T-Shirt Reviews Blog

Posted: 06 Dec 2009 09:15 AM PST

The Printed Mind have slipped by me so far, I do know that Levi Hardeman, part of Texas-based Word! Apparel in a previous incarnation started his new venture this year, but asides that I have little more to go on than the rest of you good tee-obsessed folks out there. What I can say is they offer up a wide range of smart slick designs, printed in generous proportions, and every t-shirt is guaranteed to have some association, however vague, with the mind or brain, depending how you hang philosophically.

Asides their fascination with the cerebellum they have nurtured ties with a family of hardcore metal bands including A Tragic History and My Children My Bride, have deep debates on the best Mexican restaurants and a slight leaning towards the dafter end of the Sci-Fi spectrum. As you’ll soon no doubt discover their passion for exploring the mind won’t lead you into the furthest regions of philosophical debate, or the meaning of being. Let’s just say they’ve come to the same conclusion that many of us do in our relatively short time on the planet. The mind is a strange thing, harboured up in a couple of pounds of grey matter, firing off electrical impulses under a protective bone shell, and came upon the idea that this rather mysterious subject would make a great concept for a t-shirt collection. Which it invariably does.

Here’s why:-

Mind Tag Tee

A powerful design, I especially like the perspective view of the mad brain surgeon, reminds me a little of the schlock horror movie The Re-Animator which is always worth watching for a laugh, if only at the abismally dated special effects. So does Mind Tag convey any particular message? Probably not, it could be about the wholesale programming of a global psyche by governments and corporations alike, it could be a deft reference to George Orwell’s 1984, but I’m guessing it’s mostly just a funky t-shirt design that delivers impact with a bang. Great detail on the back too, ‘tagging’ as in graffiti for plebeians had to find its place in this t-shirt, nice to see what’s perhaps the most subtle inclusion of a brand logo on a tee so far too. Get this monster shirt for $19.99 in sizes XS to 2XL here.

E=mTPM Tee

Poor old Albert, he never knew what hit him, he was just a clerk in a patent office who happened to be the greatest genius to walk the earth for at least a few centuries. Still, doesn’t say much for career guidance counsellors, “I have a theory of everything!”. “Really? But can you type, and how are your filing skills?”. Most likely the least popular scientist in Japanese circles, his beautiful mathematics were perverted by yet another over-zealous US Government in their attempt to win a war without the laborious logistics of sending over half a nation of dispossessed wide-eyed young men from the poorest states, with little qualifications, and only the vaguest idea of why they were fighting another war. If you want an Einstein tee with a little bling, then this is your chance. The E=mTMP tee is available for $19.99 in sizes XS to 2XL here.

The Machine Tee

Now we all know about time travel, TV and movie executives have differing opinions on the rules of temporal shifting, some make it up as they go along, say the ridiculous sub-par sci-fi Sliders, others are more stringent, an episode of The Simpsons meant that even treading on an insect could spell doom for our way of life, The Terminator on the other hand was bound by a nudity clause. If you do want to leap back and forward in time you can, but you must be prepared to strip off and show your intimate body parts to strangers in return. There was some sketchy science behind the premise, something about inanimate objects, but the truth is Arnie wanted to show off his ass, and the crew most likely thought it’d be funny, which it is. However PTM have taken the whole malarkey one step further, and due to a rather unfortunate mishap the only thing that made it back to the 80’s was Schwarznegger’s brain, which to be honest, isn’t the hardiest in politics. He will be back, but only a piece at a time. Get the hilarious The Machine tee on sale for $14.99 in sizes XS and S.

Take A Swim Tee

Taking a look at the lighter side of psychosis is TPM’s Take A Swim Tee, hey if you do have voices rattling around inside your head, why not make friends with them, go for a day out on the beach even? A word of warning though, if they claim to be God, as in George Bush’s reasoning behind the Iraq War, or happen to tell you where there’s a gun stashed and who in your local neighbourhood are ‘demons’, then please do check yourself into the nearest loony bin pronto. It’s all very well having a vivid imagination, but the truth is it’s always good to get a second opinion, however convincing those imaginary friends might sound. Love the characters in this design, very wacky, in a good way though, the diving board is a great detail, but I’m not quite convinced that a ghost would either need wings, or be able to carry a knife. Still, each to their own. Get the Take A Swim tee for $14.99 in sizes M to XL.

Lifestyle World

Sunday, 6 December 2009