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

THIEVES LIKE US

Yes OK we are a pair of boring old jam tarts, obsessed with football, grafting, Head bags and training shoes. Oh yes and we also like New Order....

Although I'm pretty sure the lyrics from my personal fave 12" have nothing to do with Transalpino travel, European aways, or filling up said Head bags with sporting loot, I love the title and how it ties in with that Era. So a bit of jiggery pokery by PC and voila! as they say in Gare Du Nord.

You get it? Ahhh very clever. JM

NEW DAWN FADES

Mac lad Ian Kevin Curtis, truly a musical genius who's demons took him away from us too soon. We could wax lyrical all day about his coolness and how many an awayday his music has been the theme tune to (it's even mentioned in our favourite book), but we don't need to as you already know.

Again perfectly captured by our cohort Paul Cruse, this artwork simply combines a nod towards our choice of LP, line from our favourite tune and image of the Man himself.

Available later this year. JM

OUR KIDS TEE

1990 was the year me and our kid had our first holiday abroad alone. I was 19 he was 17, both buzzing our tits off as we were going to Ibiza! I remember going to a store in Manchester where all the uber rave heads were shopping called Geese (like most the football was sidelined for a few moons). My bro got this t shirt by a brand called Burro, with this ace anti violence slogan on the front, release to coincide with the world cup in Italy that Summer.

http://www.burro.co.uk/#/no-alla-violenza/4545395340

I have fond memories of that image, holiday and indeed time in my life. As the world cup in Brazil looms, we thought this would be a great time to reproduce our nod to that tee and time, as we are sure it will hold parallel memories for many cut from the same cloth.

Well it wouldn't be our own without a twist, so we nicked Yeti's kipper (The Firm), from artwork by our very own Paul Cruse.....a far more fitting face for the campaign we thought, as he's been there, seen it, got the hand gun.

Spreading the gospel of peace in June. JM

THE HISTORY OF HOUSE

It's no great secret that the phenomenon that is house music has never left me, like many others of my generation. I've seen many bleat on about 'the rave scene' and it's effect on a certain football associated pass time in the late 80s, but only if you were really there will you truly appreciate this tee...

Meeting points, convoys, dodgy clobber, sported up production line cars, mix tapes, new friends from wooly places, gurning, birds smelling of strawberry, poncho's, pony tails, high tops, 1210's, hippy's selling home made trips , Mondays on the sick, fucking the match off, hanging around Eastern Bloc, Bluebird, 3 Beat records....I could go on.

It's not the same for me now, as much as I still love it. Just another sub culture that made the 80s great.

Released in July on promo or under the counter. JM

THE OLD FIRM

The classic 80s hoolie film 'The Firm' has been paid homage by many brands since our original 'Bexie' tee. As we did it first we thought lets have another bash at that old flick we love, with another Summer of international football around the corner!

Inspired by the pre Euro meet scene, our Man Paul Cruse has again realized our idea of what the main characters may have looked like if the wardrobe budget had stretched a bit further than a trolly dash in Scope......you either get it or you don't.

Due as a tee print in June, do you want your spanking now? JM

IT'S NAME IS RIO

The ‘sun’ or ‘bucket’ hat is a terrace staple made so by such brands as Fila, Burberry and Ellesse during the 80s. 

Now into our fourth version, the ‘Rio’ is a very lightweight cotton weave with our own personal reversible checks.  Available in sand and navy, featuring ‘palla’ woven badge to front and ‘Eighties’ pinch tab to the rear.  Please note for those not off to Brazil, this should do a reasonably good job in the rain too. JM

THE SALVADOR SMOCK

From the outset, our aim has been to produce classic well made basic clothing that can be mixed in with trends and fads, as they just aren't our thing. In keeping with those parameters, we introduce our Salvador smock for Spring/Summer 14.

Made from a light yet robust tight woven nylon mix, this throw over will see you through the worst of heavy showers and still leave you looking top cat (or dog) all year round. Features include two side hand warmer pockets, a large front kangaroo stow sack, side adjusters, mesh inner lining and generous storm hood with adjustable buckle.

Released online Friday the 25th of April 2014 @ 8pm in olive green, burnt orange and marine blue.

Price £109.95 JM

THE FABULOUS NORTH

We've never shied away from the pride of where we are from, and no one should, as it's what you are, part of your make up. We have respect for all the corners of these fine isles, and their different quirks, looks and accents.

The Fabulous North design is based on one of our tongue in cheek ads, playing up to the stereo type of the northern man. Re interpreted by the ever impressive artist Paul Cruse, with the apt font of Las Vegas inspiration. JM  

RIP RODGER HILL - AKA CYRUS

Actor Roger Hill, who had a key role in the cult classic film "The Warriors", died on Thursday February 20 at the age of 65. Hill played the charismatic gang leader Cyrus in director Walter Hill's film. Hill was given the famous "can you dig it" speech, when the person the role was originally intended for didn't turn up for filming, and it was offered to him......  the rest is history as they say.

