Death Metal T-Shirt (2018)
A closer look:
We're stoked to re-introduce our very first death metal T-shirt – the O.G., if you will. Inspired by some New Zealand friends, and intricately drawn by the incomparable Rick Reese (who is also one of our cover illustrators), it makes a truly authentic statement.
The material is a cotton blend and the design was screened in-house at Babylon Burning, right here in San Francisco.
material: cotton blend
color: black
Here's a bit more about our original Death Metal Tee:
THE ARTIST
Rick Reese
Wear one of our intricate “death metal” logo designs, and be prepared for people to stop you in the street to ask about the band on your shirt. That’s no accident. The artist is Rick Reese, a well-known West Coast freelance illustrator who counts among his biggest influences “Pushead,” famous for his skateboard graphics in the '80s, as well as doing artwork for bands like the Misfits, Metallica and Kool Keith. Reese works with bands himself these days, but his collaboration with No Starch Press marks the first time he's done album-cover-style designs for a book publisher – an artistic juxtaposition he thinks "adds to the shirt's appeal."
THE SHIRT MAKER
Anvil 980
A classic tee from a trusted brand, the Anvil 980 lightweight crewneck is a tried-and-true wardrobe staple. Made with a soft, preshrunk ringspun-cotton and polyester blend, it's as comfortable as it is durable.
THE SCREEN PRINTER
Babylon Burning
Since its humble beginnings out of a Bernal Heights utility room in 1976, to today’s roomy industrial space (and attached art gallery) in SoMa, Babylon Burning has become an ink-stained institution in San Francisco. As the city’s oldest screen printer, they've survived bubbles, busts, recessions, earthquakes, and major social changes. But one thing that’s stayed the same is the printing process itself, which is still done almost completely manually.
Screen printing is a method of printing graphics on a T-shirt that lays thick inks over a mesh screen imprinted with the design, ensuring absolute precision. Sure, there are quicker ways to get a graphic on a shirt, but nothing looks better than an old-school screen print.