You can now download Sinotology designs and use them as your iPhone wallpaper! The Monkey King, Terracotta Soldier, and Boba Milk Tea are all available for download. Just click on the one (or all!) you want below to start. This is the first of what I want to be a whole slew of freebies I’d like to share with people. Enjoy!
1911I want to watch this movie so bad. It stars Jackie Chan and Joan Chen and it’s about the 1911 Xinhai Revolution that overthrew the Qing Empire and started the Republic of China. Interestingly enough, Joan Chen also had a role in The Last Emperor which also featured this revolution but this time she plays the part of Empress Dowager. A little bit of history lesson: the newly founded Republic of China (Nationalist) was subsequently defeated by the People’s Republic of China (Communist) and fled to Taiwan (who is having its centennial celebration this year) about 40 year later. So this movie is really about the founding of the government of what is now Taiwan, not China. However, this is a Chinese-produced film so I’m really curious to see how the R.O.C. is portrayed. Either way, the overthrow of the last empire of China is a huge event for Nationalists and Communists alike. The movie opens today! Check out the 1911 official movie website.
New Product Photos
I never really liked the boring flat t-shirt mocks that I originally had in the shop so I replaced them with actual product photos. I thought this would give the website some life and show how the designs actually look when worn. So I jerry-rigged a crappy little studio in my bedroom and shot away. The whole shoot was such a production. I was the photographer/model/lighting guy/etc. It would’ve been quite a sight if anyone were to see me running back and forth in my tiny little bedroom to get these shots. But in the end I thought they turned out well. Maybe I should invest in a wireless remote. I guess I tend to lean my head toward the right….
Check Out Our Feature on GASP!
The Boba Milk Tea shirt has been featured on GASP!, a blog that showcases a lot of cool Asian stuff (warning: there’s so much cool stuff you can lose a lot of time in that site). I need to get the word about my Chinese tees out more and having one of them featured with other awesome Asian goodies definitely got me feeling psyched! Now I got to get my marketing mojo on! On a side note, I’m totally getting these shuriken magnets!
A Look At the Illustration Process
Just thought I’d show you guys a little bit of the behind-the-scenes action of how I create these illustrations. The example here is The Monkey King graphic. Basically, my method of illustrating is a three-step process. I first start out with a really quick study to get the pose I like. I may do this over and over until I’m satisfied with a pose. Once I have it I sketch out a better illustration, adding in the details but not stressing too much over them. I try not to get hung up on the details until the next step. Then that sketch is scanned in and I finalize everything on the computer. This is where everything is cleaned up and I pay a lot of attention to detail. For a simple graphic such as this I think it’s faster this way but for a more intricate design it’s probably better to have most (if not all) of the details sketched out. This is my first foray back into drawing since college so the whole process takes me longer than most artists. But with time and practice I’m sure I’ll get faster. Better start hitting the sketch book!
Today Only: All Shirts 25% Off!
Popular t-shirt blog I Am the Trend invited brands to hold a 24-hour sale in honor of Shark Week. Being the big fan of sharks that I am, I decided to participate. So for TODAY ONLY, all shirts are 25% off! Just enter the coupon code ATTACK when you checkout. If you haven’t picked up a shirt yet now’s the perfect time. What are you waiting for??
Giant Sale ComingThere’s going to be a huge sale coming some time next week. If you haven’t picked up a shirt yet it would be the perfect time. Keeping it hush hush now so be sure to check back for more info.
Oakland Kid Singing Chinese Opera Is Full of AwesomeNow this is something you don’t see everyday. Fifteen-year-old Tyler Thompson from Oakland has been singing in Chinese since kindergarten and is now performing Chinese opera, complete with all the moves. It’s always refreshing to see people embracing cultures other than their own. While many aspects of Chinese culture has been accepted by foreigners (the most widely-embraced being kung fu), Chinese opera is something you never see anyone other than Chinese people perform. Now someone get this kid the full outfit, makeup, and head piece! Full story here:
Chinese Clone Apple Store Photo by BirdAbroad Now the Chinese have been known to pirate DVDs and make almost perfect copies of electronics, but this, I really have to say, impressed me. Yes, I know it’s wrong and against the law but you really have to marvel at the attention to detail the designer paid to this Apple Store knockoff. From the decor to the employees uniforms, this copy cat spent a good deal of time and energy trying to fool people into thinking it’s the real thing. If not for some subtle differences, he/she might have pulled it off. To be honest I probably would have been fooled if I walked in. This person is great at copying…I mean excellent. Imagine if that energy was put into more productive and moral undertakings. Click below for the full story.
As American As Chinese FoodStumbled upon this interesting little video the other day and thought I’d share. A lot of what most Americans think as Chinese food really isn’t Chinese. When I was in Taiwan I never ate (or found places that served) broccoli beef or orange chicken. Chinese food here is different from Chinese food in China, and in my honest opinion, not as good. I stay away from places like Panda Express. And don’t get me started on P.F. Chang’s. Most Chinese food here in the States is just too bland and a lot of times very sweet. The taste has been altered so that it’s more favorable to American palates. Also, some dishes aren’t even served so customers don’t get grossed out when they see “Pig’s Blood Cake” on the menu. Luckily I live in an area populated by a lot of Chinese people so I can find food that’s more authentic. Fortune cookies and takeout boxes are also American inventions. You won’t find any of that in China or Taiwan. And you see how in the graphic the chopsticks are stuck in the rice? DON’T do that at a Chinese restaurant. That’s considered a no-no. Whoever made that graphic obviously had no idea.
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