well, lets see... i could either make 2 grand + possible reprint money + reach a worldwide audience

or

i could keep drawing sonic the hedgehog on restaurant placemats

You only give up the copyright on t-shirts. They pay you $2500 if they do print it and you can get the rights back after 3 months if they don't. Sounds like a sweet deal to me.

I'll buy one of your placemats, Tora. :D

that's a though choice tora, drawing sonic is so rewarding itself

So you are only selling the right to the work as a T-shirt and can still use the design in other ways?

b/c getting famous on your own isn't going to happen.

As far as illustration jobs go, it's really one of the sweetest deals out there. Most jobs pay far less, and want more usage rights than what Threadless asks for.

many designers use their winning subs to sell posters

Sarieli on May 14 '08 at 11:40am
So you are only selling the right to the work as a T-shirt and can still use the design in other ways?

indeed.

also... i shall now start selling sonic the hedgehog drawn on restaurant placemats. I cant believe noone has hit up this market yet!

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castle on May 14 '08 at 11:42am As far as illustration jobs go, it's really one of the sweetest deals out there. Most jobs pay far less, and want more usage rights than what Threadless asks for.


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ditto. And they only hold the right to use the design on apparel, I think.

P.S. We own your soul, k? Thxbai.

You have to be a member longer than 9 days to have any clout around her.

Hmm, I'm not interested in fame, really. I guess that's my problem. I'd almost rather keep my work personal than let someone else get control over it.

But I guess the real question is, why not print and sell your own shirts?

Yeah, castle - I guess I wasn't thinking of it as an illustration job. Good point. Sweet! I'm convinced!

Also, sonic.

But I guess the real question is, why not print and sell your own shirts?

i think you already answered that

Of course that would take marketing, hard work, a website, capital, and a crapload of luck....

Hah, Torakamikaze - I'm the kinda guy that likes to bite off more than he can chew.

But in the end, I'd rather just make stuff and let someone else worry about all the legwork. :-p

Thanks, guys. Awesome help!

Personally, I think it would take 10 years for me to sell enough of my own shirts to make the amount Threadless pays up front.

Look how long it took Glennz to open his own shop. He became a star here and still took years to venture out on his own.

i really want an original sonic placemat by tora

want so wicked bad

i printed and sold my own shirt once. it's a lot of work, i probably put in at least 20 hours working with shipping orders and organizing who bought what size. i think in the end i made maybe a $1000 profit, which was extended over a sales period of six months. an instant payment of $2000 with no work is preferable to me :)

i personally don't care about giving away entire copyright to the designs i make, though. i think i just don't get too attached to one specific design - i don't feel like i'm losing a part of myself when someone owns the rights to it, or anything.

indeed isa, the world needs tora's sonic placemats

i tried to package and sell sonmi once, but all my customers were like "this is defective. she won't stop singing and dancing. we want our money back."

I wonder if Threadless starts doing posters (like it was kinda sorta hinted in the latest TV episode) then people would need to stop selling poster versions of their tees. I know quite a few people have done that through other sites or on their own.

that's because your packaging was unclear, brian. you didn't specify the "singing & dancing" sonmis versus the "stare at you in awkward silence until you can't stands it no more" ones.

Sonic placements?! =O
I want!

well, regardless, you were a cult sensation at best. you do fetch a decent sum on ebay these days, though.