WE HAVE SHIRTS!

Wow - It was a long road, but I am totally stoked on the way the shirts came out, we are almost open for orders. Not only are they really fun to look at, but after last night's runway show (which we killed like no one else btw) we got to see the crowd's reaction to the first 10 pieces and blew everyone away. People went nuts, but not everyone 'got it'. Example - Here's a link to this crazy lady who attacks me on her blog. She goes off, everyone gets so into it, some pretty funny shit. I'm just glad we put it out there and sent our message across loud and clear. So what now? Well, we keep moving forward - that's what. We are a 3rd of the way there and we still have a ton of work ahead of us. Congratulations - Now back to work!

Salvation Army Contracts Merder Tees - Part 2

In an earlier post about a month ago I was approached buy the Salvation Army to design a shirt which had Jesus Christ on it & the theme of Blood & Fire, iconic for the Salvation Army. After weeks of going back and forth, we nailed it. It looks awesome. Few minor tweaks and we'll take it to vector and send them the file! Awesome hook up up for us - thanks Father Jon!

Merder 2.0 continues...

So there have been a few new developments. First off the new site is rolling along, All the pages are designed and we're coding/ animating it right now. Looks great! News - The team from Vancouver Fashion Week recently approached us to be a part of their 8 year gig. Pretty cool opportunity it'll be full of buyers, designers & retailers. They loved the line and are stoked to show it off in the annual show this November 4th 2008. VFW has a massive following and they sell out every year. All that great press coverage & the who's who's of west coast fashion. They were very cooperative too - in fact they gave me everything I asked for including the last spot to close the entire week! It's the bomb time slot at a show. Don't ask - don't get. So we're hitting the runway. Look for footage from that gig after the show. Crazy eh?

Our Slick new site is almost ready!

Time to go back to basics and re-design our site from scratch. My buddy Mark & I built the 1st one together. At this point we're pushing ourselves in a new direction and with the shirts already in full swing production, we need to be ready to accomodate both customers and all kinds of new people researching us etc. It's still edgy with a corporate side boasting some great new technology that will allow for our customers to manage their orders, sell online and promote our brand. Stoked to get this all built and launch it.

Wanted: Dread or Alive...

Who doesn't like Reggae music?! I have never met anyone who didn't like it- seriously? In August, 1983: Peter Tosh was the most popular reggae singer in the world (Bob Marley was dead). His credentials were myriad and impeccable. After all, he was a founding member of The Wailers with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer in 1964, in the Trenchtown slum of Kingston, Jamaica. He taught Bob Marley to play guitar!! He left the Wailers in 1975 to pursue a successful solo career which was peaking with the Mama Africa Tour of 82-84, which played every continent of the world except Antarctica. The circumstances surrounding his death were chilling. He once said in an interview, "Jah flows through me. We are responsible. I live music. It rises spontaneously from me. Compositions appear, mon. In the beginning there was the word. The word was Jah. The word is in I, Jah is in I. I make what is good, better, and what is better, best. I follow this in every aspect of life." [During the conversation, Tosh carefully cleaned, pruned and rolled a spliff the size of a banana. He lit it, blew a volcanic stream of smoke at the ceiling and smiled.] RIP PT.

J.F.K. = M.E.R.D.E.R.

Down to the last 2 shirts! YEAH! Second last is my version of the murder of J.F.K. It was tricky to design, after all we're talking Kennedy here. Not just any president, but the last respected president the USA has seen in along time. He often spoke of the truth about government secrecy & influence on the people of America. JFK had a lot on his plate. I wanted to portray the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jackie O, Lee Harvey Oswald (who was later murdered himself), The procession in the limousine & some good old Americana. Hard to believe there was once a time when people would listen to an articulate & intelligent President. Maybe that's why Barak Obama is such a refreshing alternative for America. On the other hand, wtf do I know?!...I live in Vancouver...meh.

Mighty Murdered Marvin...

I grew up a house that listened to Marvin Gaye pumping though our 2 speaker JVC 8 Track. In March of 1983, he gave his final performance in front of his old mentor and label for Motown 25, performing "What's Going On". He then embarked on a U.S. tour to support his album. The tour, ending in August 1983, was plagued by health problems and Gaye's bouts with depression, and fear over an attempt on his life. Then the tour ended, he isolated himself by moving into his parents' house. Marvin said he wished being famous had some useful function—such as preventing constipation. Gaye didn’t like being a celebrity. He thought it would destroy him. It eventually did. He threatened to commit suicide several times after bitter arguments with his father. On April 1, 1984, one day before his 45th birthday, Gaye's father shot him after an argument that started after his parents argued over misplaced business documents. Gaye was killed by a gun he had offered to his father as a gift. (Whoa! That part was creepy) Marvin Sr. was sentenced to six years of probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped after doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumor. Spending his final years in a retirement home, he died of pneumonia in 1998.

Lady Di part deux...

