the bluecotton blog

“Once upon a time there was something more powerful than Twitter, MySpace and Facebook combined. It was a platform that brought people together and allowed a you a chance to paint on a blank canvas with music. This, ladies and gentleman was the mixtape. For over 25s the mixtape was the status update of the day. They could be a love letter, a sign of friendship or the grandstanding of musical knowledge. All recorded across two sides of a … cassette.” ~ Dan Slee

British newspaper The Sun published “The Death of the Casette Tape” in 2007. Some could argue this obituary was a bit late. By 2000, CD’s and mp3s had already come of age and enjoyed the lion’s share of the music market. Regardless, the cassette tape held it’s own for well over 40 years, and seems to be currently clawing it’s way out of a shallow grave and back into pop culture.

You can find a myriad of cassette tape memorabilia on the web, from Iphone cases to belt buckles, coin purses and necklaces. There are a few record companies now issuing special editions of new releases on cassette tape. Turns out cassette tapes are harder to bootleg than digital media. Just when we thought the cassette had died, and slipped into flea market and trash bin oblivion, the hipsters have revived it. Below you will find a smattering of the cassette tape t-shirts horde roaming the web.

The cassette tape makes a great icon on custom t-shirts – for 80s parties or birthday parties for a child of the 80s. Use our cassette tape clipart or upload your own – and get started on your very own mixtape t-shirt.

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Would you like to wear your iPhone? No, I don’t mean storing it in one of those dorktastic belt-clip cases or wearing it as a lanyard. I literally mean wear it–embedded in your clothing! Well, a new prototype iPhone case/holder known simply as “The Move” could allow you to do just that.

“The Move” is a yet-to-be-released product that allows you to attach your iPhone 4 or iPod Touch anywhere on your clothing without the use of straps, clips, velcro, or magnets. It’s a concept difficult to describe using words alone, so check out this video from the inventors explaining how the product works and for some really cool examples of how it might be used.

As of now, the product is only a prototype and not available for immediate purchase. However, if this idea is something that intrigues you, check out The Move’s Kickstarter page. There you can get a detailed run-down of The Move’s features/uses and even pledge your own money to fund the project and help bring the product to the mass-market.

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It all ends this Friday, muggles! The final installment of the epic witchcraft and wizardry series, “Harry Potter: The Deathly Hallows Part II” opens Friday.

But you knew that, already…Unless you’ve been a Prisoner of Azkaban for the past year.

I’ve already procured my Midnight Premiere tickets so I am all set to fall asleep from excitement in the theatre. What I hadn’t considered was what. to. wear? My invisibilty cloak is in the wash and I don’t have time to apparate over to Madam Malkin’s Robes for All Occasions in Diagon Alley to shop for a new robe.

Fortunately, I found this wonderful tutorial for a DIY Deathly Hallows T-shirt.

Make one for yourself and join the final fight against You-Know-Who!

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My two year old son loves Sesame Street and specifically Elmo. Because of his love, we have a three foot tall Elmo doll, which happens to be staring at me as I type this blog, sitting on the couch next to me. Elmo’s stare made me wonder what kind of Elmo and Sesame Street t-shirts are out there on the world wide web. Here is a sampling of what I found:

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Some things are just meant to go together. Ren and Stimpy, Batman and Robin, Bert and Ernie…so it goes for Saturday morning cartoons and breakfast cereal. Last week, I blogged about t-shirt designs inspired by firework labels. This week, I was inspired by Cheerios 70th birthday to bring you a visual smorgasbord of cereal t-shirts.

“Television took advertising for sugar cereals to a new level, and the master of the new medium was an ad man named Leo Burnett. He invented TV programs specifically designed to entertain children and sell Kellogg’s products. Much like Skippy a decade before, Burnett’s characters would turn to the screen in the middle of a show and pitch the merits of a particular brand. There was nothing subtle about it. Howdy Doody, Roy Rogers, Andy Griffith, Rin Tin Tin, the Beverly Hillbillies, Yogi Bear, and Fred Flintstone all became television icons because they were good at selling cereal.”
~ Read more about “How Cereal Transformed American Culture” by the mag

As I browsed the web for breakfast cereal t-shirts, I took a short jaunt through the cereal box graveyard and found a few that do not enjoy Cheerios longevity. Cereal manufacturers wrote the book on how to effectively market products to children. If it isn’t the movie-tie-in product, its the promise of a surprise toy inside. (We’ll be right back with the cereal t-shirts, after a word from our old-school sponsors below.)

And now..back to the blog…

10. Playing off the classic 80's movie "The Breakfast Club", Kellogg's offers their own breakfast club featuring the mascots of several of their flagship cereals.

9. Post Cereal's Count Chocula, Boo Berry and Frankenberry take a little stroll together.

8. Tony the Tiger was created in 1952, but didn't grace his first cereal box until 1958. Tony, in his most recognizable form shown above, was introduced in the 1970s.

7. Toucan Sam became the mascot for Froot Loops cereal in 1963. The cartoon character was created by Manuel R. Vega and originally voiced by legendary voice actor Mel Blanc.

6. Sugar Smacks were introduced in 1953 and have undergone several name changes. Dig 'Em the Frog is the official mascot.

5. Trix cereal was first introduced in 1954 by General Mills. Unlike other mascots, the Rabbit does not have a name...just a silly rabbit.

4. The mascot of Cocoa Puffs is Sonny the Cuckoo Bird, whose catchphrase is "cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs". The cereal was first introduced in 1958.

3. Lucky Charms were created in 1962 by John Holahan. General Mills had challenged a team of new product developers to use the available manufacturing capacity from either of General Mills' two principal cereal products—Wheaties or Cheerios—and do something unique to them. Holahan came up with the idea after a visit to the grocery store in which he decided to mix Cheerios with bits of Brach's Circus Peanuts.

2. Famously "The Breakfast of Champions"...until this very t-shirt was worn by Vinny on Mtv's Jersey Shore.

1. Wheaties was created in 1922, as a result of an accidental spill of a wheat bran mixture onto a hot stove by a Minnesota clinician working for the Washburn Crosby Company (later General Mills).

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Being an art student here in this little college town, I’ve come to learn many processes of producing art and the fulfillment it gives to its viewers. Here at BlueCotton, we use many types of methods to create what suits our awesome customer’s needs–whether it be a ‘one man wolf pack’ or even a RPG Wizard! Each one has it’s own unique way of becoming 3D material for our customers to work–from your PC screen to your own physical, wearable… YOU!

I mention the art degree because I’ve learned a lot of different ways to create art–from fresco painting, oil, acrylic, watercolor and even relief printing. Each way creates something that is taken from some inspirational moment in time and puts it to view so all else can see what you want. It’s the exact same way for our company. We’re taking what you’ve always wanted (or just need ASAP) to something that’s viewable for everyone. Almost like advertisements, but it’s wearable and much easier to carry than a 50+ pound frame of dry plaster!

Viewing the methods of screen printing and digital print here at BlueCotton is very unique and intriguing, especially when you come from such a town that has local art posted in every tavern. Seeing a technique almost as raw as fresco and producing such a clean image onto a movable garment is something that I’m proud to help; especially when working with a personal image that they created and then applying that onto a garment for them to wear, or even to share with their friends and family and coworkers, too. It really helps me to see the other side of the art world, beyond the PC screen.

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