Kilkenny cat's luck

Lucky on a Bike by kilkennycat
Browse Penny Posters

This cat's expression cracks me up -as though seeing a cat holding a clover and riding a penny-farthing wasn't enough.
Creative folk art, with reccuring strange and humorous themes, drawn by Ryan Conners for her Kilkeny Cat store. This striking cat character appears in quite a few drawings (and rightfully so, if you ask me!).
If posters and printed products isn't your thing, you may find Ryan's original artwork on her Etsy store.

Related articles

• Asses and baby-eating
• International Meowism
• Cats as cats can

Tweet

Top 10 Unusual Valentine's Day designs

Well, it's that corny time of year again and Surreality Watch wants to make sure that if you absolutely must make an ass of yourself then at least you'll do in style. So, here's my list of this year's top ten unexpected, atypical and noteworthy artwork that people have put on products on Zazzle.com -in random order. Let the sentimental consumerfest begin:

(1)

Dear John Letter Greeting Card by camcguire

A "Dear John" letter guarantees you won't be easily forgotten! Great idea from CAMcGuire.

(2)

Graphic Love Necklace by starstreamdesign

Good typography makes for a minimal and tasteful necklace. Very nice work from Star Stream Design.

(3)

Stupid Cupid by Badger_Pie

A cartoon Cupid -rather careless with his arrows- in this funny t-shirt from Badger Pie.

(4)

Love Is Our Weapon card by destructobot

Love's weapon and good graphic design on this delicious card from Destructobot.

(5)

antivalentines9 by seguidilla

A striking dark card with a simple (and rather ambiguous...) message of love, from Seguidilla.

(6)

Retro Robot - You've Downloaded My Heart by spacedust

Let the robot do the talking with this cool card from Spacedust!

(7)

Love Grenade - Love is a Battlefield by strk3

The folks at Strk3 tell it like it is: love is a battlefield. That's why you'll need their nifty Love Grenade poster.

(8)

Hate: the Anti-Love by InsaniTEE

This distressed anti-valentine's t-shirt turns cliches upside down. Great misanthropy from InsaniTEE.

(9)

At least your cat loves you by The_Anti_Card

The next-to-worst case scenario, splendidly conceived by The Anti Card store.

(10)

Take My Heart card by destructobot

Some people are literal and laconic in the matters of the heart! Gorgeous card from -once again- Destructobot.

(+1 more...)

This ends the list but there is one more thing to be said. I do believe that my own Slippery Love Sign artwork is not bad at all!

Slippery Love Sign card by surrealitee

Available in t-shirts and other products and blah-blah-blah, right here!

Related articles

• Top 15 Zazzle Calendars for 2011 (surrealitywatch.blogspot.com)
• Top 10 Zazzle Room Designs (surrealitywatch.blogspot.com)
• Top 5 Santa greeting cards on Zazzle (surrealitywatch.blogspot.com)
• Jeans and tango (surrealitywatch.blogspot.com)

Tweet

Asses and baby-eating

"Ass magnet." Criminally safe for work. by thebloggess
Create a magnet with zazzle

I knew her as an amazing, hilarious blogger, not as a zazzler. After finding her store, aptly named The Bloggess, I realized that her surreal sarcasm extends to crazy designs as well. "Ass magnet" is an amazing idea and a must have for all you smart, perverted souls out there!

Also, I eat babies. by thebloggess
More Bloggess Mousepads

Have you ever felt the need for cute, baby-eating cats? Well, Jenny Lawson  tells it like it is:

This mousepad is awesome because people will see it and they'll be all "Aw, what a sweet kitty!" and then they'll read the bottom and they'll be all confused and they'll back out of your office without ever giving you whatever work they wanted you to do. The cat on this mousepad just saved you from work. Also, it eats babies.

For once, I'm speechless. I should add, though, that if you haven't visited her blog, The Bloggess (Like Mother Teresa, only better), you are missing out on the craziest, most enjoyable rumblings this side of the web!

