What all the cabal kids would be wearing these days, if they could. February 25, 2009 11:25 AM   Subscribe

It's been almost a year since this was last brought up. Can we has new t-shirts?

mathowie mentioned last March that he was working on new t-shirts that would be available in mens' AND womens' sizes. I would totally go for one of these (especially XS pretty please). Is it in the cards?
posted by desjardins to Feature Requests at 11:25 AM (135 comments total) 5 users marked this as a favorite

I also vote for XS. So please make two of them. At least. And can mine have my user number on it. And sign it, please, also.

THANK YOU SIR.
posted by chunking express at 11:29 AM on February 25, 2009


I want the baseball shirts back.
posted by padraigin at 11:32 AM on February 25, 2009 [3 favorites]


XXL pleeze. I've gotten too fat for my old Mefi-T.
posted by slogger at 11:32 AM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


Can there be a "TATERS" design?
posted by Rinku at 11:36 AM on February 25, 2009 [6 favorites]


I vote for free. And each t-shirt should come with a coupon for free ice cream.

And a pony!
posted by blue_beetle at 11:39 AM on February 25, 2009


And our names on the back...
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 11:41 AM on February 25, 2009


Get Jezztek involved if need be. I want a shirt. Something splashy and neat.
posted by cashman at 11:43 AM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I still want - nay, demand, a MetaTalk Grey shirt.
My other shirt was not The BlueTM blue.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:46 AM on February 25, 2009


What we really need are pants.
posted by carsonb at 11:46 AM on February 25, 2009


>All the metafilter shirt you need.

A 4chan/MeFi crossover t-shirt?
posted by xbonesgt at 11:47 AM on February 25, 2009


Why there isn't a full metafilter line-up at cafepress, with everything from hoodies to nighties, I don't know.
posted by anotherpanacea at 11:49 AM on February 25, 2009


I want a random pita quote on mine. Please.
posted by gman at 11:51 AM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


Bike jersey.
posted by fixedgear at 11:52 AM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


Pants?? But that would ruin all the fun!
posted by Grither at 11:52 AM on February 25, 2009


"Plate of beans" should be involved, somehow.
posted by Chrysostom at 11:53 AM on February 25, 2009


Why there isn't a full metafilter line-up at cafepress, with everything from hoodies to nighties, I don't know.

Because make a lineup like that and then the next thing you know you've got people driving around with truck bumper stickers of #1 pissing with an evil grin on his face. No, we have to take a stand against the man.
posted by cashman at 11:56 AM on February 25, 2009


Here is where I renew (again) my call for t-shirts for tall and/or fat people. (XXXLT or larger, please). A reasonable extra charge is not a barrier.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 11:56 AM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I'd be all for sporting a MetaFilter shirt (XL, please).

I think it would be great if we could work out some kind of symbol for these shirts. Since it's already pretty damn insular to wear a shirt about your favorite blog, let's just run with it and put something on there which will speak to the MetaFilter experience.

Maybe a plate of beans. Or a big ol' longboat. Someone getting Punched in the Dick. Ponies. These are just some ideas, I'm sure there's plenty of others. The Fantastic Four have that four-in-a-circle thing. The Avengers have that A-with-an-arrow deal. S.H.I.E.L.D. had ... well, a shield.

What's ours? What says "Metafilter" in an icon?
posted by EatTheWeek at 12:06 PM on February 25, 2009


A tater getting punched in the dick?
posted by SteveTheRed at 12:10 PM on February 25, 2009


Can I get an Ex-Mefite shirt for when I decide to get right with Jesus?
posted by burnmp3s at 12:11 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I vote for free. And each t-shirt should come with a coupon for free ice cream.

Seconded!
posted by Science! at 12:11 PM on February 25, 2009


Oh, wait we'd have to clear Punching in the Dick w/ juicykarkass ... it's not our theme song, no matter how much I wish it was
posted by EatTheWeek at 12:12 PM on February 25, 2009


Yes, please. As long as we're all making requests, I'd like to request a non-American Apparel brand. Not only does their advertising suck, I hate the way the shirts fit.
posted by rtha at 12:12 PM on February 25, 2009 [15 favorites]


It really ought to have a picture of us all rowing the longboat.
posted by Mister_A at 12:13 PM on February 25, 2009 [3 favorites]


In different directions
posted by SteveTheRed at 12:15 PM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


How about Metafilter Speedos and swim caps?
posted by saladin at 12:15 PM on February 25, 2009


Why there isn't a full metafilter line-up at cafepress

CafePress is good for quick, one-off stuff, but if you are going to want more than, like, a shirt it's really worth it to actually get them screened.

