Probably everyone has their own personal list of the most scary monsters of all time. Let’s see if any of our picks appear on your lists. We tried to combine the classics with temporary work. Recently crews working on horror and science fiction movies have been presenting us with an array of really despicable creatures, but do all of them have this thing that makes them go beyond the physically disgusting? We’re hoping to surprise you.

Dracula. The Transylvanian duke appeared in over 200 movie titles. That’s one career! Maybe you didn’t keep garlic and wooden pegs handy, but still you must admit, he might have pulled your strings. Or the strings of your parents.

King Kong is just as popular and prolific. Since 1933, when the original King Kong movie hit the screens, there have been a series of remakes and the giant ape made its way into comics, books and video games. He represents the fear of strong, wild nature.

If you think of King Kong, you can’t omit Godzilla. The scary potential of the giant dinosaur from the sea has recently inspired the creators of LSA from the movie “Cloverfield”. According to the insect alien’s creators, “there’s nothing scarier than something huge that’s spooked”. And we can agree, I believe, with this notion. The impossibility of communication in absolutely any way is both tragic and scary. Which brings us to…

Lem’s “Solaris”. The novel was placed on screen twice, most recently with George Clooney. Although there is no alien life form on a killing spree, no ghastly creature from the underworld, there is a sentient planet that is the ultimate manifest of the inability of communication. Even though both of the movie adaptations (from 1978 and 2002) focus mostly on the relationships between the humans, the alien planet in the background creates tension and bends human reality. That really gives goosebumps. And yes, it wouldn’t fit in any attic.

Nonetheless I am going to risk saying that Alien is the scariest monster ever. Did you have nightmares after seeing Scott’s or Cameron’s movies? King Kong and Dracula seem retro compared to him. Designed by Swiss surrealist H. R. Giger, he’s a work of art. What was scary was the fact that Alien’s protagonist was no higher life form, but a predator. Once again, no communication was possible. What’s more, alien was beautiful, and the idea of how it propagates its species – truly disturbing. The perfect mix.

I reckon a lot of Internet users know xkcd. And if you stumbled across Taagshirts, the probability of that knowledge rises to a 100%. But do you read other online comics? If you do – that’s awesome! If you don’t, that’s ok, there’s something here that you might like. I’d like to recommend Questionable Content.

The comic tells an extremely long (started August 1, 2003) but interesting story „ostensibly about romance, indie rock, little robots, and the problems people have” – as described by its creator. In other words, it’s a sitcom about a group of friends (and their robots) that you’re bound to like.

Jeph Jacques, the person behind Questionable Content, is not (was not) a professional graphic artist. His work evolved greatly over time, and he has been drawing t-shirt designs for a long while now. One has to admire his system of work: thanks to donations from fans as well as merchandise and ad space sale he doesn’t have to stay up late all night to draw comics because he has to earn money during a day job; comics are his day job. And you know what’s really cool? You can enjoy Jeph Jacques’ designs even without reading a single strip of QC. (even though I encourage you too!)

So if you’re a Mass Effect fan, you’ll laugh when you see the „Hoping for Garrus, will settle for Kaidan” tee. Some manifest for your romantic preference, eh? If you’re the science loving type (don’t pretend! everybody is!), you will appreciate the ability to manifest not only the the fact that baking is a serious scientific discipline, but also that the very science itself is a verb now. And you can do it even after dark. Let’s science that.

If you look at geeks through the stereotyped lense, you might see them as one homogenous group, or you might – if you have some knowledge – be able to divide them into camps. And then create binary oppositions (lot’s of fun!). So, there’s the Linux camp vs. the iCamp (let us draw a veil over the Windows users for the sake of the argument), there are Vampires and there are Zombies, C# and Java programmers…

And then there’s team Luke and team Picard. Or, for the layperson (of the „you’ve been hiding under a rock for how long?” type), Star Wars and Star Trek. If you’ve ever seen Fanboys, you know what I’m talking about. The motive of a regular fight between fans of opposing space operas might of course be a funny exaggeration, but as we all know, in each fable there’s a grain of truth.

