Super Bmore
Super Rad / Baltimore inspired t-shirt for 4th annual Baltimore summer music festival – 2009
Super Rad / Baltimore inspired t-shirt for 4th annual Baltimore summer music festival – 2009
I illustrated this T-shirt design specifically to sell at Whartscape 2009, an insane 3-day music festival of 140 bands put together by Dan Deacon and Wham City in Baltimore. The design was inspired by Baltimore and features specific graphic elements that I feel abstractly tell the story of certain gritty aspects of the city.
Giant Rat - Like most large cities Baltimore has a significant rat population.
Bat Symbol - Baltimore is in some ways like Gotham City, and has since the 1980s been known for its violent crime and homicide rates, both of which are higher than the national average.
Diamonds - When I first moved to Baltimore I rode the light rail regularly between 2003 and 2009, especially along the Howard Street stretch which featured quite a few jewelry shops that also sold grillz. Along this stretch many of the riders wore clothing and hoodies covered with diamond graphics - an image that stuck with me.
Chicken Drumstick - Baltimore is pretty well known for its fried chicken boxes which you can pick up from any corner bodega advertising Fried Chicken and Lake Trout. It's not unusual to find chicken bones littering the streets.
Teeth - Once again an indicator of the violence. I didn't want to put a gun in the design, but felt knocked-out teeth would communicate the same message.
The Music Hero - This guy is the focal point of the design. Since the design was originally put together for a music festival, I felt that Whartscape itself was like a hero for Baltimore – fighting for good, against the forces of evil. Whartscape was a prime example of community organizing – bringing artists, musicians, and fans together to share and celebrate one of Baltimore's most successful scenes in the gritty, yet emerging Station North Arts district of the city.
Giant Rat - Like most large cities Baltimore has a significant rat population.
Bat Symbol - Baltimore is in some ways like Gotham City, and has since the 1980s been known for its violent crime and homicide rates, both of which are higher than the national average.
Diamonds - When I first moved to Baltimore I rode the light rail regularly between 2003 and 2009, especially along the Howard Street stretch which featured quite a few jewelry shops that also sold grillz. Along this stretch many of the riders wore clothing and hoodies covered with diamond graphics - an image that stuck with me.
Chicken Drumstick - Baltimore is pretty well known for its fried chicken boxes which you can pick up from any corner bodega advertising Fried Chicken and Lake Trout. It's not unusual to find chicken bones littering the streets.
Teeth - Once again an indicator of the violence. I didn't want to put a gun in the design, but felt knocked-out teeth would communicate the same message.
The Music Hero - This guy is the focal point of the design. Since the design was originally put together for a music festival, I felt that Whartscape itself was like a hero for Baltimore – fighting for good, against the forces of evil. Whartscape was a prime example of community organizing – bringing artists, musicians, and fans together to share and celebrate one of Baltimore's most successful scenes in the gritty, yet emerging Station North Arts district of the city.
