FURTHER ADVENTURES WITH PAUL CRUSE

Back in 2003 when we started printing images of things we like on tee's, designing was a whole lot easier. Photograph your rare old training shoes, get the printer to filter the image into ink form and you had a rather smart tee. Problem was it caught on, so with that came competition and higher expectation. It came to the point that we had great ideas trapped in our heads but not the skills to realise them.....we needed a good artist/designer.

Over the years we have worked with one or two, but never anyone we felt comfortable with on a permanent basis.We often look back at many designs thinking 'great idea but we could do it better now' and yes, yes we can as we've got our Man.

Paul Cruse is a Liverpool based designer, who was brought to our attention through his own label ART OF WAR which we spotted in a mutual stockist. The quality of his graphics was in our opinion up there with the best we had seen, so we set out to track this Man down. Turned out we had a lot in common, years stuck in retail but wanting to do something more, both passionate owners of a small brand and a shared love of house music ( although a blue, Paul doesn't claim to be a huge match goer and we like that honesty).

So you may have noticed lately, us re visiting our archive as a good idea is a good idea and even better when PC get's his mitts on it.

Like some we don't constantly rave about our products, although we are very proud of what we do. We just keep striving to improve and believe if you like our goods then you'll buy them, if you don't you won't. However we do feel we are blessed to have Paul as part of our team, keeping our graphic tee's progressing in line with the rest of our clothing. Like us Paul works hard in his day job (well night actually) to keep his true passion alive. He also runs his own studio undertaking private work should you fancy a personal high quality image just for you. Oh and you know what? he's a thoroughly nice lad to. JM

You can contact Paul here.

THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

An idea we have been playing with for some time now, a fresh take on one of our first ever tee's, with a shake towards a brand and icon that was the starting point for our little label.

Take three under celebrated anti hero's from three of the best movies of all time.....

Don Logan, foul mouth pint sized psychopath, famed for his ability to take the swing out of any party, giving those mats around the bottom of toilets a purpose and not liking his sphincter tickled.

Brick Top, another knee high utter nutter, with no time for grasses but a lover of Muhammed 'I'm hard' Bruce Lee and pigs. He's a sweet chap who is no stranger to throwing a dog a bone.

 

Finally we have Richard, an easy going sort until you upset his bro. Good with a knife, likes a clown and some mushroom tea. Loves a game of guess who and watching you while you sleep. JM

Coming soon, art work by PC

GOD'S COUNTRY

Not a lot of people know this, but we're from the North of Britain...that's right, cars on bricks, angry miners, pies and peas, clean air, lots of rain, beautiful countryside, tyres round lamp posts, wonderful music, traditional industry, shit football grounds, great football teams, well dressed football chaps, and some of the best towns and cities in the world (oh and we do speak to each other on trains). So yet again we are going to shout out our pride in where we reside.....Gods country, The North.

Another rather good designs realised by our Man Paul Cruse for later this year. JM

LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!

Now we don't do collaborations, X or VS with any Thomas, Richard or Horatio..... it has to mean something to us.

This design is an idea that has been bubbling under for a while, with friend and forum member Terry Farley of Junior Boys Own fame. As a fan of said mag/record label and their importance to my other love (house music), we have chewed the fat on doing something together for a while and finally came to this.

Back in the day (and all that), Boys Own did a rather popular cult t shirt, which simply stated 'London love it or leave it'. Our twist on this, is the addition of a casual inspired nature, featuring a well known cocky Cockney character done as only the Man Paul Cruse can do.

We don't like to ignore our followers in the South, so this is for you. JM