FREE Christmas T-Shirts!

What's more Awesome than Awesome?   Not much.  It's hard to trump Awesome.  BUT, there's a close second.  It's Awesome's nephew and he goes by the name of FREE.  Free, since carrying the same DNA, is next to Awesome.  Genetic rules say so.  Now that you've had a crash course in genealogy that wasn't ripped from ancestry.com, I say you're about ready to get your FREE on!

"How" do you ask?  Easy.  Make a purchase for $50.00 and get a FREE, AWESOME CHRISTMAS TEE!  It's so awesome that my Caps Lock button just broke writing that!

You can also buy the Christmas T-shirts for $25.00 if nothing else is striking your fancy.  I find that hard to believe though - we sell Transformers, G.I. Joe, Joe Ledbetter and Gary Baseman products on our webstore.  These are all much needed and highly collectible items coveted by just about everyone who is anyone and whom has a collection of anything of some importance.  That's right.  The gauntlet has been dropped.  Put away your "Meh" and "Eh" (too whiny and negative) and head face first into Awesome's bossom.  Go for it!

Instructions:

1. Make purchase
2. Get free t-shirt
3. Email info@theloyalsubjects.com for size, color and design preference.
4. Tees are Unisex
5. Be Happy

www.theloyalsubjects.com because we do Christmas right!

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE! SO PUT ONE ON!

TRANSFORMERS - "jeek juke blop o beep"

Onomonopia.  Words that literalize sounds.  TRANSFORMERS was a lot of that for me.  And I'm sure for you too.  That little consecutive series of noises which spelled out the mechanism for these alien life forms as they unveiled themselves to each other.  We spent countless hours on the playground mimicking that noise.  Didn't matter what we were doing.  Could have been surfing, playing basketball, baseball, skating.  Whatever.  All of it.  We applied the "jeek juke blop o beep" to almost every activity from 10 years and on.  I still hear it.  I secretly still do it.  I loved TRANSFORMERS as a kid.  I mean, LOVE!

I remember Sears being the TRANSFORMERS outlet.  One of them.  Whenever I walked into Sears with my father or mother, I went straight to that section.  It was sensory overload.  The same feeling that I got when I went into a baseball card shop.  Everything smelled, looked, tasted and sounded like dessert.  Frosty, sweet, decadent, heavenly, beautiful.  Too many adjectives.  An overwhelming feeling of positive possibility wrapped in boyhood appetites.  If my father caved and bought me a TRANSFORMERS figure, it's as if everything good in the world had been condensed into this object which I could hold.  I remember the red packaging for the Autobots.  The Purple for the Decepticons.  Eventually the lime green for some of the new Decepticon characters.  I was attracted to purple.  I found myself collecting more Decepticons.  Not because of affiliation, just because of the color.  The window box and those figures tucked snug inside.  Wow.  That was love.

I had STARSCREAM, SOUNDWAVE, SHOCKWAVE, TRAILBLAZER, JAZZ, RATCHET, OPTIMUS PRIME...oh man.  I loved MEGATRON.  He was a gun.  He was so cool.  If you had OPTIMUS PRIME you might as well owned a Pete Rose Rookie card.  Caste systems developed based off one's TRANSFORMERS collection.  This was serious business.

I can remember the die caste parts.  I loved the shape of the faces.  The uniquely expressionless faces.  They were perfect.  Like greek statues.  Expressionless but powerful with all the ideal, chiseled neo classical profiles.  They even had Roman noses.  Like they were Gods of some sort.  And then the Transforming - oh man, that was mind blowing.  I loved JAZZ,  I love those car doors that swung open and how the legs locked into place with the fold down die cast feet.  He was perfect.  A long time friend of our family came over to our house one night.  Consequently I was playing with the TRANSFORMERS figures.  He had asked to see the toy.  It was JAZZ.  He took it.  He was an adult, he didn't understand the nuances.  The imagination was essential.  Some adults lose that part.  They try to intellectualize what is purely creative.  You can't do that.  He looked at JAZZ, tried to force parts into parts.  He broke JAZZ.  I was bummed.  He did not "have the touch".

I can write about this for hours.  TRANSFORMERS and myself have connected memories.  They always will.

Now, I make TRANSFORMERS collectibles and other items.  Can you imagine?  It's like being the Third Base Coach for the Dodgers.  WTH!  Amazing.  I wish I had these tees when I was a kid.  I would wear them.  Not just because I made them but because I would wear them.  We make what we like.  I love all of our creations.  The TRANSFORMERS is like turning TLS into Wonka Chocolate.  Absolutely mind blowing.  I am the first to wear these tees (pic below).  I love them.

