MY OLD LIBRARY

I would spend hours there – looking up information, writing papers, etc. Of course, this was all well before the internet and computers…it was the Dewey decimal system at its finest. But while doing work, I would always wander off to the fiction section and take a look at the books. I was never one for the “young adult” section – I thought those books were lame. No, I wanted cool stuff – adult fiction. And not just any adult fiction – horror.

Even at as early as 8-9 years old, I could be most found in either the occult section or the horror section of books at that library. It was around that time that I heard of Stephen King. It was the mid-80s and King was arguably at the height of his popularity, so his name was everywhere…so were his books. And how beautiful they looked… Cujo with the glistening fangs on the cover, IT, with the hand coming up from the sewer. If the story inside those pages was half as intriguing (and scary) as those images, I wanted it. So most trips to the library ended the same way…a scrawny little kid (myself) walking home with piles (and I do mean piles) of hardcover books. Sometimes I had 8-10 books in one trip – and they were all horror.

Now, if you do the math, I only had about 2 weeks with these books before they were due back to the library. Did I read them? Heck no. Sure, I tried… I would get 10 pages into one, 30 into another, but my attention span would wane if there was no carnage in the first few pages. That’s not to say the stories weren’t good – I’ve since read my fair share of them – but I was just too young to grasp them completely.

What I did mostly was just simply gaze at them. I’d arrange them on my floor and stare at the covers like they were Picassos or Van Goghs. I was so entranced by them and the type of imagery they evoked in my mind (did Cujo really look like that? Was Christine that bad ass of a car?) that they told me the story themselves. It was the idea of the books, and what they had waiting inside that captured me. And it all came from the eye-catching covers that I couldn’t ignore.

Below are some of my favorites from when I was a kid. What about you? Did you have a similar experience? What are some of your favorites? Post your comments below!

It seems to me some of these would look cool on a shirt…

I like to plan at least a few months in advance so we’ve always got designs being worked on. Some have been sitting here for a little while, and others are being worked on right now. I do like to keep things coming out regularly, but I’m also not trying to bombard people every chance I get…I just want a nice flow to how we put new products out.

And while I’m itching to get new designs, we’re actually being held back a bit by forces out of our control. Reprints to current designs been delayed a few weeks because the factory is out of several sizes of the black shirts we need. Apparently it will level off at the end of this month, but until then, things are a bit on hold with our reprints, as well as any new designs being released…well, on black shirts anyway.

With all that going on, I’ve had to shift some things around which is going to make April quite a bit crazier than originally planned. As of right now, we have TWO pretty big events coming up this month. And even though I wouldn’t normally squeeze such unique events into one month, I think it might actually work for the better in some cases as they are focused on two very different crowds.

MONDO COLLABORATION
First up is collaboration with one of my favorite companies – Mondo (www.mondotees.com). If you don’t know them, do yourself a favor and check the link out. Not only do they do some great shirts, but they also put out amazing limited edition screenprinted posters. And when owner Justin Ishmael contacted me about working together, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

The result is a shirt and poster combo that will be sold together on our site. Justin and his crew designed the poster, and I worked with Brandon Minga  (http://brandonminga.com/) on his breathtaking design for the t-shirt….which, for once, is not on black (I can hear the gasps now). It will be sold as a combo (not separate) and limited to 200 shirts/posters. As for what movie we’re basing it on…well, lets just say it has been called “the worst movie of all time”. Plan on it to hit the site around April 13.

ANOTHER EXTREME EDITION
Finally, there is one more very special event we are holding at the end of April. However, this will be an invitation only event – meaning only those on a special list will be notified of the event, and have a chance to order. Why a separate list? Simple. Because I don’t want to bombard those of you who aren’t interested with a series of emails that you don’t care about.

So, be sure to check your inbox on April 23. You will receive instructions on how to get on the list and become a part of this event…and yes, a teaser on what it’s about so you’ll know if you want in or not. If you sign up, then I’ll send you more information. If you don’t sign up, you won’t hear another word from me about it again. If you’re familiar with our past Extreme Editions, then that is what you can expect this time as well…and I’ll leave it at that.