Also, I think it would be cool to have something a little more interpretive than just the MeFi logo. But I'd be in either way.
posted by dirtdirt at 12:16 PM on February 25, 2009


The MeFi logo over thinking a plate of beans and punching a tater in the dick.

And on the back it's declawing a cat.
posted by Science! at 12:18 PM on February 25, 2009


I want a blue bra that says [2 favorites] on it. And underpants that say "fantastic post" on the rear.
posted by Metroid Baby at 12:19 PM on February 25, 2009 [28 favorites]


Please don't use cafepress. I ordered a shirt from them in the past, and was sorely disappointed with the result.

But I would so totally buy a Mefi t-shirt! Please make some!!
posted by LN at 12:22 PM on February 25, 2009


Oh, and a fedora. Discreet 'MetaFilter logo on the band, perhaps.
posted by fixedgear at 12:26 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


Grey socks w/ the puppet face stitched on already.
posted by EatTheWeek at 12:27 PM on February 25, 2009


Alternative to American Apparel. I vote for XS in ladies' shirts, as well.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 12:28 PM on February 25, 2009


I want a blue bra that says [2 favorites] on it. And underpants that say "fantastic post" on the rear.

Oooh, ooh, ooh! PANTIES. Yes... panties.
posted by sadiehawkinstein at 12:29 PM on February 25, 2009


I want a blue bra that says [2 favorites] on it. And underpants that say "fantastic post" on the rear.

Wasn't there a [more inside] maternity shirt a while ago?
posted by Rock Steady at 12:29 PM on February 25, 2009


It should feature a viking eating a pancake while in the background a SUV runs over Ann Coulter because its overweight driver was not paying attention on account of the declawed cat running freely about the car's cabin and the driver using his cell phone to ask a friend "What's the deal with Captain Beefhart?" And on the back shall be the 17 graves of James Brown.
posted by Rhomboid at 12:29 PM on February 25, 2009


Message : my friend show me, i show metafilter. why no?
posted by P.o.B. at 12:32 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I'd like to see a simple, tasteful knit polo shirt in MetaFilter blue.

With a tiny pissing elephant embroidered on the left breast.
posted by xbonesgt at 12:36 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I think it would be great if we could work out some kind of symbol for these shirts. Since it's already pretty damn insular to wear a shirt about your favorite blog, let's just run with it and put something on there which will speak to the MetaFilter experience.

[+] [!]
posted by roll truck roll at 12:43 PM on February 25, 2009 [24 favorites]


MetaFilter - less than $1,000,000
posted by Sailormom at 12:44 PM on February 25, 2009


What about a vote on your favorite Metafilter: tagline contest? It wouldn't be too hard to set up a survey if we could figure out a way to narrow down the options to 5 or 7...
posted by lunit at 12:47 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


Pants?? But that would ruin all the fun!

::cries::
posted by Pants! at 12:52 PM on February 25, 2009 [10 favorites]


roll truck roll beat me by 15 minutes. Seconded.
posted by Curry at 1:10 PM on February 25, 2009


Yeah, fuck the pants. Banana hammocks. Is 'NSFW' required in Meta?
posted by gman at 1:10 PM on February 25, 2009


The front of the shirt:

[image of portobello mushroom]


DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS IS?



The back of the shirt:

A coupon for cheap OJ.
posted by never used baby shoes at 1:32 PM on February 25, 2009


Make it under $10 including shipping also.
posted by Burhanistan at 3:07 PM on February 25 [+] [!]


Uh, same as in town?
posted by kingbenny at 1:40 PM on February 25, 2009


Two design ideas:

1. Metafilter: Ex-Masturbator
2. Metafilter: Wait, is that sweater Cashmere?1
posted by SpiffyRob at 1:50 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


But can we get shirts with a more professional white background?
posted by Justinian at 1:52 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


burnmp3s, What about this?

