caanan

This week’s Shirthead victim runs the
Unofficial Redbubble Tshirt Blog

and, contrary to her redbubble avatar,

Natalie Tyler is not a piece of fruit. Although, like a piece of fruit, peel off a layer or two, and you get something altogether delicious.

Let’s eat!

This is the tshirt, by the way, folks… :oD

So, what is a manchild?

I have witnessed two types of manchild in their natural habitat and interestingly, they are almost polar opposites. One has the appearance of a man but displays Peter Pan-like qualities, namely the refusal to act like an adult. Often they will give the impression that they are fully grown adults but scratch the surface and you will find a fourteen year-old. Typical behavior includes: dressing like a teenager, owning one or more games consoles, spending an unhealthy amount of time on said games consoles and eating snickers bars for breakfast.

The other variety is more like a man trapped in a child’s body. He has the appearance of someone who is dressed up in his Dad’s clothing. He would like to be seen as a man of the world but his childlike features give the game away. He longs for respect.

Type one would probably love a manchild t-shirt and so he should! He’s fighting the good fight. I wish there was a recognised female equivalent to this type of manchild. Manchild type two would probably feel a small part of himself die inside if you gave him a manchild t-shirt. He would much rather a box of cigars. Or perhaps a suit in his size.

What’s your favouritest tshirt you’ve ever worn?

I bought a Faith No More ‘The Real Thing’ tour t-shirt from Brashes in Southland (Melbourne) when I was about 13. They only had extra large but I wanted it so badly I didn’t care that I was only 5ft tall and it was knee length. My mum kindly took it up for me so it resembled an oversized crop top. I still wore it til it was threadbare.

Editor’s note – Ha ha! Brashes. :oP

If you could handpick the most awesome rock band in the world, who would be in it? Why? What would they, and their first CD, be called?

Wow. You sure ask the tough questions. I think I’d go for Mike Patton on lead vocals/percussion. Dave Grohl on drums and guitar (hey – it’s fantasy). Guest vocals from Jack Black and Maynard James Keenan. Bootsy Collins on bass just to mix it up a bit. They would be called Mindbuggery and the first album would be self titled.

How did you find the bubble? What made you stick around and take to the tees?

I was directed to the site by a friend. I signed up then spent a lot of time staring at amazing work and thinking about uploading some of my own. I faced my demons, acquired a copy of some software I hadn’t used in a while and set myself a few tasks to help me get back into things. One of those first ‘tasks’ happened to be featured and I sold a couple and from then on I was hooked. I’ve thought about uploading art but I like the layout of my profile page better when it’s got nine images in one block.

What do you do when you’re not on the bubble?

Picture the least creative environment you can possibly imagine. Times that by 10. No prizes for guessing I work at a law firm then. At this point I should stress I’m not a lawyer. I just got caught up with a bad crowd. I’ve deviated massively off the creative path and RedBubble has been my salvation. It’s cleared the cobwebs from the right side of my brain and has paved the way for a brighter future ;) I also sleep and catch public transport.

Where do your ideas come from?

Often they just come out of the process of trying to learn something new. If I distract myself from the task of creating something then things seem to flow a bit better. It’s getting started that’s the main problem so if I trick myself into it, before I know it I’m working on an idea. Other ideas will simply come from random things I see or hear during the day. I try to actually act on the phrase ‘that would make a cool t-shirt’.

What are some of the best ideas you’ve come across so far this year?

One of the coolest things I’ve seen this year is Irina Block’s stunning diamond necklace . I also really like little people – a tiny street art project described as ‘little hand painted people, left in London to fend for themselves’. Oh – and Joshua Allen Harris’s Inflatable Sculptures . One of those crazy ideas you admire someone for thinking up …

Can you give us a random thought you constantly have but never vocalised before?

Unfortunately no. I have plenty of random thoughts but most of them have been vocalised. I vocalise a fair bit.

If you could be responsible for one thing, but no-one knew it was you who did it, what would it be?

Ross Robinson already said he’d ‘take care’ of Celine Dion didn’t he? I could cover her back catalogue. Not literally, of course (that would be horrific). I mean I would remove every trace of it from our planet.

What do you think is the affliction of the modern generation, and how can we eradicate it?

Shopping as a leisure activity. It’s one thing to browse a fine internet site for some quality art to enhance your home or a lovely t-shirt to keep you warm but I think it’s scary how some people will spend a day out at a shopping centre for entertainment. Sometimes every weekend. Often alone. People should ask themselves why they don’t spend more time thinking, reading, creating, talking or just being. There’s nothing wrong with a good shop but it might be worth looking at how much time we spend doing it and how we’re really hoping it will make us feel.

Can I get an Amen? ;o)

Thanks Natalie! And alas, I can only pick one tshirt to feature in the actual strip, but this one also rocks.

Seeya next week folks!

Caanan.

Memory lane…

The Original Strip BigFatRobot Chris Richards Paul McClintock David J Cunning Johdie Tambatoys Simon Sherry Ross Robinson Natalie Tyler thickblackoutline rubyred Liesl Yvette Wilson Chris Wahl Jaywalker sparklehen jemimalovesbigted purelydecorative nofrillsart Superteam: Non-Stop animo Tabita LilyM bahgoesthesheep LuckyVegetable o0OdemocrazyO0o MuscularTeeth