So the response to the “would y’all like some t-shirts” question has been answered rather enthusiastically.
I was thinking if we got about 150 people expressing an interest it would be worth doing. Since we got over three times that many responses in less than a day, I’m thinking we’re good to go.
Here’s the plan. I’m eventually going to make t-shirts for three different things.
- Worldbuilders.
- The Adventures of the Princess and Mr. Whiffle.
- The Name of the Wind/Patrick Rothfuss.
We’re going to start with the last of these as Worldbuilders won’t be starting up again for months, and Adventures won’t be published for another month or so. (I’m so excited…)
Here’s the problem with the plan: I really don’t have a good idea for a t-shirt design.
Part of the problem is that I work in a non-visual medium. I’m texty. And while I’m good at what I do, raw text doesn’t usually make the most compelling t-shirt design.
There are exceptions, of course….
Shirts like this are fun for a lot of reasons. First, you get to let your freak flag fly. This one not only expresses my undying love for Joss Whedon, but it’s a bit of a star-wars riff, AND the shirt itself is from one of my favorite webcomics. It’s a nerdy hat-trick.
Shirts like this are like wearing geek gang colors. If I’m at a convention and someone says they like my shirt, then I know we have something in common. We’ll have something to chat about if we’re standing together in line.
But, generally speaking, a t-shirt with a bit of a picture is way more interesting.
For those of you that can’t see it that clearly, the t-shirt says: “Pose as a team, ’cause shit just got real.” Yes I love the comic that spawned it, but the real reason I own that particular shirt is because it cracks me up.
Sometimes shirts express a universal truth.
Others provide social commentary.
There are also shirts that I consider stealth geek shirts. For example:
Obviously I’m not stealthing very well right here. But the point is, if I leave the convention and take off my badge, the Fruit Oaty Bar t-shirt looks perfectly normal. It doesn’t scream GEEK! at everyone who looks at me. But at the same time, real Firefly can identify me as a true believer.
Also, it’s a really good color on me. I’m an autumn.
Here’s my thought. A couple years ago when I ran a photo contest, y’all amazed me with your creativity. People climbed onto rooftops, stripped naked, someone even sewed a pair of pants for my book.
I’m hoping to tap into that well of enthusiastic creativity again.
So here’s the deal. For two weeks we’ll be accepting submissions for t-shirt designs. (Until June 23rd) Then we’ll winnow through them and put up the cream of the crop here on the blog for people to discuss and vote on.
- What sort of design should I submit?
Something cool. The particular flavor of cool I leave entirely to you. Rock my world.
- What format should I use?
The best option, of course, is that you e-mail us a file with the lovingly crafted design. Even shirts that are just pure text need some graphic design to them.
However, if you’re like me, you have no graphic talent. If that’s the case, you might want to consider teaming up with a friend to design something.
Failing that, you could just send us your description of what you think the shirt should look like. If it seems like a cool idea, I’ll talk to one of my artist friends and see if they can whip something up.
- Where do you send it?
e-mail it to: paperback.contest [squiggly atsign thinger] gmail.com.
- What do I get out of it if you pick my design?
First, the envy of your peers. Bragging rights. Adulation and fawning praise.
Second, we’ll come to some sort of arrangement for compensation. If you like, I could just buy the design off you in the same way I’d pay a graphic designer.
Or, if you’d prefer, I could give you something else. I’ve got a handful of first-edition books around here that I could sign for you. And some ARC’s too, if you’re into collectibles. I’ve got posters and a bunch of other stuff. We’ll be able to work something out.
Also, you can probably make a play for some free shirts when they’re done.
Thanks for playing everyone. Remember, the deadline is June 23rd.
pat
96 Comments
Oh… I’m so not artistic but I know some people who are. Hzzah for fan based T-shirts!
Only 2 weeks? Ugh…..decisions, decisions.
“The name of the wind is…Gerry. thats right, Gerry. And he gets lonely from time to time.” noo, soooo not good enough for this task…nay, awful. Only two weeks? ah, must get creative. Im looking forward to seeing the winning t-shirts.