T-Shirts are available now @ www.theloyalsubjects.com for $25.00.  Shipping inside US is FREE!  Character designs by the ever so talented Les Schettkoe.  Sweet!  It's exciting to see your dreams come true, even more exciting that I have great people who are participating in this adventure with me.  Thank you Hasbro and thank you, all the TLS customers, for making this a reality.

"Autobots, Roll out!"

MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE.

JOE LEDBETTER, GIANT BURGER BUNNIES AND YOYAMART!

Wow.  Time flies.  I swear it was June 28th two days ago.  It came and went.  So did my birthday.  Stop the train for a second so we can catch our breath...Please.  Ugg.

June 28th - A magnificent, irruguous New York summer day (and night).   Heavy on the heat, heavy on the perspiration.  We were fortunate to escape to the loose partying, stimulate atmosphere of the ever so cool, hip and chic grasps of the Meat Packing District's Yoyamart.  Libations o' many.  Prosecco flowed like infinite vases dripping from processions dedicated to the bacchanal.  Guys, girls, kids, parents, hipsters, fans, Frenchmen, Irishmen, Jamaicans, Philippinas, Englishmen and the like kicked up their heels, batted down a few menacing 5 foot tall inflatable Burger Bunnies and let loose in celebration.  The occasion?  Why, Joe Ledbetter of course!  Making a rare New York appearance.

It was a party.  A signing.  A good time.  Had by all.  Dig?!

Beyond booze, laughter, music and friends, Yoyamart displayed a fanciful cornucopia of very in demand Joe Ledbetter merchandise.  Namely, the Burger Bunny inflatable (sand weighted base and 7 lbs!), a selection of limited edition Joe Ledbetter shirts (available at Yoyamart - go get em!) - including Fire-Cat-Zilla, Ringo Bear, Batman and Burger Bunny tees for kids, men and women!   Other limited edition TLS x Joe Ledbetter product was made available.  Rumor has it, Yoyamart has an exclusive edition of 50 print.  Wha?  Woot!  We even saw a single sighting of the original Secret Fresh Exclusive Burger Bunny from TLS!  It went faster than those dodging the magnificently fantastic surging heat waves.  Yoyamart has a rich selection of Joe Ledbetter and TLS products.  You should stop in.  Word on the street is, Yoyamart is a celebrity hotspot for a few well known silver screen shoppers and day trippers.  Maybe you'll run into someone you know?

A sincere HUGE thank you to the wonderful owners of Yoyamart and their generous and patient staff.  We love you!

JOE LEDBETTER SIGNING THIS COMING THURS AT YOYAMART, NYC!

We're coming to NYC!  The whole lot of us - The Loyal Subjects, Joe Ledbetter, Burger Bunny Inflatables, Exclusive Prints, Limited Edition Joe Ledbetter vinyl collectibles, Joe Ledbetter T-Shirts...wha??  Phewww!  That's a lot of stuff we're hauling across the country, but never fear - we have strong arms and a will to party - with our NYC friends!  How about that!

Let me tell you about Yoyamart - Yoyamart is owned by some of the most graceful, fashionable, exquisite and elegant proprietors West of Paris, France!  Not kidding - these guys are next level.  That's why we are proud to be affiliated with this brilliant, fashionable and tasty boutique!  We're bringing in the heavy artillery - Joe Ledbetter and a whole Joe-a-pallooza of awesome creations!   Joe will be on hand signing, greeting, chatting it up and hanging with his loyal patrons!  So, come on in and meet the man behind the creations!  T-Shirts, Burger Bunny Inflatables and Prints will all be limited so definitely jump in and grab them while you can!  Joe created an exclusive Edition of 50 print just for the party!  Saweeeeet!

See you there!  

Where?

YOYAMART

15 GANSEVOORT STREET

NEW YORK, NY 10014

TEL: 212-242-5511

THURSDAY, JUNE 28TH

7-10P

THE LOYAL SUBJECTS COACHELLA (tiny) CAPSULE COLLECTION!

I started in music.  I played drums for nameless bands.  Seemingly forever.  But a "fun" forever.  Eventually, after a day of music fits and tantrums, I thought of an idea - "Let's create characters like the Lil' Homies but instead of 'Homies', they'll have Mullets.  I'll call them Mullet Heads!"  That's a good abbreviated and condensed way of describing how I plunged into this industry.  Music has always been my first love.  The arts.  The arts are my love.  But music permeates.  I still play, just not on stage.

I remember heading out to Indio a decade ago.  Even before that, I remember Pearl Jam playing the Polo Grounds.  It was an "F" You concert, flipping the bird to Ticket Master.  Pearl Jam escaped the long Ticket Master grasp and headed beyond their reach - thus the Polo Fields in Indio.  That show(s) proved that concerts worked at that location.  Cut a few years later (post Lollapalooza culture festival explosion), Goldenvoice - the genius micro promoter outfit which had a hand in every punk rock show extending from San Diego to Santa Barbara from the mid 80's on - held a concert in the desert.  It was amazing.  My friends and I had a great time.  For the next few years we named the show "Rock and Roll High School Reunion".  It seemed that every musician that I had met along the way (and vice versa) was at the show.  It was great.  It still is great.  Bigger.