And did my last comment seriously get deleted, did I forget to hit update, Safri 4 beta weirdness, mental incompetence, database error, intertubes full? Never mind, if I really wanted to know I'd ask a mod.
posted by cjorgensen at 2:02 PM on February 25, 2009


Ex-Metafilter
posted by kosem at 2:21 PM on February 25, 2009


(sorry SpiffyRob--comment up, phone rings, twenty minutes, no preview. &c)
posted by kosem at 2:23 PM on February 25, 2009


Plz we can haz all cotton t's? The 50/50 blend makes me sweat, so I can't wear my Meetup 8 shirt.
posted by Lynsey at 2:31 PM on February 25, 2009


MetaFilter sex towel? No?
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 2:56 PM on February 25, 2009


We can haz 3X plz? This burlap sack I wear to hide the shame of my obesity (while declawing and/or circumcising your cat) is getting itchy.

derail: I'm a moron. I just looked my wife and playfully said, "How about some taters after the kids go to bed?" My wife barely looked up from her book and said, "Sure. I am pretty hungry. There's potatoes and carrots in one container in the fridge and the pot roast is in the other container..."

Thank goodness she doesn't read metafilter.

So no one will know my shame

oh wait

posted by SteveTheRed at 3:05 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I, for one, vote for Spreadshirt.
posted by IndigoRain at 3:10 PM on February 25, 2009


[resolved]
posted by trinity8-director at 3:14 PM on February 25, 2009


Clearly we need Metafilter sex toys all in the shape of taters.
posted by ob at 3:22 PM on February 25, 2009


How about we do even better, and have a t-shirt design contest?
posted by graventy at 3:33 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I would love to have a MeFi blue shirt with the Metafilter text from the logo on it. I am very sad that I didn't get one when they were available.
posted by Pope Guilty at 3:36 PM on February 25, 2009


Yeah, this is great, I don't get beaten up on the subway nearly enough.
posted by turgid dahlia at 3:49 PM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


Hell yeah. Somebody craftier than me, get on this.
posted by CwgrlUp at 4:04 PM on February 25, 2009


I'd buy a Metallica-parody-logo Metafilter t-shirt.
posted by box at 4:26 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


Dammit, I just want baseball jerseys.
posted by filmgeek at 4:34 PM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


I propse the tshirts feature UserFriendly strips printed without permission.
posted by DU at 4:51 PM on February 25, 2009 [4 favorites]


And there should be a way of making it change color slowly.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 4:53 PM on February 25, 2009


Hypercolor!
posted by Science! at 5:11 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


Going against the grain here, I want shirts for little people. I mean, people who are small like myself. Do girls never wear these shirts? Do they just wear oversized poncho shirts?

Also, midget sized "little people" shirts would be awesome, but I don't know what the market would be for that. On the internet, no one knows you're a midget.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:15 PM on February 25, 2009


Voting for a Baby Doll T for my wife. She looks damned good in those. :)
posted by SlyBevel at 5:20 PM on February 25, 2009


Glow-in-the-dark towel.

This.
posted by metastability at 5:37 PM on February 25, 2009


I mean, people who are small like myself.

Smaller than XS?
posted by DU at 5:40 PM on February 25, 2009


Smaller than XS?

Men's or women's? I wear a women's small in most shirts, which is indeed smaller than a men's XS. In fact, it's closer to a kids' large.
posted by grapefruitmoon at 5:49 PM on February 25, 2009


And there should be a way of making it change color slowly.

You should see my navy blue dirty grey MetaFilter baseball shirt.
posted by yhbc at 6:03 PM on February 25, 2009


LOLFATTIES shirt, available only in American Apparel Medium or smaller.
posted by 0xFCAF at 6:40 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


I would totally buy a "butts lol" shirt and by "buy" I mean "laugh at, but not buy".
posted by DU at 6:55 PM on February 25, 2009


[this is a good idea]
posted by sciurus at 6:59 PM on February 25, 2009


*is officially weary of the tater meme*
posted by Kwine at 7:14 PM on February 25, 2009


LOLSTICKPEOPLE from King Size* size 2X or larger.

