Teefury

Words from the curator:

Star Wars and Cheers: The mashup you never knew you needed until it was right in front of your face. Stealth geek chic is the wave of the future!

Tell us about this design:

I love a good “stealth geek” shirt. Something that most folks will think just looks cool but the geeks will get. Plus, I love those Star Wars cantina monsters so this parody just seemed like a natural design for me to submit! Special thanks to Robb DeNicola for helping me with the image formatting. Please note: A portion of the artist's proceeds will be going to the Lustgarten Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research.

Tell us about yourself:

I love old movies, monsters and masks. I'm primarily a sculptor, with a specialty in restoring movie props and creating unique displays. And with the help of artists like Richard Riley and others, my company has created some really cool displays, theme props and groovy furniture art like the infamous Han Solo in Carbonite Desk.

What inspires you?

Quite a bit! I'm actually inspired by just about anyone that has ideas and finds a way to make them real; folks who work and create things and just plain get stuff done. The artists I work with never fail to inspire me and a good brainstorm session can't be beat in my opinion. I think you've got to be made of stone not to be affected by old Jim Henson stuff and the cascade of wild creativity that his group embodied. As mentioned above, I'm a sucker for a good rubber monster, so I often draw inspiration from the movie makeup effects artists that bring those to life. Ooh, and I dig the artist, Shag!

How did you get into art?

I think like a lot of folks, it just always was. I can't remember a time where I wasn't pushing around clay or drawing or making Halloween decorations (all year round!). I can say that I've got no doubt that my interests were really sparked when I was 5 or so and Star Wars and the Muppet Show were just IT for me. Even as a kid I knew I wanted to make stuff like that.

What would be your dream job?

I'm one of the luckiest guys on earth because I've got it. My own business, working with some incredibly talented artists, making cool things. If I had to pick my dream “project”, I've been lucky enough to have a few of those... at the moment, restoring the original Rick Baker wolf costume from An American Werewolf in London is a standout.

What are a few of your favorite websites?

Too many to list so I'll just say www.TeeFury.com!

Do you have any interesting hobbies or tales of intrigue? Do tell!

Not much intrigue in my world I'm afraid! Hobby-wise, I collect movie props and wardrobe. Many an amazing piece of artwork has been created in the name of making movies. Plus, there's no more direct connection to a film you love than to have a bit of it and be able to say, “there it is” on screen!