I so wanted to put up a big first post but I know it would have been deleted. And my previous post should be huzzah not hzzah and fan designed not fan based. Its kinda hard to edit your posts when you can’t see them. Sometimes I hate my stupid blackberry which unexplainably seems to be working fine now. Go figure
Do you prefer any pictures on the T-shirt? like a specific fan-fic picture or something? It would be a handy thing to know.
I love all the links. It cranks up the awesomeness by *this* much.
I’m not the visually creative type either, but I can’t wait to see what everyone else sends in.
welcome to the club give me a kitchen and I can bake anything you ask for but to create no edible art go figure when you figure out the coices I would very much like to purchase one maybe proceeds could go to help the people in the gulf area affected by the oil that has screwed up there lives
ok so I cant spell either I have a 2 year old who wants to type two you get the idea
This is just awesome Pat. Thanks. :)
Can we send more than one design ?
I really enjoy this contest!
Yes.
The text “Click to Embiggen” is just shouting to be used…..
hahaha the “calling on the legions” label is great lol.
HAHA.. it’s my birthday today.. and i couldn’t have wished for anything better than a blog-post from you..
soo… I will sit down for a while and think of sth for your shirts…
You should also think about baby-clothing..(especially for little-Oot)
I think it’s reaaally awesome that you let your fans design something.. The’ll be the ones wearing them anyways..
greetings from germany, lots of love
sonja
Not particularly original and I dunno if someone’s already suggested it but “I killed a king and all Pat Rothfuss did for me was give me this shirt” or something to that effect.
Are multiple submissions allowed?
Yeah. But remember, we’re looking for quality, not quantity.
Considering the month is June, do you mean the deadline is 23rd of June, not July? Or is the deadline a bit further away, to you know, allow more room to be creative?
Cheers!
A marvellous response to a problem, though I must ask, what if you just don’t get many awesome designs? Or any?
I swear it said July not one minute ago.
The magic of editing and enreddening?
You might also want to request that no one uses things that’s not theirs/ that you guys won’t be able to use on your t-shirt.
July would of been awesome. I feel like my boss just ran into my office with one of his rush jobs and all of my free time just got sucked into a giant vacuum because there’s no way I can’t not participate in this.
Wasn’t there a “Be wary of folly” T-shirt on the blog some time? You could ask if you are allowed to use that…
Found it^^ :
ok, second (and hopefully last) try:
Nope, was obviously not the last one:
http://www.patrickrothfuss.com/blog/uploaded_images/t-shirt-757657.jpg
Unfortunately the only artistic person I really know is my tattoo artist who also happens to be my brother-in-law, but he’s crazy busy this time of year. I’ve been noticing a lot of the shirts with the design on one shoulder coming down the front lately and I kinda like the idea. Something with the latest NA NOTW cover, you know the druid looking type guy. I was completely unable to put down your book once I started reading but it’s been a while since I read it last. I’ve been going through Steven Eriksons’s Malazan books trying to let some other series I’m reading catch up.
This… brings back some awesome photo contest memories. Graphical design isn’t really my thing, but I can MS Paint like my balls are on fire and only an adequately drawn Dolorean travelling through the time vortex can numb the pain.
I fear this will result in some very highbrow, sixteen-dollar puns.
Oh yeah.
I was wondering where you’d gotten off to… Haven’t seen a post from you in a while Cap’n.
I saw some of your submissions from the paperback contest… can’t wait to see if a tshirt design makes it too. Good luck! :)
I dont have a creative bone in me. But, I am super excited to see what everyone comes up with! =)
I love this post and for obvious reasons! :D (Most certainly, Vincent, ‘click to embiggen’!)
I can’t wait to see the t-shirt designs; there have been so amazingly talented folks submitting Name of the Wind artwork over the past couple years. I think I might have to buy 2 shirts: one that is artwork focused and then a second witty-worded one.
Pat – you are ever the man.
Jen Newcomb
Ahh why do i have to be so bad at design? eh?
Cruel.
Really lacking original thought here… hmm.
Just wanted to jump in along with all the other “What a great idea!” comments, and add the observation that you must be one of the first (or among the first, admittedly I’m going off of personal experience not extended research) authors/directors/other-people-who-collect-a-superpowered-nerdbase to tap that productive resource in such a consistent and organized way. You managed to turn crazy fan creative energy (I speak as one) into a lucrative exercise and then you turn the proceeds to charity. I truly admire that. You remain one of the good guys despite your own struggles with a changing lifestyle, and on more than one occasion this fact has renewed my faith in people.