* - Note to my fellow fatties: I do not recommend King Size. They make clothes that fit well, but fall apart after a few washings.
posted by SteveTheRed at 7:19 PM on February 25, 2009


best answer
posted by lowlife at 7:25 PM on February 25, 2009


I take an extra medium.
posted by terrapin at 7:51 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


Seconding the requests for accurately matching The BlueTM and cuts for skinny people (i.e. American Apparel).
posted by djb at 7:57 PM on February 25, 2009


Just like last time, I want shirts that are designed for people with boobs. Crew-necked straight cut T-shirts are just so unflattering on me.

And I'm still planning to knit myself a MeFi hoodie.

I love some of these other ideas, like the bra and undies. Another couple of ideas could be camera bags with the words "We have cameras" on them, or bean cannisters with the words "Overthought since 1999".
posted by orange swan at 8:01 PM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


Oh, and toy ponies.

Matt could really make a killing selling MeFi merchandise.
posted by orange swan at 8:09 PM on February 25, 2009


Yo dawg we heard you like metafilter so we put metafilter in yo t-shirt so you can read metafilter while you wear metafilter.
posted by Memo at 8:24 PM on February 25, 2009 [2 favorites]


Note: Everyone needs a hug.
posted by Sailormom at 8:27 PM on February 25, 2009


I totally want a T-shirt of the circular frame on the last page where Cortex is saying "Flag it and move on, bitches!"

I still totally want this.
posted by ottereroticist at 9:19 PM on February 25, 2009 [1 favorite]


By the way, I have one of the ultra-rare Ninth Anniversary Giveaway Edition(tm) blue Metafilter shirts. SIGNED BY ALL THREE OF THE MODS. Yes. That's right, bitches. Don't hate me.
posted by ottereroticist at 9:19 PM on February 25, 2009


Put me down for one HURF DURF BUTTER EATER please
posted by MatJ at 9:46 PM on February 25, 2009


[+] [!]
posted by roll truck roll at 12:43 PM


Brilliant. Honestly, this should be considered on a design..
posted by spiderskull at 12:49 AM on February 26, 2009


"Favourite Whore"
posted by gman at 4:04 AM on February 26, 2009


TINC
posted by nax at 4:57 AM on February 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


nthing baseball shirts. I want to wear #31756 for the team so badly!
posted by rollbiz at 6:37 AM on February 26, 2009


I really like the design contest idea with votes by everyone. And then, get them properly silk screened, not just cheap fast and crappy. Monkeyfilter did it right, years ago.

Then, once they're printed, any profit could all go to charity or something (like, you know, drugs for the July NOLA meetup) which would make us all feel virtuous. Feeling virtuous always adds to the possibility of me buying merchandise of any kind.

However all that was just a longwinded way to say I would like a metafilter tshirt please.
posted by mygothlaundry at 6:38 AM on February 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


Hey, Mattdidthat, I like the part where you have the MetaFilter shirts listed on your spreadshirt site and are charging $25 bucks for them. So, that's what, $10 a shirt for you, and you don't do any work for it. Good business model.
posted by dirtdirt at 7:10 AM on February 26, 2009 [3 favorites]


yeah. I'd like one of the [+][!] shirts (and a baseball shirt too!) but is this, I dunno, officially sanctioned or whatever?
posted by xbonesgt at 7:16 AM on February 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


Spreadshirt also lacks Men's XS. Am I the only skinny dude on this site?
posted by chunking express at 7:17 AM on February 26, 2009


The colors on those shirts don't match. The grey and the green, in particular, are all wrong.
posted by lunit at 7:31 AM on February 26, 2009


I'm all for shirts, especially the jerseys. I've come to realize that for all my arguing, I am a number...

But what I really want is some kind of badge. Something that I can wave in someones face when I'm asking a lot of personal questions, and when they ask,

"Are you with the police"

I can respond Elwood Blues style "No ma'am, we're Mefites."

posted by quin at 8:00 AM on February 26, 2009


Baseball jerseys!

Shirts for boobies!

Airbrush art!

There's a part of me that would love a Mefi shirt all Cornified, with glittery Coca-Cola-style lettering and some unicorns and rainbows.
posted by Miko at 8:12 AM on February 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


A 4chan/MeFi crossover t-shirt?

It was for ROFLCon. I also have a homemade one that says "Teh Mod"
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:14 AM on February 26, 2009


matt, I love your shirts. And since you created the fuzzies comic, I'll buy one of those.