After I finished this design I realized it was easily my favorite. Maybe that's why it took the longest? Because the first one posted here was done for a black t-shirt, this one was made for white. I have decided to release 2 shirts for her. Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Henry (Harry), are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms. Starting in the mid- to late 1980s, the Princess of Wales became well known for her support of several charity projects. Diana was noted for her sense of compassion, style, charisma, humour and high-profile charity work, yet her philanthropic endeavours were overshadowed by her difficult marriage to Prince Charles. The circumstances surrounding the death of Diana have been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. A jury recently decided on April 7th 2008 that Diana had been unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of chauffeur Henri Paul & the relentless parazzi photographers.

Juice there it is...

The Story of O.J.Simpson hit the world in the summer of 1994. Ex NFL Superstar & movie film star, is accused of not only killing his wife, but her lover as well. There were the bloody gloves found, blood stains in the car & the chase itself. Actually, nobody was chasing anybody: it was a more of a parade, not a pursuit. A squadron of police cars 'delicately' followed O.J. and his friend Al Cowlings around the L.A. freeway system while O.J. (Who was obviously innocent hiding in the backseat!) past the airport, and finally to O.J.'s Brentwood house, where everyone sat still for hours, except some of us tv watchers who occasionally went to the kitchen or the toilet to take a piss. During the 'vehicular parade', the cameras occasionally cut to the people bunched up along the freeways and at exits cheering O.J. on. WTF?! Even more insane - was the trial itself? Johnnie Cochran was a maniac in that courtroom. At the end of it all - he got O.J. off all charges and he was free as a bird. In retrospect, the verdict in the O.J. case seems inevitable. The bottom line was that the police were clumsy with the evidence. Finally he had the 'juice' to release a book titled: 'If I did it'. Holy shit! Well all I gotta say is this "It's good to see you in the courtroom again Juice, looks like Kharma got the best of you after all? This time, you're going to the Big House for sure & there will be some big ass ni**ers waiting for you."

411 on 911...

Well today was a very appropriate day to show off the mass murder of 911. Not one of my favorite topics, but definately one that had to be drawn. I have been to NYC several times & had some of the best times of my life there. Actually, I have been up the Twin Towers 3 times. I don't want to get in a whole debate about this, trust me, don't get me started. It hurts and I STILL LOVE NEW YORK. If you haven't been - go. New Yorker's are the some of the most resilient people in America. The power of the human spirit lives stronger than ever in NYC. This shirt commemorates that spirit and that fateful day.

Lady Di part one...

Princess Dianna was my friend Francois idea. It was a really hard shirt for me to design. This is the front in it's final vector form. The relentless paparazzi with her crown to be screened on the shoulder. I'm re-doing the back print now, it wasn't good enough for me to release. The hard part for me about this one, was that her tragedy was insane, really. How do you illustrate it? I mean it went on for 10 years in the courts - powerful. I remember being in total shock for days about it. She was an amazing woman, that's for sure.

Merder is watching the WATCHMEN...

Man, this is one of those crazy opportunities I couldn't believe was happening. Uncle Landon hooked us up to design the MPC VFX Team shirt for the Watchmen crew, they are working on the film as we speak. This happened today actually, I just finished the mock ups tonight & sent it off to him. If they approve, I'll make the order and hopefully, Land-O gets one signed by the man himself Zack Snyder!

Ku Ku Katchoo...

Weird past few weeks. I gotta say, creating a dream job is never easy. Life is overwhelming and full of surprises - at least mine is! Oh - Hung out with my new partner in slime, Landon at the Zack Snyder dream factory! Saw some top secret crazy shit that blew my mind, The Watchmen will deliver the next way directors will aspire to make movies about Super Heroes like The Dark Knight just did recently. Hold on, actually, now that I think about it, I'm quite relaxed and focused. I guess we're 90% done with all 48 screens (nice work Jacob), I guess it's time to print some damn t-shirts! Yeah!! Got some great feedback " The Ts are unlike anything I've seen - disturbing and powerful yet stylish, or in other words... f**king siiiiiiiick! I especially liked the Marvin Gaye, The John Lennon, and the 911 presses." - Jay D. Dude, I just totally re-designed all 3 of those shirts for vectoring (that's the NEW Lennon up top) and let me tell you my son, they are f**king siiiiiiiick!

Tag You're It...

So it's time to commit to some ideas about tags and print materials to accompany the shirts. They come in plastic 'Forensic Evidence Bags', they're awesome and fit the shirts perfect and are transparent on the back to you can see the designs. In addition to that - you get a little 'Merder Case File Folder'. In there is the mission statement - "Congratulations on the purchase of your Merder T-Shirt. Be aware you have just sent a CHARITABLE donation to a very deserving organization that WE SUPPORT. Merder is dedicated to educating people about the POWER OF MURDER in our society. Change Your World, Wear More Merder...People will talk, but you won’t listen." You also get a cool sticker & big piece of street art chalk. In the shirt is instructions on how to trace your own crime scene and post it online to win any shirt we make. Not bad for a T-Shirt?

How to Piss Someone off...

