As most of you know, I’ve been designing merch for bands since I was a teenager. I’ve been doing it as an occupation for the past decade. Band merchandise makes up 95% of my work load, and I’ve been extremely proud to make it my focus in my design career. I’ve worked with lots of people throughout my career, and have tried to establish strong, meaningful connections with all of them. My clients are my lifeblood, and I am extremely grateful for them.

While I love what I do, the reality is that I grind out work, all day, 6-7 days a week for some of the biggest bands and artists in the world. When the art files are sent off, that is the last that I see of the project. I don’t see the tees after they are printed, and really have no way of knowing how well the design sells.

Last year, a group of people in San Francisco approached me about their new idea, Thread Council. Their team is comprised of heavy hitters in the online marketing and retail industries. They’re sole purpose was to celebrate artists like me, who create so much art, that so many people see, but hide behind the scenes of a much larger operation. Thread Council wants to provide an outlet for me to have a better connection with the life of the art that I create. This possibility can breathe new life, and rejuvenate my passion for creating apparel graphics. The merchandise industry is built on the backs of artists like me, and they wanted to do good, and show our faces to the world, while offering limited edition t-shirts with our original artwork.

While I always want to create band merchandise, Thread Council has proposed a way for artists like me to see the reach of our artwork. This is a game-changer.

I was flattered and honored. Thread Council wants to applaud the work that goes into shaping a visual culture, and reward the workers grinding out work behind the scenes.

So, before Thread Council officially launches, they’ve put together a beautiful Kickstarter campaign. While the whole campaign is extremely well-done, the rewards are even cooler. From one-on-one design counseling sessions, to you art-directing a design, there are a lot of fun rewards that they’ve packed into the campaign.

If you are a fan of graphic tees in general, now is the chance to get involved with a movement that says thank you to the artists who create this stuff, and to applaud their hard work.

I would be honored for you to be involved. View Thread Council on Kickstarter.

-Brandon