Tweet

Cats as cats can

Cat Washing Bottom by Squirrell
Browse Zazzle for another teezazzle.com

Why cats do that? Well, because they can! A funny and sweet illustration of cattitude that matches perfectly  the color of this t-shirt, by the hands of Squirrell (yeah, I know how this sounds...).

Squirrell's is a great shop to be when looking for humorous, wacky and imaginative pet designs.
Seeing is believing so here's a little something for those who prefer dogs -the superhero kind:

Hero by Squirrell
View other Hero Cards

See? Told ya this shop's great, didn't I?

Tweet

Oh, the hipness of it all...!

So Hip, postcard by kasei_lee
Make a post card at Zazzle

Now, where does one start to describe this unbelievable design? For once I'm at a loss for words, so I'll just quote the words of it's creator:

A part-man part-dog hipster. His green singlet like shirt features a double rainbow and the words "What does it mean?". Over the top of his turned up stovepipe blue jeans, he has a pink tutu like skirt. Under one arm is the mounted head of a white unicorn. He also has on a pair of yellow diving flippers and a pair of thick rimmed glasses.

Can you picture someone writing these words straight-faced? It seems that Lee Leplaw Deichmann, the artist behind the great Lee Lee and the Bee store, has tons of weird humor. It's not just the awe-inspiring surreality of this postcard. There are plenty of other unique designs to prove my point:

Shrunken Head Dilemma, shopping bag by kasei_lee
Make a custom bags at zazzle

Imagine shopping around with this bag (aptly named Shrunken Head Dilemma). I do. Things like that change lives, folks! Lee's imagination and talent is one of a kind.

Tweet

Boxed

unplugged by SFdesignstudio
See more Nerd T-Shirts

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
Create cheap personalized mugs on zazzle.com

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.

Tweet

Chess revisited: The playful cat

Chess Cat postcard by lodgehouse
See more Funny Postcards

This vintage painting combines cats and chess -two of mankind's favorites in a single artful postcard. I wonder if the depicted feline concentrates on it's next move...Anyway, it's only one of the eight "Naughty Cats" available at Lodgehouse, although I believe it's the more intriguing of the series.There is a sense of hidden menace in here -or maybe I am biased by the cat's predatory nature.
Some may find this cute, I find it both cute and disquieting. You can't beat that, now, can you?

Tweet

Ice cream and cats

Luca Ionescu "Ice Cream" by lucaionescu
Design a custom shirt with zazzle.com

The somehow hairy look makes this ice cream even more delicious! We may be in the middle of winter but such a great design cannot wait until summer to be properly appreciated. Made by the hands of Luca Ionescu (and found in his Zazzle store), designer, motion graphics director and overall creative man. His work is the ultimate proof that one color is enough to astonish people -provided you have Luca's talent, of course...

Luca Ionescu "Fat Cat" by lucaionescu
View more Artsprojekt Posters

His Fat Cat poster is a study in simplicity. It reminds me of both the "fat cat in a top hat / thinks he's an aristocrat" verse from The Doors's Break on through (the Absolutely Live! version) and the Scat Cat from Disney's The Aristocats. Clear, well-thought lines make this design almost emblematic.
Luca Ionescu runs Like Minded Studio and publishes Refill magazine.

Tweet

International Meowism

Chairman Meow! Outlined by obeythepurebreed
View more Cat T-Shirts

A sincere tribute to loving pets or playfully ironic pop art? I vote for the second but I guess both could be true in the case of this really clever -and well-done- design offered by Obey the Pure Breed, a shop dedicated to the worthy cause of animal world domination.
There is a huge niche for pet stuff in the market. Some of it is downright tasteless. This is not the case with this gallery, though, as this t-shirt comes to prove. I guarantee you it's not the only one. They make smart, funny, strange, iconic designs that defy the obvious and are a pure pleasure to use or to wear.
[I wonder, could there be a Chairman Meow's Little Red Book?]
There is also a great site to visit, full of animal propaganda nuttiness (all for the benefit of the Revolution, of course!)

Tweet