The beef is so serious that it even lead to a showdown between Captain Kirk and Princess Leia. In our time & space continuum. That is, William Shatner and Carrie Fisher brought it on. If you’re a fan of the remarkable George Takei, you might have seen his appeal to establish intergalactic peace in both universes, Earth included.

So now that you have a feel of the situation, here’s something you’ll appreciate. If you’re troll-friendly (and we’re guessing almost everybody likes some good, decent, smart trolling from time to time), you’ll love these tees:

Ralph McQuarrie (1929) passed away two days ago in his California home. He was 82.

The art of Ralph McQuarrie shaped generations. He was more than a name that should ring out in the ears of almost every Star Wars fan. He was the common denominator which brought together Star Wars and Star Trek fans (something that seems unbelievable for many).

Many of us have taken a life journey through classic sci-fi and adventure movies with him being there in the background, every step of the way. He was the one who introduced the spaceship of ET to us when we were kids. When we became teenagers and dived into the Back to the Future craze, his conceptual art inspired a theme park at Universal Studios. Our hunger for adventure was sharpened by the Raiders of the Lost Ark, where McQuarrie’s presence was “minimal, but significant.”

And then we discovered Star Wars. It might not be too much to say that in shaping that world McQuarrie was as important as George Lucas. It is his inspiration with a Japanese warrior mask that gave Darth Vader the iconic look. Yoda, Chewbacca, R2-D2, C-3PO, some aliens and certain spaceships that we see in the original trilogy were all a result of his concept art.

He was the person behind much of the artwork for the original Battlestar Galactica series. Some of his work – including the modified design of Galactica and the Vipers – was later used in the remake from 2004. He took part in the production of the unfinished Star Trek: Planet of the Titans, as well as in the environmentally-conscious Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

In a special statement published on StarWars.com, Lucas wrote that McQuarrie’s “artwork has inspired at least two generations of younger artists—all of whom learned through Ralph that movies are designed… we will all be benefiting from his oeuvre for generations to come”.

There is something remarkably fascinating about his spaceship designs, his minute detail and his enormous imagination. McQuarrie shaped the way we see the future and is an inspiration to many designers, writers and concept artists. He will be missed.

What’s the best way to start a blog on a website about t-shirts? Write an inspired piece on why t-shirts are cool? Or maybe present an historic overview of Star Trek t-shirts across the space and time continuum? Discuss print methods? Find a shirt that cross-references the most memes?

I’m going to risk a short story. I remember a trip to a thrift store, six or seven years ago. I always loved tees, so whenever I went, I ended up sniffing through male t-shirt racks, as the female ones always lacked shirts with prints. At the time, it was the best way for a Central European living on a student budget to find remarkable, one-of-a-kind t-shirts that said “Look at me! I’m smart/nerdy/into pop-culture.”

During the mentioned trip I found That Special Tee. I remember liking it at first sight. Everything fitted me – the size and the color (lemon, so brave!) – and the print was a mix of fun and wit. Naturally, I bought it, and, as you may have guessed, I still have it. That tee accompanied me during some important moments of my life. My first trip abroad, my first day at a job, even a few dates. It was a good ice-breaker, as virtually each time I wore it, someone would strike up a conversation. So when I look at that tee, aside from the original print in green I see lots of nice memories written down in invisible ink.

Nowadays it’s much simpler to buy whatever on the Internet, wherever you are. For example, I have a friend who is a Threadless-only wearer. Does that mean the days of wearing a one-of-a-kind tee are over?

Well, I’m pretty sure they aren’t! With there being hundreds, if not thousands of stores, each of them selling different designs, it is still quite possible to find That Special Tee. And even though we all know things are not supposed to make us feel more – or less – valuable, they sure as hell can sometimes create some really special memories. So, that’s what we’re here for – to help you find That Special Tee that you can cover with invisible ink.

Marta Paciorkowska