Sick nostalgia

Kitsch Vintage Gas Mask War Baby by curious_goods

Is this Norman Rockwell on LSD? A 50s propaganda artist trying his hand on being cute? Cold War's latest trend?
I don't really know... What I do know is that it's strange, funny, surreal and kitschy and I want one right away! I found it in Curious Goods, a store full of strange ephemera and unusual nostalgic pieces. I'll be coming back for a closer look, since they offer a gazillion amazing designs thought lost in the annals of time!

Kitsch Vintage Comic Aman 'We Must Punish Them' by curious_goods
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Coffee mug tsunami

wavelow by xalomako
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I don't know about you but, me, I can't have enough coffee mugs. I'm not really into tea but I couldn't live without coffee and I just love a good mug! This one here, created by Mariela Alvarez Xiloj (an artist/photographer from Puerto Rico) for Xalomako, is my current favorite. It pictures a city in the throes of a tsunami. Colorful, fresh and vibrant, like most of the stuff of the store.

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Funky flatulence

funk dog mug by markdamrel
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Would you put your mouth near a dog expelling intestinal gas? Well, if you're a surrealism-loving person and the said dog is this funky mug created by Mark Damrel (an architect and great artist) then you might just do it. Of course, having a sense of humour and an eye for great b/w design helps a lot!

So, go ahead and tastefully freak out your family/friends/colleagues -and be safe in the knowledge that it would take the right kind of person to borrow your mug. See, that's the beauty of following Surreality Watch!

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Boxed

unplugged by SFdesignstudio
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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.

Boxcat Mug by soxyfleming
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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.

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Wild bunnies

If Bunnies Had Dentures by KLAATUWI
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I had never thought about it: what if bunnies had dentures like these? They may be all smiles now, but I'm pretty sure that, sooner or later, strange -and possibly violent- things could happen! Thanks to this weird and funny mug by Michael Dodge (aka KLAATUWI), we are forewarned.
Michael, an imaginative doodler, has a sense of humor I really like!

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Mug trees

2trees by durella
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This surreal mug reminds me of Terry Gilliam's animations -and if this is not a great praise, I don't know what is! Smiling hills and two tiny trees make for a really unusual receptacle for your hot beverages.
I discovered this one in the Durella store, alongside more black and white designs.They are all intricate, interesting and crazy, coming from a very promising artist. If only there were more of them...

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Bunnies dream of Victoriana

Bunny Dreams by AnitaInverarity
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What a crazy bag! Bunnies flying over psychedelic flowers -and a mouse. I really love their expression. The artist is Anita Inverarity from Scotland, a lady that does wonders with pen and ink, mainly in a Neo-Victorian style. Her work is both tender and mysterious, evocative of a nostalgic past (yet, at times, full of dark undertones of Gothic doom, or maybe I'm seeing things...)

Queen of Hearts by AnitaInverarity
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Either way, there are great things to see in her store. Me, I would be happy with this great mug, where masquerade meets great artistry!

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Helvetica love

LoveHelvetica Maroon Mug by imjustcreative
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The neutral clarity of the Helvetica typeface not only makes it one of the most widely used of all times but also one of the most loved and respected. It continues to inspire designs, art and documentaries, having such an impact over our view of the printed letter that obscures most -if not all- other typefaces when it comes to being iconic! Developed by Max Miedinger in 1957, it was rejuvenated in 1983 with the creation of Neue Helvetica.
It's a typeface I love and it sure feels nice to see it used in cool typography designs such as this one. The store is I'mJustCreative and the talented designer is Graham Smith, a man passionate enough to maintain a great website about Helvetica. Typophiles and design lovers take note!

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Twisted Celt

Ctheltic Cthulhu Greeting Card by Ars_Celtica
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You can't go wrong with this guy! Do you remember Bradley W.Schenck, the fabulous artist who gave us Retropolis Travel? I wrote about him sometime ago and I feel obliged to do it again, this time regarding his outstanding work in the intricate celtic tradition -always with a touch of his great humor.
I'm drooling over this superb Cthulhu design. A really unique blend of Great Old Ones imagery and Celtic knotwork that would leave H.P.L. himself at a loss for words!
In his gallery, Ars Celtica, traditional, mythical and modern elements are combined to give pieces of beautiful perplexity, such as this one:

Knotwork Sun Face Magnet by Ars_Celtica
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Bradley, a true master of his art, began exploring Celtic-influenced art back in the '80s. Lucky for us, he has never stopped streching this side of his talent ever since. My personal all-time favorite? If I should chose just one it would be this discreetly ominous mug:

Amazing Nyarlathotep Mug by Ars_Celtica
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A vintage theater poster of Nyarlathotep (the Older God who used dark charisma to propagate owe and chaos in our mortal societies). Inspired by the true origins of this demonic entity as formed in Lovecraft's own dreams: the ultimate sinister showman. Details such as the "Pickman Theatre" and the "Shining trapezohedron" gain my absolute respect!
[More exquisite B.W. Schenck in the Webomator]

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Ogling beverage

night of the living shoggoth by ricstroh
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Shoggoth-time, here in Surreality Watch and I challenge you: look at this coffee mug -or, I should say, let it look at you- and try to resist! My horror fiction appetite has gotten the best of me lately and I can't seem to get enough of uncanny designs.
Shoggoths, being protean and amorphous monsters of the Chtulhu Mythos, seemed to evade portrayal. Not any more! Richard Strohmayer, the artist behind The Sketch Aesthetic store decided to give it a try and came up with this great, wacky illustration. It's really abstract, as it was to be expected from such shifty creatures -and I do mean shoggoths, not artists! I'm sure sipping coffee and staring back at this eldritch deviation, will be a pleasure.
Richard's gallery likes horryfying themes, mostly humorous, including crazy curiosities such as Zombie Christmas.

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Blue calm

Lucky Bluebird by PencilPlus
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Nothing extravagant, odd or weird, today. Just a tender, calm and happy design on a coffee mug. Yes, even the Surreality Watchman needs some serenity, especially during his morning coffee. This bluebird is eye-soothing (not to mention eye-catching!) and I found it in Pencil + Wonderland, a gallery full of funny cartoon animals. Simple lines and fairytales sometimes combine to form a powerful mixture. This could prove to be your lucky mug.

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Cut it out

Cows in restaurant by lukaluka
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You've seen collage before, but the work of LukaLuka takes cutting paper to a new level. Cut-out of drawings, photographed so as to create an imaginative paper-world of depth and superb ideas. The Cows in the Restaurant is a fantastic piece (just look at the background beyond the window!), but the next one is even more dramatic:

Mirror mirron on the wall Mug by lukaluka
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The lighting and the mood on this one is simply incredible! LukaLuka's gallery is full of surprises, as she explores the possibilities of traditional 2D design and the more theatrical 3D-like work. Funny, she describes herself as a boring person. Judging by her art, I tend to disagree.
There's more interesting stuff to be found on LukaLuka's Etsy shop, too.

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Library stroll

Library Stroll Mouse Pad by memoir
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Being a bookworm, I can't help but loving this design by Courtney Snyder's Memoir. It looks awesome on a mousepad but I love it on a coffee mug too. Here, check it out:

Library Stroll by memoir
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It makes me think of sitting on a warm living room during those cold winter nights that lay ahead, reading and sipping hot coffee. Courtney Snyder creates interesting, colorful designs -it was difficult choosing this one! She has an interesting blog with background stories about her work.

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