Dec 05 2007
SF/Flatus
Ladies and gentlemen, what the fashion forward SF/F writer will be wearing in 2008:
Excellent, is it not? And true, although you don’t want to know how I know. I could explain to you the story of how these shirts came about, but then I would be censured. Suffice to say it sprung from a moment of levity in an otherwise serious discussion.
The best thing? You can buy one (and today you can save $5 off the regular price get free shipping), and all proceeds will go to SFWA’s Emergency Medical Fund. Which is in fact a very worthwhile endeavor.
Update: SFWA member Jim C. Hines reveals the shirt’s secret origin story!
I'm the Creative Consultant for this television show, appearing Fridays on Syfy. Miss a week? For US residents, 
I’m not buying until you say who was the model for the shirt illo. I want to know who’s posterior might be on my chest. (That just doesn’t sound right.)
I believe the model for the moon there is actually two schmoos.
What good is such a shirt if they carry it in too many mundane sizes and not enough fannish ones? ;-p
John, in the spirit of spreading the amusement, you’ve got full permission to share any and all of my rainbow-related comments from the newsgroups.
Well, Jim, they would be more amusing coming from you.
Fair enough. (And we wouldn’t want to risk you getting censured, of course!)
I’m working on my own blog post, but I’m holding off until I see if the artwork is going to be revised at all. But here’s the gist of my post:
“I asked earlier about reasons for joining and staying with SFWA. The best answer I’ve seen all day was posted in the newsgroups tonight.
While talking about SFWA’s PR today in the newsgroup, I made the following comment:
‘I’m not trying to say we need a bunch of SFWA cheerleaders running around sprinkling happy dust and farting rainbows at people.’
Within a few hours, we had Nebula-winning authors volunteering to chair the Farting Rainbow committee. And then the T-shirt link was posted…
Why stick with SFWA? Because it’s full of delightfully insane authors who do things like this.”
John, Please read at least the first few words of any article you cite.
A shmoo (plural, shmoon)
Scmoos my ass.
I’m sold on it just for the paisley in the rainbow. The cheeks look like Peter Griffin’s chin, which has always been rumored to be modeled on something a little more to front, anatomically speaking.
Jim et John,
While you have both just completely made my evening, might I, as a feminist, fan and frustrated fashionista, suggest that a cheerleader skirt might be the only thing lacking from the incredibly tasteful graphic above?
Then, I would totally but this.
There is a cheerleader skirt. It’s just out of frame.
Buy. Buy this.
Christ, it’s been a long day.
Awesome…
What a delightful form of protest while also contributing to a worthwhile cause! Yea!
I hope it takes the edge off some of the harsher words spoken on both sides of the issue. Also, I hope it reminds people that life should have an extra helping of fun.
I’m buying one right now!
What do you have to eat to be able to produce a rainbow fart?
Skittles.
Or to fart rainbows would that be ‘Scattles’?
I believe “Scattles” would be what this little critter eats.
Bastards! I’m suing for copyright infringement! And since it’s based on a digital image, this is also a DMCA violation x 2 (Digital Millennium Copyright Act and Disturbing Mike Cane Act).
You shall hear from my attorney!
Of course, that joke post would have worked if I’d stop to include the frikkin URL!
http://textfiles.poboxes.info/artifacts/617/617-595-0211/cpb.htm
Alas, Zazzle no habla PayPal. I was gung-ho there for three, count ‘em, three shirts – until the Speedbump of Business Models & Payment Methods sent me and my hopes base-over-apex.
John, Mary: would it be okay to just send one of you a donation and have you apportion it fairly betwixt yourselves and the SFWA.EMF?
#20 update: Got an order submitted after all. Friends who offer the use of their credit card are to be treasured! Thanks all around…
[Psst- discount rates are still good as of ~20 minutes ago.]
…
Incidentally, Zazzle’s Customize… option is both an endless time-sink and an invitation to have far too much fun, e.g. appliquéing an ‘A’ and ‘B’ onto the left and right schmoon (respectively). If my luck holds, they’ll be just barely visible…
Thanks to everyone’s interest, the t-shirt got voted “Hottest New T-shirt” yesterday by Zazzle, which translates into a 20% discount. Who knew farting rainbows were so popular.