But I'd also like official Mefi shirts, with the profit going to Metafilter.
posted by misha at 8:21 AM on February 26, 2009


Just thinking out loud, maybe we could take Matt's [+] [!] shirts and then have Matt Haughey put the Metafilter logo on the back of them, split the profits down the middle and call them site-sanctioned?
posted by misha at 8:28 AM on February 26, 2009


And since you created the fuzzies comic, I'll buy one of those.

Mattdidthat is the erstwhile Fandango_Matt?
posted by dirtdirt at 8:40 AM on February 26, 2009


Seconding dirtdirt.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 8:44 AM on February 26, 2009


Also I want one that doesn't say "bitches" thanks.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 8:45 AM on February 26, 2009 [4 favorites]


Thanks, bitches!
posted by not_on_display at 10:30 AM on February 26, 2009


"UserFriendly stole my comment and all I got was this lousy t-shirt"
*Shamelessly lifted from my fuck up in the other thread. At least I altered it.
posted by gman at 10:42 AM on February 26, 2009


Only I can wear the "Favorite Whore" shirt. I will claw it off any other bitches I see in it, but I guarantee to do so while panting and thrashing sexily.

And mattididthat, you are awesome. However, after trashing up my last mefi tee, I feel the stakes are kind of raised. That might have to get cut into a bra.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:35 AM on February 26, 2009


Yeah, dirtdirt, heaven forfend we buy stuff from each other. I mean, until I can personally steal animal crackers out of Fiona Haughey's mouth, these spreadshirts will have to do.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 11:38 AM on February 26, 2009


And mattididthat, you are awesome.

Stop trying to take credit for his work.
posted by gman at 11:52 AM on February 26, 2009


Yeah, dirtdirt, heaven forfend we buy stuff from each other. I mean, until I can personally steal animal crackers out of Fiona Haughey's mouth, these spreadshirts will have to do.

Fandangomattdithat has every right to monetize the strip he created, but I don't understand why people who are uncomfortable with him doing the same to something he doesn't have a propriety interest in deserve derision. Even if Matt & Co. are fine with it, it does seem like a sort of hinky cashgrab to me - I'm curious what the reaction would be if someone else provided the same shirts on the same site at cost.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 11:56 AM on February 26, 2009


I totally did not mean to be derisive to dirtdirt, of whose creative work I am also a big fan. I just think [+] [!] is well on the free and fanbased side of the property line, though for all my understanding if trademark, fair use, etc., the two graphic designers here (mattdidthat and dirtdirt) are probably even more knowledgeable about business practices. And please take my opinion as that of someone who already bought the metafilter logo tee, so I didn't consider mattdidthat's design as a competitive threat.

Dirtdirt, did you win the Fail Whale Pale Ale contest, btw? How did that end?
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 12:06 PM on February 26, 2009


a "ME FI" based on the AC/DC logo would be cool. Not sure what you'd substitute for the lightning bolt, though.
posted by jonmc at 12:10 PM on February 26, 2009 [1 favorite]


Yeah, dirtdirt, heaven forfend we buy stuff from each other.

Couple things about that.

One, until now I didn't know that mattdidthat and Fandango_matt were the same person. I guess I missed that newsletter. That comic is one of my favorite things, well, ever. I think it's great, and to have some random someone just throw up a Spreadshirt based on it, with a $10.60 markup, cheeses me a bit. Forgive me for thinking it hinky to sell something made by (what I understandably assumed was) someone else. Had I known they were one and the same person, I'd probably have been somewhat less forgiving, which leads me to point number...

Two, this thread, was asking about a sort of official shirt. An item that has existed in the past. There was talk of voting, of (jokingly) uniforms, etc. But, whiz-bang, someones starts posting things to Spreadshirt, and is that the shirt? Is that what we were talking about? I could've posted that last night. Shit, maybe I'll put it up there for $22, everyone saves a buck, and I get well too.

Look, I have no problem whatsoever with people buying things from each other. I just didn't realize that that was where this thread was going. Looking back, it still seems rather abrupt. But I'll whip something together and post it to Spreadshirt soon.

For that matter, Is roll truck roll getting their cut for the [+][!]? Or am I the asshole for wondering?
posted by dirtdirt at 12:21 PM on February 26, 2009


Crap. MORE forgiving, not less.

