Better Days (Rip You to Shreds Version)
In an industry supposedly fueled by creativity and individuality, it is difficult not to notice the sometimes questionable motives of those involved (and those supporting). Is it really all that unique, simply owning something else before everyone does? When the game has been overrun with exceedingly rare pieces (inevitably driving up cost, stating that personal identity is really only for those who can afford it) and overblown hype, Better Days sets out to establish a return to form. There is no judgment here, only choices. Everyone has every right to see things from their own pair of eyes and choose to live and present themselves as they see fit. So why is everyone on the block coppin’ the same fitted, the same kicks, the same flavor of the week label?
BD not only respects, but thanks those that have come before. Every kid out there that ever spent hours hand printing shirts in their high school visual lab, every hustler turned artist that found a way to better him/herself by way of a spray can, every aspiring writer that refused to drop the pen until they had spoken their mind… it is because of you that BD exists. Better Days is a soft goods line that promotes the ideas and opinions of those involved. We can only hope that we may inspire those who come after as we are inspired by those who came before us. You have a choice to create and be the world what you see in yourself. Right or wrong, there is always a choice.
- Better Days
We’re quite partial to b-movies, shock cinema, video nasties, zombies, aliens, monsters and all things that go bump in the night here at KarmaloopBlogs – therefore, the addition of Better Days to the Kazbah page was met with an enthusiastic howl towards the moon after checking out the drop last week. Finally, a brand that caters to our fanaticism for creepiness, over-the-top gore, and addiction to heart-pounding episodes of fright… on the silver screen, we mean… yeeeaaahhh…
“I’m tired of experimenting with silly puppets…”
Puppetmaster, a classic in 1980′s cheese-horror cinema, is one of our all-time favorites (Blade was our ace). The Puppet Master Tee (above left) instantly brought us back to those salad days of waiting until the old folks went out for the night without locking up the liquor cabinet to help us rot our minds with creature features. Presenting a graphic of a crazed, axe-wielding ventriloquist dummy (with possesed puppets or not, ventriloquists are fuckin’ creepy anyways) with it’s own scraps used to fabricate a Better Days logo – if the irony is lost on you here, feel free to jump in front of moving traffic, dummy (pun intended).
Marilyn Monroe died under mysterious circumstances nearly 50 years ago, so The Monroe Tee (above right) by the BD crew will be as close as you’ll ever get to a sequel of her most-recognized and acclaimed film, The Misfits. Better Days goes the extra mile and imagines how the original blonde bombshell might look like if she were freshly resurrected for the role, and for that, well, we thank them. The detail is insane, creating a cross between Marilyn and The Bride of Frankenstein with Medusa thrown in for good measure, and with two fresh colorways (the gold outline on the black tee is killin’ it), featuring two almost completely different takes on the print, you can’t go wrong with either.
As Better Days puts it, “The fate of the world rests in the hands of men who possess the rationale and compassion of children. Kids can be so cruel sometimes.” We can’t compete with that description for The Gods of War Tee (above left), featuring baby Death, compete with a wowwypop and screaming cartoon-text overlay. All we could do is shrug and debate around the office which Black Sabbath song this reminds one of, assuming the song came to life, morphed into illustration form and made it’s way on to a t-shirt (as far as mood and lyrics go, we say “Electric Funeral” – we also got fuckin’ pretty toasted before seeing this tee).
The Real Me Tee (also available in red and yellow) features a print that perfectly illustrates (we’re killin’ shit with the puns today) how roughly 90% of us feel every damned day – tucked deep inside of every individual is the beast that holds every dream, hope, desire and crazy idea we hold so sacred, just waiting for the opportune moment to tear loose and live a life without boundries… but until the lottery calls our lucky numbers, we’ll settle for the tee and a snack for the beast (ours likes Guinness).
Get a closer look at the rest of the Better Days drop at Karmaloop’s Kazbah page here – madness.
Tags: Aliens, Aspiring Writer, B Movies, Bd, Better Days, Fanaticism, Flavor Of The Week, Hand Printing, Hustler, Hype, Individuality, Karmaloop, Motives, Personal Identity, Puppets, Rare Pieces, Shock Cinema, Shreds, Silver Screen, Things That Go Bump In The Night, Video Nasties, Zombies
Individuality is often based on society’s view of what’s not quite the norm but still acceptable. And when its finally deemed acceptable, it finds a way to transform itself into the norm. What’s the norm now won’t be later, but may be, later still. Isn’t Better Day’s conforming by A. using popular culture images, and B.manipulating them to meet the current undead craze (i.e. twilight, drug overdosing icons, and the obsession with the undead or supernatural)? I mean they’re right on time in the wake of Micheal Jackson’s death. Thriller is back on the billboard charts top 20 I believe. Don’t get me wrong, I like what Better Days is doing, but I think people forget that individuality is the new craze. The only way to protect it is to make it an aspiration: unreachable but still something everyone covets. And essentially, isn’t that the best way to combat a recession? One creates (or recreates) things people will want but can’t afford, so they work harder to get these things and wind up purchasing the mass produced, lower priced replica?
Okay, I’ve been reading this comment on and off for the last couple hours, trying in vain to think of a way to respond. All I can come up with is that, in my opinion, “individuality is a myth.”
No matter who you are or where you come from, you’re a product of that environment and the people, media and culture which surrounds you – the way you dress, the music you listen to, and to a degree, the way you think, feel and act is all influenced by something. There’s nothing wrong with that – in fact, it’s basically unavoidable. All we can do is accept those influences and tweak them on a personal level to make it our own. The last of the true “individualists” died long, long ago.
In the streetwear market, particularly when dealing with t-shirt designs, where popular culture images are constantly manipulated to make a tribute or statement of sorts, I feel Better Days has done a great job avoiding what makes this marketplace boring sometimes (how many different Biggie or Jordan tees can some of these brands come up with?) – no one else (at Karmaloop, at least) is on the horror/creepshow jones, which is why I feel Better Days stands apart, the same way you know certain other brands after just a quick glance at their graphics and style of clothing.
I respect your opinion and understand where you’re coming from, and to an extent, I agree with you (except for the whole Michael Jackson business – these tees were most likely conceived and produced long ago; clothing brands are forced to think ahead months and months in advance). Individuality has always been a craze, a concept that is essentially unattainable – that’s why people strive so hard to be individuals. Most of us don’t do something just because it’s easy. And while it’s true that you can stand apart from your friends in the way you dress, act, feel and think – somewhere, someone else in the world is doing the exact same thing at the exact same moment. It’s just something we have to live with.