The 2006 Joystiq t-shirt
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Apr 21st 2006 at 3:29PM }
Freelance writer, photographer, and graphic designer Philip Palermo created the design above for the 2006 Joystiq t-shirt contest. We've chosen his design, so Phil wins fame, glory, and a domestic Nintendo DS Lite plus two games.
Now that we've selected the shirts, how do we plan to get them into your hands? We're going to print only 200 total. We'll reserve about 50 shirts for staff and for site giveaways, and will sell the remaining shirts on eBay.
When the shirts go on sale, we'll let you know.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
pandlcg @ Apr 21st 2006 3:34PM
can you show some of the runner ups?
Conrad Quilty-Harper @ Apr 21st 2006 3:36PM
I'll admit it wasn't my first choice - but now it's been chosen I'm very happy it was! Great work Phil!
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 3:36PM
Sorry about the lack of the link, Pandlcg. here:
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/04/05/joystiq-t-shirt-contest-finalists/
bv @ Apr 21st 2006 3:38PM
That's pretty sick, nice modern design. Only thing im wondering is what godzira' has to do with joystiq, but the fact that he integrated the ping pong paddles and ball like that is pretty sweet nonetheless.
Josh @ Apr 21st 2006 3:38PM
A domestic DS Lite? Like from North America? I assume he won't get it until it's released over here, then?
had2comment @ Apr 21st 2006 3:38PM
That was the best shirt of the bunch. Nice pick.
Baba @ Apr 21st 2006 3:38PM
(wondering if anyone else notices the resemblance to the Imperial Japan flag that Joystiq loves but others hate)
Jackal @ Apr 21st 2006 3:41PM
not my personal favorite but a good shirt indeed. I will be bootlegging all finalists to undermine your sales...lol
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 3:42PM
Baba: we've banned use of that flag on the site, even though it is still in current use by the Japanese Navy.
Thanks for keeping an eye on us, though. We have Korean and Chinese writers on the staff of Weblogs Inc. We're not insensitive to the atrocities of World War II, but the rays of the sun are a popular design motif that is larger than that conflict.
Josh: domestic means domestic! Your assumption is correct.
Linkman2004 @ Apr 21st 2006 3:42PM
Joystiq you big fat sons of yahoos! The winner doesn't even follow the rules! Rule number 5 is "the design must incorporate the Joystiq logo"! Screw you!
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 3:44PM
Link: the design does incorporate the logo. We never said that the design couldn't PLAY WITH the logo. This design is quite playful, and the logo is there.
Pal @ Apr 21st 2006 3:45PM
YES! This was my first choice! AWESOME.
Paul @ Apr 21st 2006 3:46PM
Haha, you managed to incorporate part of that Japanese nationalist flag everyone was bitching you out over in there.
Paul @ Apr 21st 2006 3:48PM
Well crap, now that I read reply number 8 by vc I feel like a jerk. Accept my apology.
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 4:00PM
No worries, Paul.
FreQ @ Apr 21st 2006 4:01PM
JOYSTIO ?
Someone tell me WTF a JOYSTIO is....
jaemz @ Apr 21st 2006 4:03PM
Congrats Philip... great design. Good job Joystiq.
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 4:04PM
Great comment, Freq.
the antique @ Apr 21st 2006 4:04PM
This was one of my favorites. Nice choice.
Shad Genki @ Apr 21st 2006 4:07PM
My favorite. But 150 shirts on Ebay? Them shits better be Buy It Now.
Ibere @ Apr 21st 2006 4:08PM
Wasn't the designs supposed to have only two colors? Just asking...
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 4:09PM
They definitely will be, Shad!
jV @ Apr 21st 2006 4:26PM
#16 Actually, it's "Joystia"...
For for those of you about to defend the design, be realistic and be professional. This IS either an oversight or a poor design choice, and Philip or Joystiq should take the original files and fix this before the t-shirts are pressed.
I've been working for various graphic design firms for 7 years, and personally, I like the design, but that "q" should definitely be altered.
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 4:30PM
Don't worry, we'll fix the Q. Already talking to Philip about it!