No worries AV! And, the Fail Whale contest just never happened. They collected the entries and then, well, nothing.
posted by dirtdirt at 12:24 PM on February 26, 2009


I also thought mattdidthat was a jerk for stealing fandango_matt's comic. How many user names do people actually need?
posted by chunking express at 12:34 PM on February 26, 2009


This is going swell. It's like the planning of my 30th high school reunion (true story) on Facebook, complete with 'who said she was authorized to plan for the class and spend alumni association fundage.'
posted by fixedgear at 12:51 PM on February 26, 2009


Is roll truck roll getting their cut for the [+][!]? Or am I the asshole for wondering?

I'm pretty sure I don't care*; someone else would have thought of it if I hadn't.

I do love the [+][!] shirt and I'll probably end up buying one when I can afford it. But yeah, I think the reason why dirtdirt is upset - and I guess some other people are too - is that we thought we were talking about a new officialish Metafilter shirt. Because when you buy a shirt of something that you like, you're not just buying it because you like the shirt, you're buying it because you want to give the people behind that thing money. Or give money to a charity that the people behind that thing care about, or whatever.

I'm not saying that mattdidthat is doing something wrong. Like I said, I like the shirt and I'll probably buy one. I'm just saying it's not the same thing that some people here were looking for. The management's silence in this thread shows that "new T-shirt" isn't really at the top of their priority list.

*Though I wouldn't complain at all if I got a free one out of the deal somehow.
posted by roll truck roll at 1:27 PM on February 26, 2009 [2 favorites]


The management's silence in this thread shows that "new T-shirt" isn't really at the top of their priority list.

Which is odd, because there's obviously a large pent-up demand for it.

Not that I care either way, because I've got my Original MetaFilter Baseball Jersey from 2002! HA-ha!
posted by languagehat at 3:04 PM on February 26, 2009


The management's silence in this thread shows that "new T-shirt" isn't really at the top of their priority list.

Have you seen MetaTalk lately?

I think we're all on board with wanting a new shirt. There's a tenth anniversary coming up and it would be cool to have shirts. But it's not a site bug and it's not like if people can't get a shirt this week they're going to up and quit [and the +! shirt may keep them around a little longer if that's the case]. We've been recording the podcast and answering the other questions and we're still chasing some SQL nonsense, so I'll poke the fellas to see if we can't come up with something specific but I think we all like the idea.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 3:37 PM on February 26, 2009


I also thought mattdidthat was a jerk for stealing fandango_matt's comic.

Hah! I had no idea they were one and the same and also thought it was kind of lame. Now all I need to do is figure if I can spare the cash for two of them since if I buy one for me and not my wife I'm in no end of trouble.
posted by stet at 5:17 PM on February 26, 2009


I recall drunkenly hollering at mattdidthat on a San Francisco street that he was NOT A DICK and DID NOT NEED A NAME CHANGE. Well, apparently, he is now a dick and a thief because of the name change. Damned if you do!
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 7:46 PM on February 26, 2009


Uh, yuck. Is there a reason why you seemed to avoid any font or color that might make it the slightest bit recognizable to a MeFi user?
posted by CwgrlUp at 7:07 AM on February 28, 2009


I think it looks great. The reason for the style is that it's a baseball jersey, duh. And if you'll look back to the 2002 ones, the style is very similar, and they were designed (or at least approved) by Matt. I'd a hell of a lot rather walk around in a classy-looking baseball jersey than a swatch of the front page of MetaFilter made into a t-shirt.
posted by languagehat at 8:46 AM on February 28, 2009


CwgrlUp, that was pretty harsh. Perhaps you are a designer yourself, though, and feel you could do better? I invite you to put your work on display here.

I'd like to see, as others have mentioned, a competition for this, since mattamynpintapbtex are so busy these days and probably can't put in any design time themselves. Maybe make a high-res image of the logo available and let our talented Mefiers go to town on it?

I've got a $20 Amazon code I'll donate to the cause, if it would help, as a prize. I know it's not much, but there's always bragging rights, too!
posted by misha at 9:14 AM on February 28, 2009


a swatch of the front page of MetaFilter made into a t-shirt

Oh man, that totally triggered a memory. I remember before people had figured out what websites are for, some magazine I read was running these advertisements to "make your website into a T-shirt." And the smiling models in the picture were wearing T-shirts bearing stereotypical Geocities homepages. Even at the time, that seemed really dopey. Now, I wish I had one.
posted by roll truck roll at 9:16 AM on February 28, 2009 [1 favorite]


Yeah, sorry about the silence. This thread was at the bottom of the to-do pile while I was doing a zillion things over the past couple days.

