Tuesday, November 30, 2010

This weeks ON SALE shirt, R. Crumb's "Fritz the Cat" in black & white


We got an order today at Keep On Truckin Apparel from the Wardrobe Department at Fox networks new TV show "Raising Hope" for this Fritz the Cat classic in black and white. So in honor of Fritz's upcoming appearance enjoy 20% savings this week!
Other R. Crumb t-shirts which have already appeared on this hit series include the best seller--Keep on Truckin' as well as that madcap mystic, Mr. Natural.
Raising Hope airs on Tuesday nights at 9:00, right after Glee. Let us know if you spot Fritz!

Monday, November 22, 2010

Keep On Truckin' Featured Sale T Shirt this Week -- R. Crumb's Fritz the Cat

Fritz the Cat, Makes His Move



Fritz , the creation of Robert Crumb, first appeared on the comix scene in 1965. This image was pulled from an underground comic book cover done in 1969.

Fritz later went on to become a silver screen star in the 1972 animated film "Fritz the Cat". Due to artist differences, R. Crumb was not happy with the film-- and in 1972 Fritz was killed at the hands of a scorned female. Though tragic, his passing in this manner, was not a surprise to anyone who knew him well. There may be a lesson in there somewhere for all of us--but let's not worry about that.

Enjoy 20% off, this week --just Clink "On Sale" at Keep On Truckin' Apparel

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Music Maker Relief Foundation & The Heroes of the Blues




We here at Keep on Truckin' Apparel are so excited and thrilled to be donating a portion of the proceeds from sales of our "Heroes of the Blues" T-Shirt Collection to Music Maker Relief Foundation. Music Maker is based out of North Carolina, their mission to "keep the bluest of the blues alive", through offering support to musicians living in poverty, and launching careers with a hand up, not a hand out. As well they preserve and present American musical traditions for the benefit of local communities, worldwide education and future generations.

Their mission seems to go hand in hand with the spirit of the "Heroes of the Blues" series. These color portraits where commissioned by Yazoo Records founder Nick Perls. Nick spent time traveling through the South, visiting second hand shops and knocking on doors to track down old blues records in the 1960's. He then remastered and preserved these old 78-rpm. His work was part of the revival of the Blues in the 60's, and brought attention to these unsung heroes.

For the "Heroes of the Blues" artwork he turned to Robert Crumb, musician and cartoonist, and for the historical text Stephen Calt, author and blues historian. The 36 card trading card set first appeared in 1980, and includes:
Charley Patton, Son House, Blind Lemon Jefferson, Mississippi John Hurt, Memphis Minnie, Blind Blake, Willie McTell, Big Bill Broonzy, Gary Davis, Skip James, Roosevelt Sykes, Cannon's Jug Stompers, Blind Willie Johnson, Tommy Johnson, Sleepy John Estes, Peetie Wheatstraw, Bo Carter, Ed Bell, Barbecue Bob, Buddy Boy Hawkins, Papa Charlie Jackson, Memphis Jug Band, Ramblin' Thomas, Sam Collins, Furry Lewis, Bo-Weavil Jackson, Rube Lacey, Mississippi Sheiks, Whistler & His Jug Band, Curley Weaver & Fred McMullen, Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell, Jaybird Coleman, Frank Stokes, Clifford Gibson, Peg Leg Howell, and William Morris.

Sunday, October 31, 2010

KOT Apparel - New "Heroes of the Blues" Trading Tees




FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Keep On Truckin’ Apparel Launches R. Crumb “Heroes of the Blues”
T-Shirt Collection

Carlton, Oregon. Friday, November 5, 2010. Today, Keep On Truckin’ Apparel, LLC of Carlton, Oregon, announced the acquisition through Denis Kitchen Publishing of the exclusive rights to reproduce the “Heroes of the Blues” trading card color portraits as part of their apparel line. Online at www.kotapparel.com, “KOT Apparel” features the cartoon artwork of Robert Crumb.

R. Crumb of underground comics fame combined both his passions as an artist, as well as a musician, when creating the original “Heroes of the Blues” Trading Card Set for Yazoo Records in 1980. These thirty-six, beautifully detailed color portraits, feature the early great musicians and singers who were among the first to record the Blues. The original text on the back of each card was penned by famed Blues historian and author Stephen Calt.

Keep On Truckin’s website, at www.kotapparel.com, will begin the introduction of the collectable “Heroes of the Blues” t-shirts in Mid-November, planning to release them in the order in which the musicians where inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame. First releases will include: Charley Patton, Son House, Memphis Minnie, Blind Lemon Johnson and Big Bill Broonzy. Part of the proceeds from the sale of each t-shirt will be funneled back into the Blues community through a donation to Music Maker Relief Foundation.

Keep on Truckin’ currently offers two additional t-shirt collections: the “Classics Collection” featuring iconic R. Crumb illustrations; the “Mr. Natural Organics Collection” featuring Crumb’s infamous character and related imagery. All KOT Apparel is printed on-demand – based on the customer’s design preference and t-shirt style, color, and size choices. Shoppers can choose from conventional or organic cotton.

For more information, please contact:

E.R. Stephens
Founder, Owner
Keep On Truckin’ Apparel
info@kotapparel.com
http://www.kotapparel.com/

Denise Stephens
Operations Manager
Keep On Truckin’ Apparel
denise@kotapparel.com
http://www.kotapparel.com/

Saturday, October 16, 2010

R. Crumb T Shirts


Launched by a small group of fans KOT Apparel secured licensing in 2009, and works in collaboration with Robert Crumb's team. Keep On Truckin' Apparel is currently featuring over 100 designs on the website and plans to continue to build the collection over time.
Featured are many Crumb fan favorites like Mr. Snoid, Mr. Natural, Fritz the Cat as well as covers from some of underground comix most memorable issues of Zap, Artistic Comics, Head, Motor City, Hytone, XYZ, San Francisco, Snarf, and Despair as well as publications like The East Village Other and the Mendocino Grapevine.
T-Shirts are available in conventional and organic cotton. And the customer is a part of the design process with the ability to choose from a large selection of themes and colors.
So what are you waiting for---get your Art On!

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Zap Comix No. 1 Book Cover


Sold out of a baby carriage on the corner of Haight and Ashbury streets in San Francisco. Zap Comix No. 1 from 1967 was the soul creation of R. Crumb, after this issue he collaborated with S. Clay Wilson, Rick Griffin and Victor Moscoso to produce Zap #2.
Wear the cover that birthed the legend with this exclusive design from Keep On Truckin' Apparel.



Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Keep On Truckin'


Robert Crumb's Keep on Truckin, also called the Do-Dah men, this big footed gang first appeared in Zap Comix No. 1 in 1967. They were inspired by a visual riff of the Blind Boy Fuller song "Truckin' My Blues Away" and later referenced in the Grateful Dead song "Truckin" from the 1970's album American Beauty.
Two Keep On Truckin' Apparel exclusive designs: