I spent a couple of hours last night working on a merchandise design that's been kicking around for a few months now, and a few questions popped into my mind.

I'm going to try and design simpler shirts; stuff that people will want to wear and that won't look too dorky. We've sold some dorky shirts in the past (and we still are), because I'm a dork and I know some of you are as well. But I want to try and make some new, simpler, hipper designs to offer as well (but that still appeal to your inner geek).

So here's the rub: would you be more likely to buy shirts that didn't have the logo and/or URL on them? It's nice for us to get some free publicity when you're wearing our stuff, but I'd rather make shirts that you'll want to buy and wear and enjoy if the URL and logo on the shirts is keeping you from doing so.

Also, for many of our designs, we have the related comic strip on the back of the shirt. Would you be more likely to wear them if we took the strips off the backs of the shirts?

Any other comments you may have will be helpful. Thanks for your feedback; this will help us provide you with extra-groovy Goatswear.

Don't change a thing, at least not in that respect. I'm a goats reader and proud of it, and more than willing to help spread the disease that has infested my brain. I say leave the logo and URL. As for the strip, I think it depends on the merchandise. Some shirts could stand alone without a strip, but others rely on the strip move the shirt along. But an idea may be to offer the shirts with both perhaps. If there is a corosponding strip that goes with the shirt, a person can buy it with the strip, at a slightly elevated price for extra printing, or if they feel that will make them too geeky, which, lets face it, if you read goats, you already have some level of geekiness, then they can purchase the shirt without.

I go for simple, myself. But I like the goats.com logo on there.

If you go into a Warner Bros store (are they still around?), do you want a shirt that just has Pepe LePew looking normal, or one where he's dressed as a rap star with some "cool" saying underneath him?

I want just Pepe.

Really, I want a shirt that has Pixie and Dixie, with no explanation of who they are, because you should be cool enough to know, but they don't seem to exist.

Yes, I'm aware they're Hanna-Barbera.

Anyway, the point is, going too strong on the themes or jokes on the shirts makes it less all-purpose, for me.

I prefer shirts that have a small design on the front and the larger design, if any, on the back. This is why I preferred your old shirt designs with the little logo (and URL?) and a character on the front. Though I'd shy away from printing the related comic strip on the back.

Not having the strip on the shirt creates a possibility for discussion about Goats.com. For example, a person might ask why I have a platypus flipping people off on my shirt, and I would have an opportunity to talk to them about a great online comic strip.

If Goats patrons are interested in having the strip on their shirt, you might look into how these people [comics.com] are able to print almost any strip on a shirt, mug, etc. Aside from being part of a huge conglomerate, I mean.

I'd still keep the logo and URL somewhere in the design. It doesn't need to be front and center; it could be at the bottom, right corner below the character. Having it somewhere on the shirt makes it easier to tell people where to get their own.

I like the way the portrait series shirts are done. Image on front, smallish logo on back.

I think in general, I would like to have comic strips exclusively on the front. I prefer to know when people are staring at me and trying to read my t-shirt. I don't know how bad or good it would look to have the main image at the top of the front, and the related strip lower down. Granted, the strip might get partially tucked into one's pants. But how wrong is it to have people trying to read your crotch, anyway?

I'm more than happy to wear advertising for Goats. I won't do it for Tommy Hilfiger, but I will for Goats. So the presence or absence of logo does not concern me - but it should not distract from the message of the shirt. So, maybe you put a logo/url on the sleeve to allow the front and back images to remain uncluttered.

In Response to zamphir (#2940):

Having the comic strips on the front presents a situation for women. Personally, I like to know if people are reading my shirt or staring at my boobs. Then there is the possibility of having half of the comic strip below the boob cliff making it difficult to read.

I like the logo and URL on the sleeve idea.

In Response to Oedipa_Maas (#2941):

Personally, I like to know if people are reading my shirt or staring at my boobs.

I'd imagine the ensuing laughter would prove the point, one way or another.

And it's the same problem if the strip is on the back, as you don't know if they're reading the strip or staring at your ass.

As for the 'below the boob cliff' problem... I'm sure Jon wouldn't mind adding some text in braille for the aid of the shortsighted and blind.... :-)

In Response to zamphir (#2942):

I'd imagine the ensuing laughter would prove the point, one way or another.

Man, I hate it when people laugh at my boobs.

The strip on the back doesn't present quite the same problem as the strip on the front since one's ass isn't in the middle of one's back.

A braille babydoll t-shirt, now that would sell as well as kittens=poptarts thongs. Perhaps Jon could sell them as a set...the sexy nerd line of merchandise.

The url and logo cause no problem for me, I like to tell people about the strip whenever I get the chance anyway.

Looking dorky really isn't an issue either, but I usually go for a simple dorky. The actual strip is a little bit of a turn off for me on the clothing (although I'd have no issue with it on the non-wearable merchandise) Honestly, I think the people I know would have their interest sparked more by seeing a peculiar statement/image on the front with no explanation, only a url, than with the comic on the back. Would it create extra expense/effort on your part to have the comic be optional?

