Streaming Christmas Music Rarities

Check out Shelf Life's online music channel, which is streaming some oddball, humorous and sometimes very cool holiday music up until Christmas day:

http://blip.fm/ShelfLifeSound

Insane things sold in America Part 3

Godzilla Transformers

Save $10 on these awesome Godzilla, Gamera and King Ghidrah Transforming Egg toys at Shelf Life's Holiday sale:

http://www.shelflifeclothing.com/toys.html


They would make AWESOME stocking stuffers, in my humble opinion.

Save $10 on this set of all three (3) transforming kaiju japanese monster eggs. Gamera, King Ghidrah, and Godzilla! (One of each.) Each figure is between 2"-2 1/2" tall & plastic, like an Easter egg. Really cool + great design.

CYBER MONDAY SALE!

Check out the Holiday Sale, on now at Shelf Life Clothing.

We've got cool tees for movie, sports and music fans, and just about everyone else! Cool Godzilla toys, custom skateboards, and lots more!

Kaiju Podcast

Check out my guest spot on Podcast on Fire's Japan on Fire series:

Our special guests from the main Kaiju JOF’s get their own spotlight in an interview series (expanding our current JOF into a Kaiju in itself really). Brian Kirby is the head honcho over at Shelf Life Clothing and a passionate Kaiju-fan. We cover original introduction to the genre, Godzilla through the ages and further love directed towards Gamera of the 90s.

Here’s the link to Brian's Online Store: http://www.shelflifeclothing.com/

Black Friday Sale!

Check out our Hoodies for sale for a limited time! Save $15!

ATshirtBlog 2009 Holiday Gift Guide

Thanks go out to ATshirtBlog for including our I NEED TO SCORE and CAUCASIANS tees in their 2009 Holiday Gift Guide!


Stay tuned for some BLACK FRIDAY deals at ShelfLifeClothing.com

Shelf Life on Australian TV

Shelf Life tees get some airtime on Australian television, at the beginning of this piece about the Muftee store:

Daimajin Podcast

I was once again a guest on Podcast on Fire's "Japan on Fire," this time discussing the wonderful samurai/monster movie DAIMAJIN. If you've never seen any of the Daimajin movies, I highly recommend them!



Visit Podcast on Fire's website:

http://podcastonfire.com/2009/11/japan-on-fire-4-part-2-–-kaiju/



Or download the podcast on iTunes:

http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?i=63237597&id=269665485

Japan on Fire Podcast Appearance!

Check out the latest from the Podcast on Fire crew, I (Brian from Shelf Life) was a guest for their lively and informative discussion of Japanese giant monster movies, particularly the classic Toho film DESTROY ALL MONSTERS:

http://podcastonfire.com/2009/10/japan-on-fire-4-part-1-kaiju/podcast58/

Insane Things Sold in America Part 2

Insane Things Sold in America Part 1

Ten Awesome Hong Kong Movies to Watch on Halloween

Looking to spice up your Halloween with some scary Hong Kong cinema? Here are 10 suggestions!

10. Ebola Syndrome



9. The Seventh Curse



8. Human Lanterns



7. Eternal Evil of Asia



6. Rouge



5. Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires



4. A Chinese Ghost Story



3. Encounters of the Spooky Kind



2. We Are Going to Eat You



1. Mr. Vampire

20 Favorite Movie Studio Idents

Here are 20 of my all time favorite movie studio idents, picked not only for their cool concepts and graphics, but also because of the brands and types of films they represent, and their association with some of my favorite movies. Yes, I love Japanese and Hong Kong cinema.

20) Studio Ghibli
Simple, represents them perfectly, and you know some jaw-dropping animation is in store:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_DUHlhhdg4



19) Anglo Amalgamated
Crazy British studio indent, sometimes before a Carry On movie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jOUtdV1OdE



18) Disney/Pixar
Just because of Pixar's track record of great movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkJo70xpGM0



17) RKO Pathé
Because it's a big chicken dominating the globe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L26AK-y3WJU



16) Paramount Raiders of the Lost Ark dissolve
You knew this movie would be awesome from the very 1st frame:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXojqJqm5U8


Old Paramount technicolor looks cool too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teCAv1p84lU


15) Win's
Just because a Stephen Chow movie or some other great Hong Kong movie is coming:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2D67SdfUWZ8


14) Nikkatsu
I love this because it looks animated at first, but it's actually some guy spinning radiating metal spines below the frame.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pk6H4r7FfVI


This one's cool too. Yakuza on the way!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjOPcDlhpIk



13) Cinema City
Awesome Hong Kong action and comedy coming up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwbOkal0mtw