Thank you, not only for being such a brilliant and dedicated writer, but for being you.
Peace Out.
Hey Pat. Will there be plans to produce the T of Awesomeness in a woman’s (or girl) style T? Having been overly-blessed in the chest region of the anatomy, a standard men’s T’s creates a tent-like appearance. Not pretty, Pat. Just not pretty.
Girls with boobs like T’s too…
Since many people have requested them, we’re probably going to do some girl-sized shirts too…
How about “Take a Journey to the Middle of Newarre” with the picture from the paperback cover of Name of the Wind centered with “Take a Journey” above and “to the Middle of Newarre” below.
“Visit Scenic Newarre.”
“Newarre is for lovers.”
Wait! I loaned my NOTW to my sister, and clearly I must re-read it to be inspired, but it would be rude to take it back before she’s read it, or even while she is reading it. But if I wait, then I will be hurried and you know if you hurry you get no good ideas, you just get static for brains……
Sorry….Moment of panic is over…I’ve put on my big girl panties and realized that NOTW is available in bookstores everywhere and I am not in the least averse to having two copies and I am going to win this contest.
:)
See you in the winners circle….Bwahahaha!
Can’t wait to be able to buy geerkeriffic Rothfuss T’s! I’m not that sort of creative, but I absolutely trust my fellow fans to blow me away.
I have never been more happy to be studying graphic design. BOOYAH.
:p
Ok, I have never been happier to be an art student than right at this minute…*head swelling with designs*
I can’t write anymore…I have to go design some designs!
This is awesome!! I will definitely get my act together and submit something!
But a technical question, Pat–is there a certain size/parameter we need to make the file? I know for printing posters, etc, you need to make the print size much bigger than what you’d use for a for-online-display-only picture.
Right now we’re just looking for concept and execution. We can deal with the technical details like file types later.
“IAmtheRooster” and I are apparently in the same boat. And if it sinks, we’ll be fine, because we’ve both got ample flotation devices! *Ba-dum-bum*
Sorry, enough with the terrible jokes. Bring on the girl-shaped shirts!!
Well, I really didn’t get, to what e-mail adress do we have to send the designs??
Is there any special format you need the design in? I have a friend who’s a graphic designer and I know that her super cool stuff is formatted in a certain way so it can be used for flock print etc. Do you need it like that? (In which case I’m out) Or will simple jpegs etc do and you get crafty t-shirt people to adapt the design?
If it’s going to be for HQ print and you want to do it ‘right’ the settings should probably be 300 dpi, CMYK, and saved as a pdf, but I’m sure that if the design is big enough the crafty t-shirt people will be able to convert your jpeg for you :)
Or, if you work in photoshop or some other program it’s quite easy to do it yourself, drop me a line if you need some help :)
(I’m sorry if you were waiting for a reply from Pat, I just saw this and since this is actually something I know a little about I thought I’d help. ^^”)
I’m not sure what CMYK means but the rest I can do :-) I do work in Photoshop, but for example my graphics design friend works with vectors and the files have an EPS or FH11 format, which I really can’t do :-) So I wondered if jpegs would be fine because the background colour usually isn’t that flexible with JPEGS…if that makes sense? (Like, you can’t go and say “I want that design on a red shirt!” if the background colour in the JPEG is blue–I mean, you can, but the background colour on the JPEG will stay the same)
(Oh, don’t worry. I appreciate help by whoever is kind enough to offer it :-) Thanks for taking the time! )
If you’re working in photoshop go to image – mode – and then choose CMYK color. It basically stands for Cyan, Magenta, Yellow and Black, so 4 colors instead of RGB (red, green, blue), which means the color quality is better when you print. RGB is really just for when you’re making images for the web. Hope that helps ^^
And good luck with the design! I’m curious to see what all the people come up with :D
Aha! *lightbulb* I’ve heard about that one before, just didn’t remember the name. Thank you so much for the help!
