Sometimes calamari can cost an arm and a leg.

I love this sub. Great work, I especially like the motion lines! He looks so slimy, hee hee. $5

Great art!

I like the artwork and colors, but the thing is... Calamari is made from SQUID, not Octopus. Squid have one eye and a pointy head. It would make a lot more sense with that title if you made it a squid... Just a suggestion...

Yes, technically calamari is squid. However, I thought the play on words for the title of the shirt (which came to me after I was done) was too much to pass up. Octopus being a Japanese cuisine, I believe the shirt still makes sense with a different name if necessary...but the technicality doesn't bother me personally.

Also, I'm not sure all squid only have one eye.

yes!!!!!!! $$$

I think calamari is squid, not octopus.

calamari is indeed squid in the west. In japan, squid is Ika and octopus is Tako (pronounced coincidentally similarly as the tasty mexican dish).

I totally dig the disregard in the name of alliteration... but damn, regardless of vocab or origin... its a damn creepy shirt!

I'm pretty sure I'd buy it regardless!

Does the title matter that much? It's not actually printed on the shirt anywhere.

Good work, cool shirt!

Thanks liberatesputnik!

And FYI, squid have 2 eyes. They are just wide set. Cool shirt.

Brilliant ;D

crazycoolraze

sweet. $5

If I owned a sushi restaurant I'd buy this shirt for all of my employees to wear as part of their uniform.

wow. i did a painting a few months back that looks exactly like that. chopsticks and everything. I posted it on my personal blog and sold it to some young girl. strange.....

lol its good... one of those WTF momments

This shirt is creepily close to my friend's painting...

Which she has proof of ownership of including digital copyright as of July 2, 2007.

Jojolo - Your friend has contacted me. However, it just seems to be a strange coincidence because I have digitally dated pictures of a ceramic piece I made of this back in 2006. If anyone is interested I have posted one on my blog:
http://briancookillustration.blogspot.com/2008/02/calamari-cannibal.html

Uh, Brian....that last post was about someone else other that your and my current issue [which will be resolved soon]

Well either way, my photo should clear up both issues. After that you will have to work it out amongst yourselves.

No Pookii, you just don't recognize this name, it's a different one than my IAM account.

and your photo doesn't clear anything up, you could have made that ceramic piece two days ago. Where is the proof it was made in 2006?

In January, you have a post on your blog with a B&W sketch of it saying you just got the idea from a place mat in a Chinese restaurant.

http://briancookillustration.blogspot.com/2008/01/calamari.html

Jojolo - I can send you the original photo of the ceramic piece if you give me your e-mail. The photo is digitally dated from my camera if you look at it's properties. Both pieces came from an idea I had a long time ago, sketched on a placemat. I took it home and then worked out the idea in my sketchbook. I decided to do a t-shirt design working with the same idea this year.

If anybody else feels they need to question the originality of my piece or need further information will you please contact me via e-mail. Frankly I'm getting tired of these false accusations when I have sufficient evidence in my hands. The ceramic piece was also displayed at Hope College in an art show the summer of 2006.

Also, please don't ask me to provide proof of the date of my design without first giving me proof of yours. Now that I have written the complete history of my design I would appreciate you speaking with me directly via e-mail if you feel that there is still a problem, although I don't know how you could possibly contest any of this.

Even if I HAD taken a concept from someone (which I certainly have NOT) This design would still be my own original work, and I would have every right to enter it in the contest. Neither of you has put up a similar design, so franky I don't know why we're even discussing this.

in all honesty, it seems boring.

overused subject

This looks like TAKO and not IKA at all. You may have a big surprise in Japan. Japanese cuisine? You mean "TAKO YAKI?"----Japanese version of fast food?

sendainohito - the title is explained above.

Thank you guys for at least giving me some real criticism though.

I LOVE your style!! I want one of everything you do. You're amazing. Keep the submissions coming. 5$

Thanks Chalubee! I'm blushing - I've got more coming soon!