Also, I’m not really a big white t-shirt kind of guy, I typically go for a simple black, or darker shades of your basic colors (gray, blue, etc.)… something like that. I’d probably be more inclined to purchase if there were other colors available besides white. Although, I’m not sure what issues that may create in t-shirt design process…making the image visible on multiple colors.

Anyway, just a couple thoughts.

I like the designs with the character on front, like monotremes and blerg. eat kitty. The comic on the back and the web addy don't bother me at all. I think if you were to change them, maybe just the goats 'button' or the url on the back of the shirt would be cool. What ever happened to the goats button shirt anyway? I liked that design, but it got discontinued before I could pick one up.

In Response to jettaboy20 (#2971):

Wow, we haven't had the button stuff up for a long, long time. Years. I think you can still get it here [cafeshops.com] if you really want to.

I really want a black shirt from Goats. I think the Url and logo on the sleeve is a cool idea too... I have nothing more to say, just putting in my 2 cents.

In Response to Haddie (#2975):

We can't do black shirts through CafePress, unfortunately. The Super-Premium folks will be getting a dark gray one in a few weeks, and I may have a few extras to offer you guys. I also have an extremely super-limited quantity of the old N&B glow-in-the-dark shirt (only XLs, IIRC) which we may offer soon.

In Response to jon (#2972):

jon, I noticed while checking out your link, that under the "diablo, he's evil" merchandise, that they offered the classic thong. I wonder why you don't have that item listed on the store. I know that when I'm going down on my woman, I get even more turned on if I'm thinking of my favorite satanic chicken! Also, perhaps a Neil & Bob thong, I mean, their name screams sexy.

In Response to jon (#2982):

Maybe you could sell iron on cartoons and logos, and I could Iron goats onto an exisiting black shirt? Or break away from the restrictive, shirt-racist cafepress and find someone else who will do the service solely for my benefit. I see little chance of both.

In Response to Haddie (#2998):

Better yet, they could print up the design on plain old goldang paper, and ship it along with a few safety pins. Fashionable and pointy!

In Response to starchy (#3037):

GOATS TEMPORARY TATTOOS! Nothing says "cool" like walking around with Diablo on your forehead. Or evil cheese on your ass.

With several character's heads and a magic marker, you could even make your own original strips and wear them proudly on your body. As with all other Goats merchandise, I'm sure that would really attract the ladies.

In Response to misere (#3045):

Some of us don't need Goats anything in order to walk around with evil cheese on our asses, thank you very much!

And, yes, it does attract the ladies.

In Response to jon (#2972):

Thanks Jon. Now I'll just have to find someone willing to buy me some presents and put that link at the top of the list.

In Response to coolhand (#2983):

now i'm not even going to be able to look in my underwear drawer without getting all sad at my lack of diablo thong. le sigh.

In Response to goat_girl (#3074):

now i'm not even going to be able to look in my underwear drawer and sigh at my crudely made diablo man-thong.

I don't think that there's anything wrong with the shirts. Thinking of getting a Litany of Beer shirt for my father for his next birthday.

I think around November next year, though, you should unleash...Goats Hannukah merchandise! For all us Jewish readers out here, or even people with Jewish friends. It could work!

I have had a t-shirt idea and no way to get it to the masses, I believe with your geek readership that this t-shirt would do fairly well

Just ! Me

Read as just bang me. If you are interested I would ask for no money for the design or anything, just that it make it out, and I know your shop via cafeshops/cafepress does fairly well this could be a strong addition. I would start a shop of my own, but have no other material and no where to get linked to that would provide the hits necessary to move the shirt. I would be willing to completely waive all rights to the intellectual property to you jon, please reply if you are interested in post form or at the email address above.

In Response to Jeff (#3101):

Sadly, without the words somewhere saying - just bang me - people will immediatly think of the vulgarity and it will become one of those novelty shirts that I hate so much.
On the list are:
"One tequila... two tequila" (worn by 'that guy' from the party who everyone wants to leave, but he is too hammered to notice)
"Gangstar" (worn by 14 year olds with nuttin but love for da streets, yo)
"Che Guevera" (I am not sure what the fascination is with this racist, communist, dead man, but it certainly came fast and isn't going away)

Come to think of it, just bang me seems to have the same effect on my mind. Keep in mind that Jon noted that they only sell white shirts, so it would be a colourless shirt that says "Just ! Me" on the front.

People call me 'shirt nazi'. I like to think of myself as 'an ass'.

In Response to Oedipa_Maas (#2945):

Heh... Actually... Been done.

My ex-dorm (at MIT, where else) had as one of its rush shirts a baby-t with the name of the dorm (East Campus) in braille across the breasts. It sold quite well.

I don't like the comic strips on the back; it's not that I don't like people staring at my sexy back, I just don't think they look good. A logo & Url would be a lot better.