Watchman's Note

This is a journey to the best designs in the world of Zazzle.com. Handpicked and presented (along with my own artwork) by yours truly, the driving force behind Surreality designs. We'll discover great artists and special products -mostly with a taste for the eccentric. But let us not confine ourselves in specific genres: the possibilities are endless and so is the great art one can find at Zazzle.

5/28/2010

Grumpy bag

Would you fancy a grumpy, miserable little fellow on your tote bag? It could, actually, prove to be a great idea, since we're talking about a hilarious and well-crafted vintage illustration. This guy's expression is priceless!
I found this black and white bag at the Tartan Phoenix shop, a place where vintage designs abound.

5/24/2010

The raven and the kraken

There is a Poe-ish charm in this strange design, that I find irresistible. A raven plays a old Victrola phonograph producing ghosts, skulls and hearts (the tell-tale kind, I presume!). This is just a small taste of what is available at the Crankcase shop,  the place where Mark Beagle offers his art on t-shirts and hoodies. His work consists of a unique blend of modern and vintage elements, backed up by strong and surreal concepts.
The "Don't wake the Kraken" is another one of my favorites -I can't resist this mixture of maritime beasties and piracy coolness! Mark combines humor, horror themes and weird Victorian imagery in a way that captures your imagination and makes you smile. Kudos, Mr.Beagle!

5/21/2010

House of nightmares

house print
house by serpentandangel
See other artwork at zazzle.com
Today's selection is dark, intense and -definitely- surreal. Behold the art of Kirsten Brown, owner of the Serpent and Angel store: a house of horrors and nightmares. It's weird rooms present a mosaic of fear and desperation (plus a well-placed H.P.Lovecraft reference) in a great composition.
Does the stairway lead to an exit from this doomed place? I'm not sure. All I can say is that this is a seriously compelling poster. It reminds me of the classic Clive Barker words about everyone being a book of blood.

5/19/2010

Rhino loose in the city

A fictional action movie deserves a promotional poster, too. "There's a rhino loose in the city" is the greatest film you'll never watch, and the t-shirt is hilarious and absolutely awesome.Unfortunately, this orange beauty is not currently available, but there are many customizing options and many colours to choose from.

The idea behind the design comes from the legendary British sitcom, Only fools and horses, (you can watch the scene here) and is offered by Slicktees, a great place for film-related humour. Here's another one of my favorites:
The reference here is from the most memorable line on the "In Bruges"movie -a fine one to watch, indeed.

5/16/2010

Boxed

Real life calls for unplugging your brain -every once in a while, at least- and leave the digital world to focus your attention on the physical. That's the message I get from this great t-shirt from SFdesignstudio, a store that defies uniformity.
On the other hand, this great mug with the boxed-in cat seems to defy complexity! I love the simple design, the clean lines and the strange idea. Made by Australian artist Soxy Fleming, who delivers interesting work in all kinds of styles.

5/12/2010

Villains, three-horned or not

This character means business. And, no mater what it's name may remind you, we're not into teenage mutant territories.He may be an ET or an occult being or some other strange creature, but this mixture of man and triceratops is wonderfully executed and is not to be taken lightly.
'The Villain' T-shirt shirt
'The Villain' T-shirt by matt_diecast
Shop the t-shirts section of zazzle
Both Triceraton and this weird-looking Villain (red cthulhu-monkey mobster/magician?) are great, imaginative designs I found in DiecastDesign, where Matthew K. Grundy showcases his superb talent as a designer and illustrator. Bizarre and interesting, his work stands out. If only there was more of it...

5/08/2010

Songs from deep down

Fly shirt
Fly by justinaerni
Create custom tshirts on zazzle
What happens when you take cartoon forms and you start tweaking the cuteness factor until the distorted outcome expresses your feelings about death, love, loneliness and sadness?
Well, if you have the rare talent of Justin Aerni, the outcome is this vibrant, raw, emotional, gripping art that leaves people with their mouth open!
The term "cartoon surrealism" comes to mind. But, like any other term, it's just words and doesn't begin to describe the strength of Justin's work. I'm very happy I found about him and I'm very proud to present the beautiful nightmares that adorn the t-shirts in his shop.
What gets me every time is the colorful palette that seems to contradict his themes. This contradiction adds to the charm of his great artwork. Don't miss on this one, people, or you'll be doomed to stay imprisoned in a world of mediocre, syrupy kawaii nonsense, the kind that floods the apparel market.

5/07/2010

Seeing red

This old-school design, with it's '70s flair, leaves a taste of Virgin Suicides in my mouth.I like the details of the hair flowing about and, most of all, I like the red glasses and the fine combination of red and green (not the most easy trick to pull, mind you!). The artist is Freddy Solis of 3 Miles store, a place of memories and good taste.

5/04/2010

Made out of meat



Surreality Watch welcomes you to a strange, humorous masterpiece! It's Stephen O'Regan's short film They're made out of meat, based on a short story by the great Terry Bisson -one of science fiction's true legends.
The film won the Grand Prize at the Seattle Science Fiction Museum's 2006 film festival, and unveils the truth about extra-terrestrials, life on Earth, human abductions, sentient beings and... meat! It's funny, weird, thought-provoking and utterly enjoyable.

Damn good shoes!

There are many fine designs and products in Dizzy Debbie's store, but I fell in love with these canvas shoes since the first time I saw them. You can customize laces, soles or binding but, please, don't. They are gorgeous just as she made them, in this soft, grungy, plaid pattern. Surreality approved and endorsed!

5/03/2010

Pianos and fish

untitled classic shirt
untitled classic by RetroPunk
Many more t-shirts online at zazzle
Here is a cool juxtaposition of retro elements, conspiring to bring urban coolness to your upper body.The fish and the piano make for a crazy t-shirt, indeed! Found in Retro Punk, a store where retro garbage and punk trash reign supreme -and that's absolutely fine in my book, considering the many interesting designs they offer. If you take a pleasure at finding hidden treasures in the pop-culture environment of our collective unconscious, you'll be in the right place.
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