EXCLUSIVE SNEAK PEEK!
Once that is over, I plan on taking a break from some of this crazy stuff and get back to beefing up our main line with some amazing new designs. We’ve got a great mix coming in this next line-up – alot of work from some new artists and, of course, more Zornow! I hope to start putting these out as early as next month.

Earlier this evening, while  I had all the new designs open in Photoshop, I thought I’d take a quick screenshot of them. So go ahead and click the thumbnail image below to enlarge the image for an exclusive sneak peek at new designs!

As always, I want to hear your comments/thoughts/opinions. I enjoy your honesty, so let me know what you think of our crazy month ahead, or the new designs…or whatever is on your mind. Thanks again!

- Ben

Let me say this, I don’t necessarily mind remakes, re-envisionings, etc. It’s been done to other classic movies to much success (The Thing, anyone?). I guess part of the reason they put a bad taste is that I’m now old enough to see the films from my childhood being remade. Sheesh, I’m not that old, am I? (since when is 32 old?).

But really,  I think it’s due to the lack of creativity on the part of Hollywood. Why can’t they think up something original for once? Where  are the new franchise characters to rival Michael, Jason, and Freddy? Where are the interesting new ghost stories and monster flicks? Sure, there have been a few over the past few years (indie films seem to keep originality alive), but mostly we’re stuck watching films based on something that came 20+ years before.

Hopefully it’s just a phase. Maybe in the coming decade we’ll see a shift in what is popular from remakes to more original films. But until then, I guess we’ll see the continual mining of our childhoods for more material.

So what’s your take? Do remakes suck, or do they have a place in horror history? Vote below and then post your thoughts!

I wasn’t the biggest Garfield fan, but I did enjoy the prime time cartoons they would air once and awhile, usually on holidays (this is before he had his own Saturday morning cartoon). And there was one special in particular that I remember very well…Garfield’s Halloween Adventure!

Garfield’s Halloween Adventure first aired on CBS on October 30, 1985 and – according to Wikipedia – reran on the network annually until 2000. But once a year just wasn’t enough for me… I remember taping it on our BetaMax (if you don’t know what that is, you’re too young) and watching dozens of times throughout the year. Like anything else Halloween related, it didn’t need to be autumn for me to get in the Halloween spirit. So needless to say, the Garfield Halloween Special became a staple of my regular tv viewing (in between Looney Tunes, He-Man, Transformers, GI Joe, and various horror films and action movies).

However, by the end of the 80′s our family had finally entered the modern day world of VHS and our BetaMax was relegated to the basement. And while I still continued to enjoy the tapes I had collected over the years, I spent more of my time renting and watching things on our new machine. Then, a few years later, our BetaMax bit the dust for good.

After that, I would always think back to that Garfield Halloween Special with fond memories, but never really thought to look for it on VHS or now, DVD. I guess it was an “out of sight, out of mind” type of thing.

But this morning, as I sat at the breakfast table with my 3 year old daughter, I got to thinking about that old special again. She asked me to “watch something special” – which means to look up something on YouTube for her to see, a regular ritual when she sees me on my laptop. We usually end up watching M&Ms commercials, or the opening credits to The Munsters or The Addams Family. But this morning I decided to look up something else…

And so we sat there for 25 minutes as we watched the entire Garfield Halloween Special…the first for me in probably 8-9 years. And although that much time had passed, I still remembered every line, every song, every little beat. So much so that I realized some of them had entered my daily vernacular without even realizing it.

Sure, the animation is a little choppy, the sound slightly warbly…but it made me feel 10 years old again. And my daughter liked it too…something else to add to our October traditions, for sure.

So I thought I would repost the special below. So sit back, grab some milk and cookies, and be prepared to get transported back in time before life got so, well, complicated. And before you know it, you too will be saying “candy, candy, candy, candy, candy”!

As you know, we’re always working on new stuff here at FRIGHT-RAGS. And while the list is quite long, and we already have new designs slated for next month, I wanted to get your opinion on some other ideas.