Well I was quite relieved when this email made it's way into my in box recently. Our first true hater spoke his mind, and then some. You can click on the shot to read it in it's entirety, basically this guy has no idea what we're about and really doesn't care. He is offended and I don't think he'll be at the launch party, just a hunch. We knew there would be some friction with how people interpreted our designs. We are not trying to exploit anyone, just educate and entertain. This guy popped our cherry! I am glad we caught his attention and moreover, that he was so pissed that he took the time to write it down (from his girlfriends address btw) and speak his mind - sort of. As far as us considering designing 'genocide' themed shirts, I don't think so pal. My response - "Awesome feedback John, you made it to our fridge in the kitchen! Everyone is entitled to their opinions sir - we appreciate your views and DO RESPECT them."

Bloody regards,

Duran

X Factor

"History must repeat itself!" Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska. By the time he was 13, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in the criminal underworld in Boston and New York. In 1945, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X made the pilgrimage, the Hajj, to Mecca and became a Sunni Muslim. He traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East. He founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular, black nationalist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in New York.

Respect...Jam Master Jay

Jason William Mizell , also known as Jam-Master Jay or Jay Gambulos, was a founder and the DJ of Run-D.M.C., a hip hop group based in the Queens borough of New York City. Mizell was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Queens at the age of 10 with his family. He played bass and drums in several garage bands prior to joining Run-D.M.C.; on all of their albums from Raising Hell on, he played keyboards, bass, and live drums in addition to his turntable work. Mizell remained in his childhood neighborhood his entire life. He founded the 'Scratch DJ Academy' in Manhattan for children interested in DJing. In the 1990s, Mizell survived a bad car accident and a gunshot wound. On October 30, 2002, he was shot and killed in a Merrick Boulevard recording studio in Queens, New York. The other person in the room, twenty-three-year-old Urieco Rincon, was shot in the ankle and survived. What can we say about such an iconic figure of Hip Hop and Rap music. No body rocked the decks like JMJ.

Salvation Army contracts Merder T's...

My good buddy John Evans from the Salvation Army, has contracted us to design a shirt. The Salvation Army is the second largest brand in the planet next to Coca Cola! Wow, just found that tidbit of info out myself. The theme of the shirt is 'Fire & Blood' and will include a Hastings Street scene with our signature blood splatters and illustrated style. "I want it to be edgy and a bit over the top..." says John Evans. The Sally Anne is moving a in a brand new marketing direction and the launch of this particular piece will be the start of their new campaign."We are looking forward to working alongside Merder T's and continuing the strength & integrity of the Salvation Army brand."

The Salvation Army operates in 111 countries and provides services in 175 different languages. The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people today and everyday in 400 communities across Canada. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, provides shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction. When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community. Sounds great to us - thanks John!

Recognize...Honest Abe in soft cotton

We love his story, the myths, the drama in the theater, all of it. Abe was dope. He represented a proud America in all it's glory. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, one of the last major events in the American Civil War, took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was shot while attending a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre with his wife and two guests.

Lincoln's assassin, actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth, had also ordered a fellow conspirator, Lewis Powell, to kill William H. Seward (then Secretary of State). Booth hoped to create chaos and overthrow the Federal government by assassinating Lincoln, Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Although Booth succeeded in killing Lincoln, the larger plot failed. Seward was attacked, but recovered from his wounds, and Johnson's would-be assassin, George Atzerodt, fled Washington, D.C. upon losing his nerve.

Someone save the Pitbulls!

Our official mascot at Merder Headquarters is non other than Odin Buckaroo Banzai Bodasing. Or as we like to call him 'Odie-Bodie'. He's 5 years old and weighs in at 75lbs, shiny black coat & likes long walkies, raw steak and kissing babies. MY POINT - Ahem, remember when famed NFL star Micheal Vick got busted for holding illegal pit bull fights? That pissed off a ton of pit bull & animal activists world wide including us. What kind of fucked up millionaire overpaid shit head who has everything, needs to hold gambling dog fights where animals are treated in such an inhumane fashion?! Anyways, we at Merder Tee's decided that this was out right murder & fits perfect with our message. So naturally we decided to make a shirt to diss that asshole and send some charity to the SPCA in Odin's home Vancouver BC. By the way, you don't have to have a Pit Bull to get one for your special pup. Available in doggy sizes only!

Hard to Kill...

Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, shot at point-blank range by Nathuram Godse, an activist of the Hindu Mahasabha. Since 1934, there had been five unsuccessful attempts to kill Gandhi. As a Hindu this shirt had to be done right. The Blue Blood represents his Royalty in Indian culture, the Hindu Deity is symbolic of our religion and the Vishnu God on the sleeve is perfect.

Make a Blog about my life?! Hmmmmm?

Welcome to my first ever blog. Never thought this kind of thing would appeal to me, a digital diary I guess. Better get with the times old boy! As we begin our new business venture together (Merder Tee's) with my team and partners, I wanted to create a way of 'blogging' my adventures online for all to see. I have a pretty fun life & I hope to be a source of entertainment for all who visit for years to come. Gentlemen - Start Your Blogging!