Homage: Start Your Own Lifestyle

black & white

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 02:19:00 +0000

gatorade's usage of black & white in its advertising is very, very nice. (not to mention a very intriguing new "g" commercial that is intentionally ambiguous...)

it's the economy, stupid

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 17:17:00 +0000

the lack of transparency and oversight throughout the past eight years is so unbelievably disheartening i'm almost at a loss for words.

decisions that so dramatically effect the future of this planet have been made behind closed doors by a corrupt and powerful elite who will probably never face any sort of criminal charges for their actions.

as i reflect upon 2008, i can't help but to question the institution of democracy and its overall effectiveness in bettering the social and political pillars that are so fundamental to well-being of this country and the world...

how is it that we've toppled saddam hussein yet the geopolitical climate remains just as unstable as it was before?

how is that rampant corporate greed remained unchecked for so many years, leading to an economic crisis with profound ramifications worldwide?

our leaders should be accountable to the will of the people. yet, throughout the previous two administrations, decisions were made on our behalf to suggest otherwise.

i desperately want to believe that this country is now in better hands.

New Tees for Woody Allen and Blazers fans!

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 00:19:00 +0000

What an outrageous combination, huh? Woody Allen & old school Portland!

Pay homage.

charles barkley & the fam

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 20:27:00 +0000

a few weeks back, my cousin, jesse, ran into charles barkley at some sort of basketball event. the two discussed chuck's 2014 alabama gubernatorial campaign & the 1990s phoenix suns squad (with thunder dan majerle, kevin johnson and the round mound of rebound himself). way to go, jesse! i'm very proud. keep up the good work.

in the throes of winter

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 20:44:00 +0000

something to look forward to next year...

go bucks!

rumplo holiday t-shirt guide

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 14:47:00 +0000

give the gift of graphic t-shirts. our friends over at rumplo have published their annual holiday t-shirt guide. the guide features an eclectic mix of tees that is sure to satisfy any audience. keep up the great work, rumplo!

speakersite.com

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:54:00 +0000

artie isaac, a great friend and mentor, has launched a new venture that seeks to democratize public speaking. visit speakersite.com for more information, or watch artie speak a little about the project below:

(if you're interested in stereo speakers and not public speaking, visit the website of the one and only music masetro, bob kirk @ archiveaudio.biz.)

Kid Cudi X Homage

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 03:40:00 +0000

Just got a few pictures from the Kid Cudi show in Cleveland last night. I was stoked to learn that Scott was wearing an Homage tee on stage. Peep his website here. Special thanks to Jason Fisher for hooking this one up.

from the campaign trail

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:57:00 +0000

special thanks for jason zone fisher for the photos.

Picture Day

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 22:29:00 +0000

when i brought the box of tees to the warehouse, everyone smiled. it was a perfect opportunity for a photo...two chinese people, 4 mexicans, and an african american all paying 'homage' to barack obama. below are some of the wonderful individuals who have helped me to grow my brand and spread the word about change:

UO

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 13:22:00 +0000

Obama For Illinois State Senate

Ron Kaplan

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:24:00 +0000

From SurfOhio.com. This makes me smile.

" It turns out posting all those yellow and black posters in late winter's icy blast was not for naught. Just before I placed the ad, the posters attracted the attention of a Post reporter who tracked me down through The Underwear. Apparently, word on the street of a surfing contest in Athens had created quite a buzz. Though the headline of the resulting article at first seemed a bit harsh - "Surfin Classic a Hoax to Sell T-shirts" - it did not matter. The interview with me and Ski was actually quite favorable, and resulted in a crush of customers at The Underwear. It didn't hurt that the article just happened to run the very same day as my ad, nor that seemingly 75% of the student population of about 12,000 was headed to a warm beach for the break.

Thus, the very weekend classes let out, students literally queued up to purchase a SURF OHIO t-shirt on their way out of town. They lined up through the small basement shop and up its steps. With just 24 hours remaining before I too headed out up Route 33 for home in Columbus, Ski commissioned me to rush another 10 dozen SURF OHIOs through. Through some creative bartering with my dorm's Resident Advisor that evening (my currency being beverages and a free t-shirt, as I recall), he tossed me the keys to a vacated room in Gamertsfelder Hall. There, I popped a box fan into the window facing outward, ran clothesline back and forth across the ceiling, fired up my radio and, using the two desks as my worktables, hand-screened tees until about three in the morning. I didn't need the beverages, not with the fumes I was inhaling (as in mineral spirits, by the way).

