My Favorite T-Shirt
I think I've worn this shirt to pretty much every convention I've been to for the past three or four years. It's my absolute favorite ROBOTECH t-shirt of all, for ... well ... obvious reasons.
Yes, it's a t-shirt of the SDF-1 bridge girls sunbathing on the shoulders of Skull One. The same composition, with overly photoshopped colors and patterns in lieu of the elegant graytones, appeared as the cover for Academy Comics' Academy Blues issue #3 in October 1995. While the shirt features the signature of ROBOTECH comic artist Sean Bishop, also credited with the cover, I hesitate to say it's exactly the same image -- some of the linework is different between the version on the shirt and the version on the comic cover, and the line weight on the cover looks heavier, somewhat blotchier.
The shirt was produced by Kimono My House of Emeryville, CA, an anime and Japanese toy store that I get the impression has been around longer than I've been into anime -- and trust me, you don't find that many of those at this point. They actually did up a whole range of ROBOTECH shirts, including the classic "We want YOU for the RDF!" shirt featuring the image of Rick Hunter that appeared on the back of all the Matchbox toys; however, THIS is the one that I had my eyes on to buy from the first time I saw it way back in, what, 1996? That sounds right. Probably around the time they were first printed up, come to think of it.
While their website has the appearance of something abandoned -- the copyright at the bottom reads 2000 -- I'm on the verge of checking to see if Kimono My House is still in operation just to get another one or two of this shirt, since the decal on this one is starting to crack all over the place. Maybe even take the "We Want YOU" one while I'm at it.
The site is well worth surfing especially if you were really into anime about ten years ago -- it's like a freakin' time capsule, especially if you take a look at their selection of anime pins. I mean, my god, they've got pins from Bubblegum Crisis, Ranma 1/2, Fist of the North Star and freakin' Robot Carnival. Cripes.
Anyhoo, there's my favorite ROBOTECH shirt and where to get one of your very own, if they're still in operation. I'll have something else for you all tomorrow.
Oh, and anyone found any of those ads for me yet?
Anyone?
Yes, it's a t-shirt of the SDF-1 bridge girls sunbathing on the shoulders of Skull One. The same composition, with overly photoshopped colors and patterns in lieu of the elegant graytones, appeared as the cover for Academy Comics' Academy Blues issue #3 in October 1995. While the shirt features the signature of ROBOTECH comic artist Sean Bishop, also credited with the cover, I hesitate to say it's exactly the same image -- some of the linework is different between the version on the shirt and the version on the comic cover, and the line weight on the cover looks heavier, somewhat blotchier.
The shirt was produced by Kimono My House of Emeryville, CA, an anime and Japanese toy store that I get the impression has been around longer than I've been into anime -- and trust me, you don't find that many of those at this point. They actually did up a whole range of ROBOTECH shirts, including the classic "We want YOU for the RDF!" shirt featuring the image of Rick Hunter that appeared on the back of all the Matchbox toys; however, THIS is the one that I had my eyes on to buy from the first time I saw it way back in, what, 1996? That sounds right. Probably around the time they were first printed up, come to think of it.
While their website has the appearance of something abandoned -- the copyright at the bottom reads 2000 -- I'm on the verge of checking to see if Kimono My House is still in operation just to get another one or two of this shirt, since the decal on this one is starting to crack all over the place. Maybe even take the "We Want YOU" one while I'm at it.
The site is well worth surfing especially if you were really into anime about ten years ago -- it's like a freakin' time capsule, especially if you take a look at their selection of anime pins. I mean, my god, they've got pins from Bubblegum Crisis, Ranma 1/2, Fist of the North Star and freakin' Robot Carnival. Cripes.
Anyhoo, there's my favorite ROBOTECH shirt and where to get one of your very own, if they're still in operation. I'll have something else for you all tomorrow.
Oh, and anyone found any of those ads for me yet?
Anyone?
posted by Captain JLS at
23:05
7 Comments:
I did flip through a few of the magazines that were left in the purging of stuff from my house as I get closer to deployment... but no luck... sorry!
By
Anonymous, at 23 June, 2006 02:40
Jonathan, I live in San Francisco and visted Kimono My House toys in 1996 and last I ordered from then was in 1998 for a Beast War II Gigastorm. It was an interesting experience to say the least visiting the store back then, it's on the top of a building in Oakland.
I was first introduced to the store at Robocon 10 when I signed up for their mailing.
As for the store, I haven't visited them since nor order in a very long time and on a lark, just now I called their phone number and got a voice mail (btw as I write this it's 3:22AM my time and I made the call a few minutes ago :p ) so I must assume they are still in business, but the webpage might not be a high priorty for them!
Anyhow I hope this information helps!
Mark
By
Anonymous, at 23 June, 2006 05:30
Kimono My House is still in operation in Emeryville.
By
Ginrai, at 23 June, 2006 13:41
I thought they MIGHT still be in operation -- the anime store I used to work for didn't really consider THEIR website a priority during the last year or so I worked there, either -- but I wasn't sure. Website tumbleweeds can have that effect.
By
Captain JLS, at 23 June, 2006 16:14
Ginrai,
You're right I misspoke by saying Oakland, but sure aint to far from it :P
And Jonathan if you do order from there you might want to politely suggest to them to update their website :P
Mark
By
Anonymous, at 23 June, 2006 23:13
Fav RT shirt was another Academy one, the Alpha in the style of VF-1 pose, and probably the last official non-Macross Saga RT shirt produced :(
By
Anonymous, at 24 June, 2006 22:13
Don't these count under that criteria?
ROBOTECH "Southern Cross" T-Shirt
ROBOTECH "New Generation" T-Shirts
(Never mind that the "Army of the Southern Cross logo" is actually its air force organizational emblem.)
By
Anonymous, at 25 June, 2006 10:02
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