Yes, I would like to get new shirts and they've been in the back of my mind for a couple years. I actually designed some goofy one-off mefi shirts I was going to get made last year but it was too late for the 9th anniversary party and they never got printed.

Coming up with a design that MeFites like at a price they are willing to pay that doesn't look embarrassing to non-members is a tough thing. Those bright blue shirts from last year didn't sell very well due to the high price and somewhat bright color (I still think it's a decent representation of mefi blue -- custom dying shirts is so expensive as to be out of the question). I'd welcome anyone wanting to put up a design and if we use one, I'd think of some sort of revenue share situation that would work for everyone involved, but I don't want to commit to a contest or anything.

The larger issue to me is what we do with a shirt once we have one. Order fulfillment is a tremendous pain, and I'm not sure there are any options besides having jessamyn and me and cortex stuff envelopes once a week. There are places that do it for you but charge $5-10 per item to do it. There's spreadshirt and zazzle and cafepress, but I'm not happy with the quality (or the giant cut of the money they take) and would prefer real screen printing on nice soft American Apparel shirts, but going the full custom route means we have to handle stuffing envelopes and going to the post office regularly (not to mention figuring out how much it costs to send a tshirt to any country other than the US).

So yeah, I would like to see some new designs and make some shirts, but I'm not sure how we'll eventually get them into the hands of anyone, and this is one of the few times I'd have to flex my corporate ownership muscles and say any one member here can't sell anything with the word "metafilter" on it without my approval (mattdidthat's shirts don't mention it so they're cool with me).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 9:51 AM on February 28, 2009 [1 favorite]


What if you relegated them to an actual, non-print-on-demand shop? Like Gama-Go or somewhere like that? Maybe the world isn't scrambling for a Metafilter T-shirt, but I have to think the demand would be comparable to Boingboing's merchandise.
posted by roll truck roll at 10:28 AM on February 28, 2009


I have to think the demand would be comparable to Boingboing's merchandise.

them's fightin' words!
posted by lukemeister at 11:43 AM on February 28, 2009


Or TopatoCo?
posted by subbes at 2:10 PM on February 28, 2009 [1 favorite]


Matt, have you seen what Jesse is doing for Jordan, Jesse Go shirts? He is going to start selling those just during next week, I believe. Not cafepress and not cheapo shirts but he's not charging an outrageous amount. I don't know if that's a smaller scale though, but he may have a good thing going. I don't blame you guys for not wanting to stuff/mail shirts yourselves.
posted by CwgrlUp at 5:05 PM on February 28, 2009


Yeah CwgrlUp, as far as I know, Jesse gets real shirts printed, has boxes of them at his apartment and mails them out by hand. I don't really have time to do all that, but I could talk to cortex and jessamyn and see if anyone wants to volunteer for that kind of extra work.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 5:13 PM on February 28, 2009


I don't really have time to do all that, but I could talk to cortex and jessamyn and see if anyone wants to volunteer for that kind of extra work.

Well, considering the economic tenuousness of the future and the employment-related implications thereof, it couldn't hurt for the wee howie to diversify her skillset.

Just sayin'. At the very least, it could make for an amusing header image for shmattesfilter.com.
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 5:30 PM on February 28, 2009


My post office would be very happy if I mailed a thousand t-shirts from here.
posted by jessamyn (staff) at 10:14 AM on March 1, 2009


I love the baseball jersey, but gimme some authentic sleeves, 3/4 length, those are cool. I think a Grey body with Blue sleeves makes a good baseball jersey combo color. Or, the Blue body with Green sleeves. The front has the [+] [!] and the back has the actual logo. Or, the front has the logo and the back has our usernames. I'm waving my plastic.
posted by thinkpiece at 1:47 PM on March 6, 2009


Yep, my sneaky little way of asking for a free shirt paid off. And it's totally awesome. Thanks again, Matt.

Also, I know my cellphone seems to think that the printing is white, but it's definitely yellow.
posted by roll truck roll at 9:10 PM on March 8, 2009


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