Thanks! :D I hope I have the time to cook something up. I got a concept already at least. I’m really excited about the designs, too :D
I wish i could have the USA book, so i could get some quotes from it, but since i don’t have PS skills and my book is all written in portuguese… Guess i’ll only sit and watch the results D: !
Would be nice to “create” the University’s uniform, dunno
Nevermind ’bout the uniform.
Got a better idea:
A black T-shirt, with a retangular drawing, not too tall but large, going from the left to the right covering the hole front of it.
With Kvothe playing his lude sitting by the fire, with his travelling bag, with the Feila’s dark-green manteau using that silver necklace that he got on Deoch’s tabern but with it face covered in shadow, to keep hi’s age a mistery.
Than the quotes out of the image, in the black part, botton left corner “My name is Kvothe…” than under the drawing on the right down corner “…You may have heard of me. ”
Well, just an idea, i’ll see if i can find someone to do that for me (:
Oh, I’d stick with the uniform idea. Just take the album cover of AC/DC’s Who Made Who and Photoshop Kvothe’s head onto Angus. Then change the lettering to read, “In My World, The Wind Has A Name. Does It In Yours?”
Seriously, though, since most girls seem to want girl shaped T’s. Maybe we could have more than one design. For the guys’ T’s, could we just get these girls to sign a release form and print up the picture on the shirt? Give it the caption, “We’ve read The Name of The Wind. So should you.”
Hey Pat,
Long time fan, first time poster. But my wife and I did meet you at the Pasadena Ca book signing.
I think you should do a t shirt from your contest a few years ago.
The pic I am referencing is the pic of the three topless women with a print of the cover of your book on each of their backs while reading your book.
I know you know which one I am talking about. That would be the coolest t shirt in my opinion. Sort of like that poster of naked women with all the Pink Floyd album covers on each of their back’s.
I would buy that shirt for sure.
Dohh, Rob had the same idea it seems, and here I thought I had a moment of inspiration.
It was a moment of inspiration, sumigo, we just had it at the same time. I would’ve been able to post a few minutes earlier had I not been looking up how to do the link to the image . . . .
Right on Rob, well done on linking the pic, good work. I think that would make an awesome t shirt.
You have caused the Fruty Oaty Bars song to be stuck in my head… I hope you are pleased with yourself.
I am.
Talking about designs, what the hell is a part of the NotW UK cover doing on a catalog for a new french teenagers editor ? It’s called Castelmore : http://www.fantasy.fr/img/upload/Catalogue-Castelmore.jpg
Argh! Is it really necessary to tempt me with this while I have to do exam preparation till the end of June? I soooo want to go for this contest now. ^^
Hi Pat,
Will you need to get permission from Neil Gaiman and Felicia Day to use the “Gaiman-Day scale of coolness” in a T-Shirt design?
I think you need to get this scale of measure out there!
Everyone could personalize thier own T-Shirt by having “According to Patrick Rothfuss….”I am exactly ___Gaiman-Day units of cool”
Hey Pat,
I went and made a t-shirt on Zazzle the night after your first blog about tshirts. I’ll email you the address to the website where you can see it, but for everybody else go to http://www.zazzle.com/mister27
You all can check out my different designs. But I have to say that my Patrick Rothfuss t-shirt is the one I like the most so far.
Olympia(Mister27)
Greetings,
So, you have to relax and enjoy “el mundial”. First of all, turn on your tv (june 11) to see te inaguration. Of course you will be a fan o Mexico :)
Chers
“It’s all in the beard.”
I’m really wishing that I had an ounce of design savvy within me. Unfortunately all I can do is knit. So Pat if you are in need of some wicked knits, I’m your girl!
“Wicked Knits” would be a great band name….
Yes, yes it would indeed!
I keep thinking of a green hoody with a smallish set of silver pipes “pinned on” in silkscreen. Too subtle? I am no graphic designer, just an idea in mah head.
It could say “The Eolian”. I am not super wild about “I won my pipes at the Eolian” but maybe it would be more popular?
I wish I could think of a clever phrase slamming Ambrose…
How about “The Eolian: Where pride pays silver and plays golden.”?
Hey, Pat. I don’t know if this has been mentioned yet, but have you thought about commissioning your artist friend Nate for some ideas? I follow him on DeviantArt and love his work. He’s full of graphic genius. Maybe I should throw him a line on DA.
