Preview: New HOF Milk & Cheese T-Shirt Design (Patreon)

Sarah's been working to revive the original two-sided "Look Out! Here They Come!/There They Go!" t-shirt for our Teepublic site. Originally released by SLG Publishing, a revised version -- sans beer cans and upraised middle fingers -- was sold in a small number of Hot Topic stores to test market sales. 

Unlike SLG comics like Johnny The Homicidal Maniac and Lenore, Milk & Cheese was never carried by Hot Topic. Dan Vado tried to get the chain to carry the series, but it was turned down, not because of the excessive violence or foul language but because of the alcohol content. I remember hearing back in the 80's that a comic shop in a mid-western mall wouldn't carry Sabrina the Teenage Witch from Archie because of it being anti-Christian and satanic. Some malls had strict content rules about what stores carried, and chains didn't like to differentiate and pick and choose if they could help. I guess it was an "all or nothing" approach. I remember various stories, I only worked in a mall for a year, it's not like I know anything about how they're actually run. .

Whatever the case, this was the only M&C item to ever get sold  through a limited number of Hot Topic stores, and it didn't do well enough to warrant a national rollout. I sometimes wonder what might have happened if the comics made it into Hot Topic. I know the sales were very strong for Johnny and Lenore, and while the deal lasted it was something that really helped prop up SLG. While I don't think M&C would have enjoyed the same sales or appeal, even a percentage would have been a nice boost in income and visibility. Another "almost".

Anyway, the design will be available in the next few days. From what I understand Teepublic only prints two-sided designs on regular short-sleeved t-shirts. The front design will be available on hoodies, stickers and magnets, et al. 

We'll also have the endpaper design from the Milk & Cheese hardcover collection available as a motif for phone cases, mugs, etc.