal on drums. Are you familiar with the band? If not, you need to watch this segment from the original “Muppet Movie.”

In celebration of the release of the newest Muppet film, I’ve compiled a collection of eight Muppetational t-shirt designs featuring The Electric Mayhem. Check them out!

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We’ve shown you a handful of ways to re-purpose your old t-shirts, including a foam-stuffed pillow chair, a DIY grocery bag, and even turning them into new underwear. Well, for all of the hardcore survivalists out there… this one’s for you.

This Weekend Project video from Make Magazine demonstrates how you can make your own cheap and effective fire starter known as “Char Cloth.” All you’ll need for this project is an Altoids tin, a source of heat, and an old cotton t-shirt. Watch the video below for complete instructions and to see the “Char Cloth” in action!

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In one of my previous posts, I compiled a list of 20 Awesome Pop-Culture Mashup T-Shirt Designs. In that post, one of featured designs was a mashup of the iconic “Calvin & Hobbes” wagon image (see right) and “Star Wars.” It featured Han Solo and Chewbacca in a toy Millennium Falcon in the drawing style of the famous Sunday comic strip. The concept has become a meme among internet t-shirt retailers, resulting in several different takes on popular culture. Below is a list of ten “Calvin & Hobbes” mashup tees.

Batman & Robin

The Big Bang Theory (Sheldon & Leonard)

Breaking Bad (Walter & Jesse)

Back to the Future (Doc Brown & Marty McFly)

Entourage

Click to check out the rest of the “Calvin & Hobbes” mashups…

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We’ve shown you how you can build your own, but are you aware of just how powerful a t-shirt cannon can be? Let the T-Shirt Squad show you! This team of elite operatives formed secretly by the government is a force to be reckoned with. Using the power of enthusiasm, team spirit, and awesome t-shirts, the T-Shirt Squad cannot only rile-up a crowd of thousands, but also conduct dangerous military operations. Video evidence is embedded below.

[NOTE: The following video contains some strong, censored language.]

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JC Penny Pulls “Sassy” Tee for Tween Girls

Yesterday, the women-focused entertainment blog, The Frisky, posted a brief piece calling out retailer JC Penny on a shirt targeting young girls. The shirt was printed with the statement, “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” Jessica Wakeman, the writer at The Frisky responsible for the post, expressed her disdain for the poor message being communicated by the shirt. Only hours later–after the post had been picked up by dozens of other news sites–JC Penny emailed a formal apology to The Frisky and notified the author that the t-shirt was being pulled from their stores and website immediately. You can read the original post here: Kill Me Now, Please: JC Penney’s “I’m Too Pretty To Do Homework” T-Shirt For Girls.

Credit Card Fraud Suspects Tracked-Down Using Logo on T-Shirt

Two New York men suspected of using a stolen credit card were tracked-down by detectives using surveillance footage. A logo on the back of the suspects’ t-shirts led the detectives to the shop where the shirts were printed. Once there, the employees of the shop were able to identify the shirts and where the gentlemen worked. You can read the full story here: APD: T-shirt logo leads detectives to two suspects with stolen credit card.

Hell’s Angels Slap Amazon with Lawsuit for Trademark Infringing T-Shirt

The infamous biker gang known as Hell’s Angels has filed a lawsuit against online retailer Amazon.com for trademark infringement. The shirt features the phrase “My boyfriend is a Hell’s Angel” and a winged symbol reminiscent of the actual Hell’s Angels logo. You can read the full article here: Hells Angels sue Amazon for selling T-shirt.

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I’m often scouring the web for some useful or interesting things involving t-shirts. Here’s a round-up of some great t-shirt related tidbits I was able to find this week.

Neo-Nazi Giveaway T-Shirts Reveal a Secret Message

A group in Germany called “Exit Deutschland” created and gave away t-shirts seemingly in support of Neo-Nazi ideals. However, a hidden message of change and tolerance was revealed after the t-shirts were washed. Check out the full article at Gizmodo.

Measure Up Your Beard with this Clever T-Shirt

The Beardly has created this fun and clever t-shirt (seen above). Where does your beard fall on a scale of “Manly” to “Beardly?”

The 10-Shot T-Shirt Cannon

I couple of months ago we shared how you could build your very own t-shirt cannon. Well, there’s always a bigger gun. Team 254 Robotics of Bellarmine College Prepatory of San Jose built this impressive 10-shot t-shirt cannon. You can read their full log of the build process on their website.

Former Threadless CTO Hired for Obama’s 2012 Campaign

Harper Reed, formerly of the popular “Threadless” t-shirt site, has joined Obama’s 2012 campaign as the Chief Technology Officer. Read the full article from the Chicago Tribune.

T-Shirt Uses Sound Waves to Power Smartphones

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