All things being said, that feeling and those people were my family.  Those were amazing times.  That's why I jumped at the chance to have my own micro product offering in the famous Coachella Boutique.  A sure shot from the mainstage to the back of the venue.  Couldn't miss it if you tried.  

I knew that Joe Ledbetter would be the perfect fit (no pun intended) for the T-Shirt.  And he is.  Joe's mascot, Mr. Bunny pitches the perfect concert going narrative - a fun time, a little delirious and knocked off the planet.  Brilliant.  I then had the idea to create a map - like the ones at Disneyland.  Although I wanted to use the genius collage and "all things connected" universe as demonstrated by the brilliant Jon Burgerman.  He knocked it out of the park.  The poster is almost 6' wide and printed on archival paper (this one definitely goes up in a frame).  It's a true treasure map, illustrating famous facets of Coachella lore past and future.  Take a real close look.  There are some amazing nuggets that I'm sure a well versed Coachella-ite will recognize.  So that is where we stand.  Unfortunately, both pieces are only available at the show but fortunately, you'll have to go and have the time of your life to have access to them.  Not too bad a predicament. 

JOE LEDBETTER'S T-SHIRT EXTRAVAGANZA! AND WATER BOTTLE?

Piecing together a t-shirt line embiggens the same spirit, similar in approach, in creating probabilities and permutations with a set of unassigned numbers.  Which design, which shirt cut, which sizes, etc.?  Logarithmic.  Having good designs encourages the process.  When approaching a line we consider the most important aspects; Do we connect to the images?  Is this the shirt that I would wear?  Does this shirt feel good?  In the case of Joe Ledbetter, there are very few images that we don't connect with.  Joe has a rich character narrative in a fantastic world - a world generalizing, emphasizing and exaggerating human qualities focused in a playful anthropomorphic universe.

Joe's designs are perfect for this basic canvas.  

Our t-shirts are the outfitting bridge from the shelf, floor, wall and ceiling of your collection, in your living spacing.  We hope that you think so too.  TLS and Joe Ledbetter are proud to present the first of the Joe Ledbetter designs, available now on FAB.COM for $22.50 a shirt, both Men's and Women's.  As an added bonus, we have included a reusable aluminum water bottle (for you eco conscious heroes) for only $16.00.  The sales ends Sunday so happy shopping and thanks for the support!

OCCUPY LOVE!

I have two different brains (figuratively speaking).  Those who know me well, know that I definitely am a student of the world.  My interests turn into experimentation, eventually turning into love, passion and a trust for the process.  I have a range of interests in somewhat of a hobbyist's exploration, looking to refine; literature, politics, art, music, history, and the natural - living - universe that surrounds me.  You get the point.  This blog isn't set up to be an essayist's etymological porn chest, but every now and then it's fun to explore past the expectations and invisible boundaries that press up on the hallowed walls of The Loyal Subjects (which is certainly an extension of myself and certainly dons generalities of my personality).  

There's a lot to be said in regards to certain decompositions that have been evolving for the last 40 years.  Eventually, the weight becomes too much to bare and that proverbial house of cards will start collapsing.  As we are seeing today with certain inequities, Corporate bullying, the credit and housing markets surrendering to breaking points, etc. 

As more and more people are disenfranchised with certain systems and "promises" failing to meet expectations, it is almost certain that some people will voice their concerns.  Eventually pushing back.  It's what we do.  This is what we are seeing from the OCCUPY Movement.  We all have our opinions on what this OCCUPY concept means and how it's being executed - I certainly have mine.  In the positive action there are also components of negative action and reaction pouring from boiled over frustrations.  OCCUPY LOVE is an action and  reaction.  The idea - LOVE is the foundation for everything in our human multiverse - it's the foundation and structure for; intelligence, education, compassion, dignity, respect, selflessness, generosity, symbiosis, understanding, growth and enlightenment.  If it's so, that we all need to be reminded how we can all benefit and grow, possibly redefining what it means to show compassion - perhaps the OCCUPY LOVE shirt is just a very small reminder and subsequent flicker of luminosity - an undeniable message.  15 additional values fortify the spine of the shirt.  The idea is to absorb the strength in these values.  A portion of our proceeds (around 33.33% adjusted Gross) will go to the Children's Literacy Intitiative - an amazing foundation that builds and enriches young lives.  Please participate with us.  We sold 600 shirts in just a few days.  We want to see this permeate all willing minds.  Available in Men's and Women's in both Black and White for a mere $25.00.  If you wish to purchase one, go HERE.  Thank you.