Gin @ Apr 21st 2006 4:44PM
*sigh* godzillastiq ... and i hoping to be able to buy an awesome joystiq t-shirt to show off ... guess not, this design is just bleh. you guys should have had a vote or something to decide the final t-shirt logo. it should have been #12 (http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/04/joystiq_tshirt_entry_finalist13.jpg) or definately #14 (http://www.joystiq.com/media/2006/04/joystiq_tshirt_entry_finalist15.jpg), you know, something that would have instantly registered as "joystiq!" or "games!" not "godzilla!".
Tim @ Apr 21st 2006 4:52PM
I agree, don't really like the design.
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 4:57PM
#14 had too many IP violations. (Same for the Katamari one everyone loved.)
#12 had too few supporters in the thread.
It was a tough call. We chose this because it has design and sass.
- v
Grindstone @ Apr 21st 2006 5:19PM
I guess we'll have to start associating Godzilla with our beloved Joystiq... I hope Japan doesn't mind we are ripping off their mascot. But it wouldn't be the first time Japanese flee from me in terror. At least I can blame it on the shirt and the scary Godzilla print.
Uhm, is there anyway to have more than one shirt available. Uhm, yeah, sorry, I just don't need a Godzilla shirt right now. It's a little pass?IMO.
AJ @ Apr 21st 2006 5:49PM
That is the one I didn't want to win. Sorry, I'm not buying it.
Blue_Chi @ Apr 21st 2006 6:14PM
I like the winning design, it is very Japanese.
dan s. @ Apr 21st 2006 6:23PM
As I sit here in my pixelante shirt, why 1) are you selling them on ebay, and 2) not making all of them available like the pixelante people did?
jV @ Apr 21st 2006 6:49PM
It's all soooooo subjective and joystiq knows that it won't be able to please everyone. Kudos to Phil for a great design and Vlad for the replies.
This is a t-shirt design. Joystiq is not re-branding themselves or changing their identity. There will be 200 of these on the entire planet. You don't have to associate Joystiq with Godzilla. Those of you who never acquire one of these shirts will forget this contest ever happened in a matter of weeks.
Kasumi-Astra @ Apr 21st 2006 7:27PM
I don't really like it either, I'd really like a bold, clear title that people can clearly read as "This Is A Joystiq Teeshirt". I don't think there's anything about this teeshirt that instantly identifies it as Joystiq. You can't really easily make out the logo without coming right up to the chest. There are tee-shirts that capitalise on that sort of thing, but that's a completely different kettle of fish ;-)
It's a great piece of art, but it's pretty useless as a teeshirt for me. I'll keep my "Touch Me" DS teeshirt until a better one comes along.
wickedd @ Apr 21st 2006 8:53PM
I am very disappointed in the choice. I don't get the godzilla/joystiq connection nor the godzilla/gaming connection. boooooooo and hisssss!
jd @ Apr 21st 2006 9:04PM
I agreen with Gin. Either #12 or #14 would've been my choice. #10 and #11 were nice too. WTH is going on, Joystiq?!?
Hiero @ Apr 21st 2006 9:30PM
how much will they be? are you guys going to ship to Australia
if they arent by it now you are going to be reaping in the cash
obo @ Apr 21st 2006 9:41PM
I will only buy this shirt if, on the back, there is a Katamari that has rolled up 'zilla and the logo and the towers and the crowd
obo @ Apr 21st 2006 9:43PM
"Those of you who never acquire one of these shirts will forget this contest ever happened in a matter of weeks."
Then why did they have it? Can't be to promote Joystiq, then. Just a spot of fun?
embassy @ Apr 21st 2006 10:09PM
i..just dont get it...
apparently the point of this shirt was *not* to attract to people to joystiq.com...
Seer S @ Apr 21st 2006 10:37PM
For the love of God, please make more than just 200!!!
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 11:08PM
Some responses: "apparently the point of this shirt was *not* to attract to people to joystiq.com..."
We didn't want a shirt that was too literal. We could have just put a logo and the URL on a shirt, but that wouldn't have been quite so fun to wear.