12) Warner Brothers 1970s
A departure from the Warner Brothers sheild logo, I love the simplicity and the saturated color of this one, especially on a big screen when the theater just glows red:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Vtq3mCAd8M


The Warners/7 Arts logo was cool too, before movies like Bullitt and Dirty Harry
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zH2wxPbj5IQ


11) Toei
I love the vibe of the crashing waves, and it usually means an awesome Sonny Chiba movie is about to start:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lNqT8jFgfpQ



10) The Archers/Rank Org.
The Michael Powell Archers bullseye is an exceptional graphic indent!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=egY5MRKDsXU



9) Daiei
Toho lite! I love the color of the sky, very cool:
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2let9_daiei-motion-pictures_ads



8) MGM Lion 1928
A classic, of course:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa2dX-tX0yQ



7) 20th Century Fox (Cannonball Run version)
Who doesn't love this, especially the Burt Reynolds laugh at the end?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sW5ElNgnJ8w



6) American International
Usually precedes an awesome exploitation/b movie, Roger Corman movie, monster movie, etc.:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xohQ-ifgH1E



5) Shaw Brothers
Completely classic! It looks like they just glued their Warner Brothers-style logo to the bevelled glass of a shower door and got some colorful lights to shine behind it. What a great fanfare!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVEWGINMtHc



4) RKO
What captures the awesome deco design of the radio age better than this?:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VNnsepByso



3) Golden Harvest
Tympani drum and fanfare herald the start of the best kung fu and action movies ever! (3rd indent’s the best):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_glrJgBTsk



2) Universal
This just sparkles with greatness, especially when a classic horror movie is about to begin:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aop_7Q3PoW0


Universal (1928 plane) is completely wonderful too:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdVZgZZAao0



1) Toho
I just love the look and color of this stunning, shimmering indent, and it doesn't hurt that it precedes some of my favorite monster and samurai movies:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nS6SzPT9-Jk


Toho (Scope version):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPLuSX8_o4M

Walter Cronkite Reads Today's CNN Headlines 3

Godzilla vs. Yojimbo

ゴジラと用心棒

Click to view larger size

Caucasians tee sighting

Another cool person spotted at everydayshouldbesaturday.com

No Dogs and Chinese Allowed

We've just made a limited number of our NO DOGS AND CHINESE ALLOWED shirts available.

The shirt is inspired by the supposed signs in foreign-run concession areas in China, particularly at the entrance to the Huangpu Park in Shanghai – and also depicted in a scene in the film FISTS OF FURY. Although research has shown that this sign never really existed as it is depicted in the film, the scene itself was a triumphant moment for an underdog hero that worked wonderfully well as a pop-culture attack on prejudice, and as a boost in racial pride for Chinese audiences in 1972.

This, according to peekingduck.org, is what the sign actually looked like:

The photo is from a Chinese book, the translated title is “The Bund - History and Vicissitudes”, edited by Lou Rongmin, Shanghai Pictorial Publishing House, circa 1990.

More reading about the legendary sign:

http://blog.vdare.com/archives/2005/03/27/no-dogs-or-chinese-mythical-too/

http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20050618_1.htm

http://www.ihr.org/jhr/v15/v15n5p31_Weber.html

http://washingtonbureau.typepad.com/china/2008/03/no-dogs-and-chi.html

10 Observations About Magic Marketplace Summer 2009

Not a big restroom.

I just spent the week in Vegas, making the rounds and checking out all the latest trends at Magic Marketplace, the largest apparel and accessory trade show in the U.S., a huge event where buyers and retailers from around the world converge to find the latest and coolest fashions. It's actually three separate trade shows, Magic, Pool and Project - each with their own unique vibe.


I've been to a few Magic events, although I skipped last year's. I attended this year's show in hopes of finding some new items for ShelfLifeClothing.com and I found some very cool designers to work with.

Here are ten observations from the show:


1 • POOL has grown since the last time I attended, and was definitely the highlight. The last time I was there, it was held in a massive tent outside of the Magic events inside the Hilton Convention Center, and although there were some cool independent clothing lines, the mood was quiet and there were also some booths with stuff that struck me as more appropriate for an arts & crafts show. This year, it definitely had the most vibrant and creative stuff, and there was a lot of hustle and bustle.