Now we are not ones for cashing in on the sad demise of actors/characters we love, hence our recent 'Cyrus' design was pure coincidence and brought out before this sad news (as were our early Osti designs). However we are very proud of this poignant reminder of a character that played such a memorable part in the imagery of our youth.

One site brought to our attention via our forum, is this interesting feature on the original film locations, now and then.

http://www.scoutingny.com/the-new-york-city-filming-locations-of-the-warriors-ny-youve-changed/

Can you dig it? JM

SCHOOL OF SKULLDUGERY

Meet Alex, cool cat but a bit of a sick puppy. He's been going the match since he was a wee urchin and opened up his first mooey at the sweet and tender age of 16. A Jack the lad always good for a laugh and a line. Does a bit of this and that, he's a little bit wooo, a little bit waaay, a little bit woosh.

Now he's so well schooled in the art of skullduggery, he even has his own clothing line getting snapped up by all the hip kids to wear for the game down the boozer. He's so now that there is no one he's not done a collabo with, even getting CP to do him a double watchviewer as he has a kettle on each wrist. Immortalized here in all his glory by the talented Paul Cruse.

Out soon..... JM

GRIM UP NORTH

This vintage slice of graffiti originally tagged on the London Euston train line has become something of an obsession for us, you could even say an integral part of our brand. Because we're Northern you see and like most of our breed proud of it. Yes we love the North vs South banter and even throw in the odd design just for our friends in the deep South. But when it comes down to it, we have this belief that the grim harsh reality of a less pampered dull Northern existence, makes us more resilient with a stronger will to succeed though adversity. 

We also like clothes and nice ones at that! So we got our man Paul Cruse to take inspiration from two of our favourite things (we believe we were the first of many to take an interest in putting the Mille Miglia on designs). The result is a new twist on two of our old designs, re drawn from scratch with his take on the anniversary CP advert.

We like it and hope you do to, it's coming soon... JM

WORLD CUP FEVER

Yes it's started already and we're making no apologies! The 'Numismatics' (or coin collector) design is inspired by the oversized coins given out with a full tank of two star (or something like that) by fuel giants 'Esso' for the 1970 & 1990 world cups.

OK so it's not strictly legal tender but much cooler than a Smurf and great for throwing at those cheating foreigners should they make your piss boil.

So celebrating the up and coming WC 2014 in Brazil, we have embossed some of our lovely tee's with a terrace twist immortalizing three great tournaments, with some favoured lad attire of the time. Not as heavy as the originals but feel free to throw yours at Balotelli (or indeed the telly) should needs must this Summer. JM

THE SCRAP BOOK YEARS

1980s was a glorious period in the history of Everton Football Club. The team, managed by Howard Kendall, beat all before them, twice winning the First Division title, beating Bayern Munich and Rapid Vienna on the way to lifting the European Cup Winners Cup and defeating Watford as they lifted the FA Cup at Wembley. Surprisingly for such a successful period in the clubs history, there are very few books that cover this period in any detail. One person who has looked to change all that is Paul Gladwell, who recently published his first book, The Scrapbook Years - A Teenage Evertonian in the ‘80's.

At first glance the book provides a quite brilliant pictorial look back at this glorious time, with the odd reference to the history of the club and more recent Toffee adventures under David Moyes. It immediately brought back some fabulous memories and any Evertonian who was fortunate to visit Goodison Park during this time will feel nostalgic as they flick through the pages. From Panini stickers, ticket stubs, through to programme covers and newspaper cuttings, this is everything you would expect from a Scarpbook. There are also some quite brilliant photos, my particular favourite shows desperate fans risking their lives as they try to scale the Wembley walls to watch the all Merseyside cup final in 1986. JM

Available here:http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Scrapbook-Years-Teenage-Evertonian/dp/1906823901

REAL FOOTBALL

I think it's a given that we are habitual supporters of football, but not just the professional kind. A small label we are, but our pockets are deep when it comes to putting a bit back. Not much puts as bigger smile on our faces ( and theirs) as seeing our teams with Eighties artwork emblazoned across the club shirts. So it's with great pride that we showcase the new 2014 strips for both Sutton Casuals FC and Vauxhall Motors under 10's (the current Wirral mini cup holders). JM

ZAPPA - THE MOTHER OF ALL TEE'S

Frank Vincent Zappa is regarded by many as one of the most original guitarists and composers of his time. His outrageous and humorous lyrics, earned him a cult status with chongers and trippers alike (although he claimed not to be a user of any mind bending substances himself).

2013 saw the 20th anniversary of the cool Mexicana trainer wearing dancing fools passing, which we wish to mark with this tribute to a free thinker cut from a different cloth, interpreted by our man Paul Cruse . JM

Released spring 2014