With the navy ink barely dry enough to fold the shirts, and my ride home idling in wait up on Union Street, I dropped off the newly minted SURF OHIOs to Ski, picked up my cash, and fought my way back up the steps through a line of about 30 waiting customers snaking down into the shop. I well recall the enthusiasm theirs and mine. Though it was not quite exactly an 'overnight' success, it was quite sudden. I was now that "Surf Ohio guy", and would remain so for a long, long time, though I had no idea for just how long, at that moment.

mike tyson's punch out

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:59:00 +0000

Mike Tyson:

"Great Fighting!!
You were tough, Mac!
I've never seen such finger speed before."

every day should be saturday

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 04:54:00 +0000

me and the buckeye guy...

a beautiful tradition

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 00:10:00 +0000

on some game days, i get the urge to poke around outside ohio stadium...i think it's the eclectic cast of characters, the distinct aroma of fall and the mesmerizing roar of the crowd that carries me, like a curious child, down lane avenue and into the sea of scarlet and grey. today was a bit different in that i carried with me a box of 1960s-style pinback buttons to hand out both to customers and others who would appreciate the gesture. toward the end of the game, i happened upon an older couple perhaps in their 60s or 70s. because the wife already had a few buttons pinned to her ohio state t-shirt, i figured i'd suprise her with another one. after handing over the button, this wonderful couple couldn't figure out why a 25 year old would be distributing, free of charge, such an authentic-looking osu pinback. so i took the opportunity to try to detail homage to the couple...after a few moments, however, i could tell that my explaination wasn't the best. maybe it was the neon sunglasses and striped jean shorts that failed to inspire confidence; i'm not too sure. in a pinch, and not wanting to sound like a total goof, i took a step back to reveal my "archie" t-shirt, which i had put on earlier in the day.

a picture is worth a thousand words.

after seeing my t-shirt, the husband and wife both smiled, understanding immediately what i was trying to convey.

i have to be honest--it was such a perfect moment for me.

this past week, i resembled a chicken with its head cut off. i can't remember any day in particular as monday through friday was spent lifting boxes, dealing with production, ringing phones, stickering, tagging, counting, sorting, etc. a chicken with its head cut off for sure.

but all of the previous week's hustling was instantly worth it because my t-shirt had taken the two back to yesteryear. as my friend ron kaplan pointed out a few weeks back, seeing archie griffin's likeness on a t-shirt evokes such incredible memories of the "good 'ole days" for so many people. and i could tell via the couple's facial expressions that my t-shirt had done precisely that.

what a lot of people don't understand sometimes is that homage is about so much more than trying to make money or run a business. in the pursuit of a passion, i've discovered a way to fuse all of the wonderful things about ohio state football--victory, loss, comraderie, spirit & heritage--into a something as simple and universal as a t-shirt.

it didn't matter that the couple probably would never end up buying the garment. all that mattered was that i found myself with individuals 40+ years my senior relishing, for a fleeing moment, in one of the most beautiful traditions ever--saturday football in columbus.

i can't tell you how amazing this is for me.

pool tradeshow

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:27:00 +0000

bjorn borg dances to will smith while binky works it at tecmo bowl. who would have thought?

more highlights from las vegas soon...

homage at the DNC

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 02:29:00 +0000

script ohio at the dnc...

script ohio on cbs morning show

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 17:04:00 +0000

a few days ago, while covering the democratic national convention for his new press gig, the always debonair jason fisher appeared on the cbs morning show rockin an homage script ohio tee. peep the clip below.

fisher is the brains behind swing state '08, a recently-released political documentary that shines a light on an American family campaigning in the heart of it all. check out his website to see the trailer.

Thrillist Chicago

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 12:01:00 +0000

Special thanks to the dudes over at Thrillist Chicago for publishing a little blurb about Homage in their Chicago edition yesterday. For those unfamiliar with Thrillist, it is a daily email containing the 411 on some good eats, gizmos, threads, travel & more. Peep it.

props

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:37:00 +0000

though i've been getting pretty lazy with updating this blog, tonight, i feel inspired by a little blurb on a customer's website. to be honest, i'm tickled by the latest update to the hip hop and comic books blog, the fine work of another jewish hustler, ruben. lately, as more and more of my day is spent dealing with orders and production, i have lost sight of the reason i got into this game: to make t-shirts that people will love. thanks again, ruben.