So check out the poll below and cast your vote for what could be a future design (or designs) on the site. Again, these are just a sliver of what is on our list…i just picked these at random to get your opinion.

Remember to pick TWO that you would most like to see on this list. And as always, post your thoughts below!

But what about you? What do you like in a shirt? I get lots of feedback from people saying they would love a more “form-fitted” shirt (like American Apparel). But then I get messages from people who say that if I ever switched to American Apparel, they’d never buy from the site again. Clearly there is some disparity among those who order our shirts. So while I wait for my new blanks to come in and try out, I thought I would ask for your opinion as to what we should do.

Vote below on what you think we should do about changing our t-shirts to a different brand. And, while you’re here, feel free to post your opinion as well!

PLEASE NOTE: This would only pertain to our regular shirts sizes S-3X. Although we are printing more 4X and 5X shirts, brands that offer them are limited, so we would still print on the same brands for those. As for girl shirts, we would still use the same for those as well.

********** UPDATE **********

I just got in the Alstyle shirt today and I have to say, I’m impressed. The fit is THE SAME as the Gildan shirts, but the fabric just feels better…higher quality… I may be doing some more tests, but i think this one would appeal to the most people.

The reason it is so hard to print on dark or black shirts is because the dark colors would dull the ink, causing it to look faded or washed out. Have you ever tried drawing on black paper? Doesn’t work, does it? The same principle applies here. What was developed was a method that involved a pre-treatment layer, white ink layer, then colored layer.  So, for darker garments, a pre-treatment solution is first sprayed onto the face of the garment, which will allows the ink to adhere to the cotton fibers but not sink into them. Then, a white layer of ink, or underbase, is applied to allow a clean and bright basis for the colored inks. And, finally, the colored areas of the design are printed. Once the shirt is heat set in a garment dryer, the design is permanently adhered to the fabric, and is as durable as any screenprinted t-shirt. To see how the process works, click the video below to watch a shirt printed in real time!

I researched this technology for over 2 years before I found the perfect company to work with that had the best machine on the market. We now work closely together on each new batch of vintage shirts, to ensure that every image is optimally processed for the best results. Each week I send them a new batch of orders along with blank garments, and the experts there print my order and send them back to our office where we ship them to you. That;s why it takes longer to ship and deliver these types of shirts…but I assure you the wait is worth it.

So that’s how our vintage shirts are printed. And since they are each custom printed one at a time, we are able to offer them in a wide variety of styles, colors, and sizes for every design. You can also get them with a “clean” look, or completely “distressed” to add to that vintage look and feel. We’ve even added a “custom shirt designer” to every vintage shirt product page that allows you to see what your shirt will look like before you order! Make sure to post your thoughts and comments below and then click here to check out our huge selection of vintage shirts!

A special thanks to Contract DTG for helping to make this video possible.

As some of you already know, we always attend the Monster Mania show, which takes place twice a year in Cherry Hill, NJ. However, this year they decided to add a third show, but at another location. So, this past weekend we packed up the trailer and van and headed 5 1/2 hours East for the Monster Mania show in Hartford, CT. Although the hotel layout was different, and the vibe of the show was not like Cherry Hill, we still had a blast. Here are just a few of the pics we took along the way…

First up, I went in to see Chris Sarandon and presented him with a Fright Night t-shirt. He loved it and was gracious enough to take a picture with me. When I mentioned that the artist (Jeff Zornow) was also at the show, he told me to make sure to send him over to say hi. Very cool guy and nothing at all like Jerry Dandrige…hehe…

I also had a chance to meet Heather Langenkamp, who was there with her friend Thommy Huston (His Name Was Jason) and her niece and nephew. She was great and he niece and nephew stopped by our table to get a zombified caricature drawn by Zornow…

On the way out of the autograph room, I decided to stop by Lisa Wilcox’s table to meet her as well. I’ve always had a soft spot for Nightmare on Elm Street part 4, and it was really cool to meet her in person. She ended up stopping by our table at the end of the show to pick up a shirt for her son.

