One of those creative types from the countries best advertising agency, Wieden + Kennedy tracked us down. His name is Mike Weihs and he has done something no other designer/illustrator has done. Designed a Bigfoot tshirt that speaks to the Bigfooting community. We are being serious, you can can see for yourself the Patterson/Gimlin influence is not by accident. The folksy lettering semi-hidden in the curls of fur spell out a message in all of our hearts. When we saw this tshirt, not only did we have to have one, we had to share it with the world world world...(<--that's an echo effect)
Mike, is not so different from other Bigfoot Lunch Club admirers; he emailed us, fanned us, and basically stalked us. We thought turnabout was fair play, so we decided the next time he appeared on our front lawn we would tie him down and interrogate--er interview him. The truth is we love this tshirt so much we wanted to find out more about this design and the man behind it.
Without further Ado here is the exclusive BLC Interview with Mike Weihs and his thoughts about Bigfoot and his tshirt design.
BLC: Hands down this is one of the best bigfoot tshirts out there and we've seen them all (see link at the end of post) The difference with yours, is that its a little more sympathetic towards the search for Sasquatch, was that intentional?
MW: Definitely. The online community seems to take this very seriously, which is great but I think people who have have never looked into the subject often see that intensity as off putting. I wanted to have a shirt that was more relaxed and put things on a more wishful & fun level. Your suggestion that it seems sympathetic feels right to me because I was trying to make something that people would like to wear that in a way could support the cause while at the same time projecting a sense of hope for the unknown in general.BLC: What was your reference point for the illustration of this Bigfoot?
MW: The P&G film was my main influence for the face and head. Like a lot of us those images have been burned in my mind from so many viewings of the film growing up. Since those images have such a pop culture presence and I was hoping to get both Sasquatch enthusiasts & the non-interested I wanted to draw from that while giving it a more personal look and expression. Hopefully those who don’t believe in the film’s authenticity will look past the anatomy and look more towards the message it’s trying to say.
BLC: What about Bigfoot interests you?
MW: Since I was in elementary school I’ve always been very interested in Sasquatch. Over the years my interest has come and gone but I’d say for about 5 years I’ve been more active in finding information. Obviously the rise of Bigfoot related websites have made finding this more accessible. Plus they really made me aware of the community that’s out there. I moved to Portland, Oregon from the midwest a couple years ago and am hoping to make some camping expeditions this summer. Not going to bring thermal cameras or any high tec gear, just a desire for the unknown. I feel like Dr. Jane Goodall quote on NPR a few years ago “...maybe they don't exist, but I want them to.“ is good representation of how I feel now.
BLC: Tell us more about your company
MW: Tease is a section of the blog run by the studio department of Wieden + Kennedy, an advertising agency in Portland, OR. We like to design posters and t-shirts and other merch in order for us have a chance to design for ourselves outside of the client work we do all day, everyday. It’s a small operation that we got off the ground last year. There are lots of other great designs and we currently have some hand screen printed posters where all the profit goes to supporting the Hati relief effort. During the day I do a lot of graphic design for for Old Spice and EA games.
BLC: You said you wanted the design to reflect how you felt personally, can you expand?
MW: I think some of my statements above help explain this. No offense to the other Sasquatch related shirts out there but I wasn’t really finding something that had the design sense I personally look for in a shirt. Something that could have a message but mainly just be a design that people would feel good about wearing. Also with having the message “Somewhere out there” in the fur I wanted to subtly be able to portray that romanticism/hope I feel about Sasquatch being out there. That feeling that as humans we don’t know everything about our planet.
BLC: Tell us what you like about Bigfoot Lunch Club! and have you learned the not-so-secret handshake?
MW: I like BFLC because it’s not just about the research and sighting. It’s got a great feel for bigfoot in our culture. Plus the facebook group is great because to me it’s a easy place to get into the community while not being as imposing as some of the forums out there (which are great as well but in a different way).
The secret handshake is AWESOME! I love it but unfoturnatly haven’t had a chance to do it with anyone yet. I’m hoping to go the symposium this June in Eugene and get a chance there.
Thanks Mike! Now below is what those advertising-types call the soft sell and call to action. *clears throat* Buy this phenomenal t-shirt and own something created by a designer who truly cares about Bigfoot and Bigfooters, and who also happens to work for an award-winning design firm by clicking here.
You are observing a genuine shirt that was discovered deep in the forests of the Pacific NW. It gives support to all those who hope our species has not yet discovered or answered all the mysteries our planet holds while at the same time making people look quite dapper.
design by: Mike Weihs
100% Organic Fine Jersey cotton construction
Printed On:
American Apparel©
$5 shipping within the U.S.
$10 to Mexico and Canada
$12 to anywhere else in the world
Price does not include duties and/or taxes for international shipments.
EXTERNAL LINKS
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Other Top Ten Tshirts
The Not-so-secret BLC Handshake
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