GO

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 04:14:00 +0000

when greg oden emerged on the basketball scene in high school and at ohio state, nearly everyone was mesmerized by his scoring, rebounding & defensive prowess. even more remarkable than his physical tools, however, is that oden is probably one of the nicest, most genuine & humble professional athletes in the game today. i have no doubt that he will not only change the game of basketball from a statistical standpoint, but will also help us to re-define our criteria for how we choose a role model.

usted es muy trabajador

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:07:00 +0000

en los meses recien cumplidos he podido observar, con mis propios ojos, una gente sumamente trabajadora--los mexicanos viviendo en EEUU. en pocas palabras, me gustaria tomar la oportunidad de darles a ellos las gracias por todo que hacen todos los dias, detras del escenario, a las cuatro de la madrugada, trabajando para ganarse la vida y haciendo tantos sacrificios para que nosotros completemos el dia laboral. los dueños les preguntan, "pueden quedarse una hora mas?" y la respuesta siempre es, sin duda, que sí. mientras que muchos immigrantes de varias nacionalidades tengan experiencias muy parecidas, la oportunidad de conversar con los mexicanos mediante su lengua nativa me permite tener una cierta cercancia a sus vidas. quiero, con todo mi corazon, que los politicos lleguen a un acuerdo que les reconozca por sus increibles esfuerzos.

usain bolt is insane

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:26:00 +0000

as tony cornheiser put it on PTI the other day, there are only two titles in sports that matter: 1) the world's fastest man and 2) the heavyweight champion of the world. but since america seems so enthralled with ultimate fighting and not boxing, let's talk about track and field for a moment.

over the weekend, a young gun shot out of the blocks and stunned the athletics community. critics cannot fathom that a dude with practically no 100 meter race experience produces, on a wet track, a time like 9.71, making tyson gay look slow in the process. steroids? everyone is holding their breath for sure.

i sincerely hope that this isn't another ben johnson situation. i want to believe that athletes are capable of incredible feats without the usage of performance enhancing drugs.

if bolt is eventually found guilty of using the juice, i'm not sure that i can ever watch track and field again without questioning all of the victories, performances and special moments that tend to accompany world championships and olympic games. and that makes me sad.

for the time being, however, i'll give bolt the benefit of the doubt. check out the race below:

Apple Technology

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 20:40:00 +0000

Today's technology can be particularly confusing. Thanks to Apple for being so simple, fun and intuitive. After setting up mail accounts in 10.5 Leopard and using WDS to extend the range of an AirPort network, I can't help but marvel at the wonderful innovation coming out of Cupertino. What a magical feeling when things just work! When I pause to admire the work of a company bringing greats things to people, I am inspired.

Amazing

noreply@blogger.com (Homage) — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 04:55:00 +0000

Greetings to you, the lucky finder of this golden ticket, from Mr. Willy Wonka! I shake you warmly by the hand! Tremendous things are in store for you! Many wonderful surprises await you! For now, I do invite you to come to my factory and be my guest for one whole day — you and all others who are lucky enough to find my Golden Tickets. I, Willy Wonka, will conduct you around the factory myself, showing you everything that there is to see, and afterwards, when it is time to leave, you will be escorted home by a procession of large trucks. These trucks, I can promise you, will be loaded with enough delicious eatables to last you and your entire household for many years. If, at any time thereafter, you should run out of supplies, you have only to come back to the factory and show this Golden Ticket, and I shall be happy to refill your cupboard with whatever you want. In this way, you will be able to keep yourself supplied with tasty morsels for the rest of your life. But this is by no means the most exciting thing that will happen on the day of your visit. I am preparing other surprises that are even more marvellous and more fantastic for you and for all my beloved Golden Ticket holders — mystic and marvelous surprises that will entrance, delight, intrigue, astonish, and perplex you beyond measure. In your wildest dreams you could not imagine that such things could happen to you! Just wait and see! And now, here are your instructions: the day I have chosen for the visit is the first day in the month of February. On this day, and on no other, you must come to the factory gates at ten o'clock sharp in the morning. Don't be late! And you are allowed to bring with you either one or two members of your own family to look after you and to ensure that you don't get into mischief. One more thing — be certain to have this ticket with you, otherwise you will not be admitted. (Signed) Willy Wonka