While at our table I saw a fellow vendor from Bully Belts walk by sporting this customized version of our CHUD shirt. Damn, that is friggin’ cool!

Normally at shows I don’t get to leave the table long enough to meet the major guests. But this weekend was different…. On Sunday, we heard that the line for Robert Englund was pretty short by mid-afternoon so my buddy Tim and I ran over there to meet him. What a guy… He’s so cool in person and actually makes conversation with you so you don’t have to just stand there trying to think of something to say. All I can say is that I’ve never been so happy to be strangled in my life..

By the end of the show we were all tired and ready to pack up. We usually stick around until Monday so there was no rush to break down our table. So, while everyone else was leaving, we stuck around until the last person was gone. And one of them happened to be Robert Rusler (Nightmare on Elm St. part 2, Weird Science, Thrashin’), who stopped by our table at the end of the day. It always seems that the guys who play the biggest jerks on film are the nicest in person. He’s no exception…so cool and gracious. We chatted for awhile about his new project and love for Universal Horror Monsters (which he proudly displays on his arm in the form of a huge tattoo). We hooked him up with a Wolfman’s Got Nards shirt and he was cool enough to take this pic with us.

Zornow, Ben, Robert Rusler, Matt

All in all, it was a great time. Next up, Monster Mania in August!

Things really kicked off on Thursday morning where I appeared on a popular local radio show to help promote the event on Friday. I was with my friend Kristy (the person who put on the event and Fright-Rags promotional machine) and Alayna, who is the co-owner of the record shop putting on the event. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I certainly didn’t expect this:

Yup, that’s me with Dave Coulier, aka Joey Gladstone from Full House. He’s in town on his comedy tour and was at the station for an interview. Great guy…he even grabbed a couple of the shirts we brought down to the station and sat in for the interview. Once that was over, it was back home to get ready for the show. The next day was spent putting last minute touches on everything, packing shirts, and picking up Zornow   airport. Then, it was show time.

Though it only lasted a few hours, I was exhausted afterward…but a few of us still went out for dinner aftwerward to unwind a bit. SInce Zornow was in town for the weekend, I thought it would be a good opportunity to have a cookout at my house the next night. So, from Saturday afternoon until well into the night, we had friends and family over for some good drinks, conversation, and of course….BBQ.

And it wouldn’t be a party without cake, right?

Full credit goes to my wife for that one. The cake was all her idea…and it was a definite hit.

That’s me and Zornow at about 2:30am. Until next time…

If you live in or around Rochester, NY, then mark June 5th of your calendar and c’mon down to The Record Archive for the FIRST EVER Fright-Rags Gallery Event/Horror Movie Night featuring the art of Jeff Zornow! For those of you who don’t know, Jeff is the artist responsible for some of the most memorable Fright-Rags shirt designs such as Zombie VS Shark, The Crate, Father’s Day, Party Time, and many more! He will be there in person to meet his fans and will have his original artwork for these shirts and more on display and available for purchase.

In addition to his fantastic artistry, we will have awesome giveaways from Troma Entertainment, Rue Morgue Magazine and VHSPS.Com! Low Budget Pictures will also be there selling there films and of course, there will be Fright-Rags shirt available for purchase.  Plus,  awesome horror memorabilia and autographed pics of your favorite horror stars, courtesy of Re-Evolution management as well as horror posters donated to us by Regal Cinemas! There will also be a screen set up playing Creepshow and Zombie (the films that inspired the most popular Fright Rags shirts) and the classic documentary, Fangoria’s Weekend of Horrors!!!!!

Last, but not least, we will be  debuting Jeff’s latest Fright-Rags design…already printed up and for sale at the show!

Don’t live in or near Rochester, NY and can’t attend? No problem… Stay tuned next Friday as I will be sending more details about how you can participate in this event, win prizes, and get a chance to own Jeff’s newest design before anyone else!

EVENT DETAILS:

WHERE: The Record Archive – Rochester, NY. NEED DIRECTIONS? CLICK HERE!

WHEN: Friday, June 5 – starting at 6pm

COST: FREE!

Hope to see you there!