2 • I heard that the last Magic Streetwear in February was a "ghost town," and my impression of last week's Magic is unfortunately no different. For example, the last time I was at Magic Streetwear, Rocawear had built a two-story building for a booth, and this year they were showing their line out of the back of a truck. There were a lot of asian companies with cheap-looking "hip-hop" gear. All of the crazy hustlers of the last few years were gone, replaced with a lot of incredibly garish, bedazzled eyesores that I couldn't imagine anyone in their right mind wearing out of the house, except if they wanted to be featured on peopleofwalmart.com. There were a handful of cool accessories, particularly in the S.L.A.T.E. section, but for the most part – it was pretty lame.

How will I ever get through these crowds?

3 • I'm always amazed how many people who paid for a booth at this event complain of their hangovers on days two and three. It's a constant through all of the Magic events I've been to over the years. How can you expect people to seriously do business if, when I approach your booth for information, you're glassy eyed and complaining about your Vegas partying too much? Hilarious!

Streetwear so loud it makes you deaf.

4 • Ed Hardy completely dominated the Streetwear section of the Convention Center, with huge billboards, bits of motorcycles strewn around, and a catwalk with big fake flames ... flaming. The comment I heard the most around the convention center was "I don't get this Ed Hardy thing." Everyone was wondering how long people would continue to buy this stuff.

Can you sense the excitement from this picture?

5 • There was also a lot of UFC and cage fighting streetwear, for all the shoppers who need something to wear while they are cage fighting. UFC set up a ring for fighters to stand around in, and unenthusiastically pretend to spar in. It was riveting!

6 • I think it was Lana Fuchs from Billionaire Mafia who I saw on a local TV news spot, talking about how much she keeps it real, and I could swear there were a couple of things about her that were definitely not real, including her ridiculous accent.

7 • Project was a sprawling event that smelled like perfume and body spray, but actually had a couple of cool lines.

8 • You can't beat Steve McQueen for cool, and so having an entire clothing label named after him that showcases his style can't help but be cool. It's sort of a mashup of LeMans, Papillion, The Great Escape and The Sand Pebbles, with military designs mashed up with a Johnson Motors motorcycle look.

9 • I'm a huge fan of graphic designer Saul Bass, so the other standout at Project for me was an entire line devoted to vintage Pan Am bags, prominently featuring Saul Bass' classic Pan Am logo.

10 • I met a few very cool, friendly people with some creative companies at Pool and Magic, here are a few standouts:

Urban Aid – Overnight kits for unexpected sleepovers and other ladies "survival" items!

Watto – Cool sculptured metal belt buckles!

Blue Platypus – Very cute tees and designs!

The iTie – I wasn't sure what to expect when I stopped by to check out the "as seen on TV" item The iTie, but they actually had some very cool ties, including some with vintage military/aviation patches, including a very stylish Flying Tiger tie.



Retro-A-Go-Go – Killer vintage accessories photo frames!

Revenj – Designs that are sort of like Seijun Suzuki and Meiko Kaji's illegitimate child, on acid.

I'll be headed back to Magic & Pool in February, and hopefully the economy and creativity rebounds a little more by then. I'll certainly be anxious to see if Pool continues to grow as the most fresh and interesting part of the event!

Zerosaur vs. Wolf-Human!

Kaiju! Zerosaur against Wolf-Human! Battle for Controlling the Outer Space!

Vintage Japanese monster trailer for a ... t-shirt by Shelf Life Clothing Co.!

Godzilla, Gamera and Ultraman, move over!

Ifukube-like music by Brian.

Magic and Pool

Hitting up the Magic and Pool Tradeshows in Vegas! Will I find
anything cool...?

Stay tuned.

BBC Godzilla Documentary

Coty Gonzales is nice

Thanks to Coty Gonzales for a shoutout on his cool tee shirt blog!

Walter Cronkite Reads Today's CNN Headlines 2

What if Walter Cronkite read a newscast of today's CNN headlines?

Walter Cronkite Reads Today's CNN Headlines

What if Walter Cronkite read a newscast of today's CNN headlines?

Cleveland Scene Mention

Got a nice mention on Cleveland Scene's blog today:




"quite brilliant" ... Nice! Thanks!

www.Tee.ms Needs to Score

Micah at www.Tee.ms admits it – he needs to score, which is why he wrote up this appreciation of Shelf Life's I NEED TO SCORE movie composer tee on his wonderful t-shirt blog:


Click the picture to visit his cool blog and his tee recommendations!

Shelf Life Skate Decks

We just introduced our first wave of skate deck designs at ShelfLifeClothing.com!

Custom 7-3/4 all-around skateboard decks, 7-Ply 100% Canadian Maple.

If you'd like to see one of our other designs on a skateboard deck, or if you would like a full skateboard with all the hardware, or if you're interested in a different size deck, just check our page, send us an email and we can work up a custom design for you!



Shelf Life Skate Decks