This is more of an item of clothing for the insider who knows and reads the blog.
Q: how much will they be?
Probably around $15 USD.
Q: are you guys going to ship to Australia
Sure. Shipping to Australia costs more, however. Just FYI.
"I will only buy this shirt if, on the back, there is a Katamari that has rolled up 'zilla and the logo and the towers and the crowd"
Many of us loved the Katamari shirt, but we don't want to get sued.
"I don't get the godzilla/joystiq connection nor the godzilla/gaming connection."
We didn't want something so literal. That isn't godzilla, by the way. =)
Q: why are you selling them on ebay?
Because it's easy. We're not an ecommerce site, and eBay's software makes selling stuff easy.
Q: why are you not making all of them available like the pixelante people did?
Because we want to reserve some for staff (that's people who write for Joystiq) to wear, and we want to reserve some to give away as prizes to readers who make particularly valid comments and so on.
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 11:11PM
"For the love of God, please make more than just 200!!!"
We'd love to, but it's expensive. This is known as the too much/too little problem. If we make too many, we're stuck with extra. If we make too few, not enough people get one.
Plus, we want ownership of one of these to mean something -- if we made thousands, anybody could get one...
Chris @ Apr 21st 2006 11:22PM
Wow thats a bummer that they are only going to print 200, I was hoping I would be able to buy one so I could wear it and see if I bumped into people that would recognize what it is and where its from, but I guess that might not happen =(
So now I must ask
Can I use some of the designs and print out my own since you guys are only making a limited quantity?
The funny thing is that I visit this site regularly, like 4+ times a day and it took this article to get me post something.
Chris @ Apr 21st 2006 11:31PM
First of all sorry for the double post
"This is known as the too much/too little problem. If we make too many, we're stuck with extra. If we make too few, not enough people get one."
There is a easy way around this problem, all you have to do before printing the shirts is make a short preorder period for lets say 1-5 business days(it could be like a "limited time" thing). During those days people that want the shirt submit their order and by the end of the 5 days you will have the number of shirts you should order. You guys will not loose any money whatsoever because the shirts will all be payed for during preorder.
Danny @ Apr 21st 2006 11:43PM
I thought this contest was limited to 2 colors only. That's is definitely 3 colors. You can't make that dark blue by mixing orange and link blue and u can't make that light blue by using a percentage of that dark blue. Seems kinda unfair to those you actually did use only 2 colors... that is if the contest was limited to 2 colors.
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 11:45PM
Danny: the contest rules are here: http://www.joystiq.com/2006/03/01/design-the-joystiq-t-shirt-and-win-something/
They clearly state that 3 colors are allowed.
vc @ Apr 21st 2006 11:46PM
"There is a easy way around this problem, all you have to do before printing the shirts is make a short preorder period for lets say 1-5 business days(it could be like a "limited time" thing). During those days people that want the shirt submit their order and by the end of the 5 days you will have the number of shirts you should order."
eBay can't handle preorder. How do you propose we actually authorize credit cards during this period?
We're not a sophisticated e-commerce site. We're writers about video games.
I have worked in e-commerce. It's a friggin nightmare to do preorder work without a solid commerce engine.
Chris @ Apr 22nd 2006 12:13AM
I see your point, you could try pay-pal (im not really familiar with it) or the old fasion way with moneyorders (but that will slow the process down a lot) but i guess you win, i cant seem to think of another way
Sloopydrew @ Apr 22nd 2006 1:49AM
I like it, but it's very "Attack of the Show". I liked the one with all the joysticks put together better, because it seemed a little more unique and went better with the name "Joystiq". Still, it's a nice design that I'll proudly display on my chest, like the walking billboard advertisement that I am. Kudos to Philip!
Sloopydrew @ Apr 22nd 2006 1:59AM
"How do you propose we actually authorize credit cards during this period?"
Paypal works well for this. When I sold shirts for The Juicy Cerebellum way back in the day, I took pre-orders by accepting checks in the mail. That was a big pain, and I wouldn't recommend it. But what about Paypal? Just a suggestion for next time.