I am totally down for a Lady-T!
(maybe 2 or 3 so I have a backup if I wear it out haha)
Not sure if it would work on a shirt, but really cracked me up
@ Dan:
That picture is one of my faves…totally cracks you up!
MR. FUSSY!
Must you only pick ONE design? I’m just getting into yaoi and it’ll be cool if there were a NOTW girl’s t-shirt with two guys from NOTW on it as a selection…make ’em all anime like…(and I’m sure the guys would like something with the girls on it too…).
Also, would you look at teeny comic strips, (say 3 big bars long) on the shirt?
@Sedulo
That would be a really cool hoodie design. I’d go for it. I like designs that are more subtle, rather then just shoving the idea at you, or are too wordy to explain it.
If it needs to be explained for you to buy it, shouldn’t be wearing it >.>..
What about using some of the book cover designs as t-shirts? I don’t mean ripping them off, I mean maybe getting some permission from the artist or something. I like the Italian book cover, for example.
Also for a stealth nerd tshirt you could do a clever picture riddle for name of the wind (with the element symbol for air and…well stuff like that). Also the german NotW cover is absolutely kickass imo.
i would buy the shirt that says, “tuan volgen oketh ama”
Pat, this is awesome! Too bad I’m not really visually creative… just punny. :(
Also, tell Sarah she’s looking good and Oot (what we can see of him in the picture) looks all growy and healthy. Can we have updated pics?
~missalena
I think t-shirts with images related to your books will sell better than ones with something related to Patrick. Look at all the Star Wars merchandise. People are not buying pictures of George Lucas eating a Burrito. I think alot of kids would be interested in images from your books. Kind of like they liked Star Wars lunch boxes back in the day.
I think the social commentary would only appeal to people who agree with your social commentary. You probably have alot of readers who don’t agree with you politically, but just like your books.
I have absolutely no artistic talent. So I am just putting in my opinion.
The first thing that came to mind was the last panel of that “Goblins” comic from a couple years ago in which one of the goblins (I don’t recall the name) is saved from an arrow by a copy of NotW: “Best. Book. Ever.”
http://goblins.keenspot.com/d/20080516.html
Awesome. Just Awesome.
I saw the fan art illistration of Kvothe created by Kim Kincaid and it really stuck in my mind. It’s awesome! I would kill for a t-shirt with that printed on it.
Perhaps “kill” is a slight exaggeration, but I would pay good money for it.
yeah, the design I sent in was an homage to her Kvothe. She has a great one.
I’m going to try to illustrate something and see if I can get any of my friends to enter too. Is there any restrictions where the print goes? I know some printers don’t go the the edges of shirts…
Sweet.
Haha, I created an account just for this >:3.
Is there an age limit for this contest? And
will you only be picking one?
I’m a decent artist, and have several ideas… I’m probably going to submit about four things if I can get them all done in time…
I’ve made a couple more Patrick Rothffuss and TNOTW tshirts on zazzle. Check them out at http://www.zazzle.com/mister 27, hopefully they will be put in the contest.
http://www.zazzle.com/mister27 oops…
Hi Olympia,
Thank you for submitting a “Draccus” T Shirt. I have absolutely no artistic talent, just ideas. To be honest, I didn’t think anyone had even read my post with the idea in the “Does Anyone out There even Give a Shirt?” blog.
Theresa
How about an “I’m not Pat Rothfuss” t-shirt.
oh…scratch that idea. Pat would probably never get around to making them. ;-)
Ok…so this is the first time I’ve ever done this (designed or used zazzle). But, this is what I envisioned with this shirt. The only difference I had in mind was that the pic on the back would not be boxed like that (The black surrounding Pat’s face would be the same color as the shirt.)
Pat, I hope you don’t mind me doing this since you already did this same concept 10 yrs ago.
http://www.zazzle.com/i_am_not_pat_rothfuss_tshirt-235228920414298462
*sigh* I want to cry about the deadline… two weeks is not a long time to design and illustrate…
Isn’t this just one big shoe-in for Phil McDarby? In two weeks someone else can create something cute/funny/catchy but for just PRETTY its not going to outdo the draccus….
nice post….
https://www.jigno.com/men/shirts.html