Part 1 – Part 2 – Part 3 – Part 4
We’re halfway through the Threadless Sesame Street T-shirt Design Contest reviews, and as sad as it is, voting is now finished. So our reviews will be just for fun (assuming anyone out there is actually having any fun) and not worth any monetary or emotional value. But nobody ever said we wouldn’t finish what we started, so here we go with part 3 of our Threadless contest coverage!
I like the idea of a shirt covered in cookie crumbs, but the effect doesn’t look all that attractive from a distance. It’s sort of like an uneven polka dot. And it’s a well known fact that you can’t dance to an uneven polka. Don’t even try.
My rating: 3
If you zoom in close on your Muppet Movie Blu-Ray, do you think this is what you’d see on Kermit’s dragonfly ripple ice cream cone? Yuccha.
My rating: 3
Platter of Friends – Oscar / Platter of Friends – Elmo / Platter of Friends – Cookie Monster
These seem like they’re part of a campaign to get kids to start eating healthier. That does mean that they might be a little too “educational” for the Threadless crowd, but I’ll be damned if they aren’t making me hungry. That is, assuming you like blueberries.
My rating: 4
Cookie Monster is a cookie! It’s right there in his name! He’s also a monster, so maybe he’ll attack the next person who tries to make this joke.
My rating: 1
Yeah, I’m a sucker for fictional logo spoofs. Especially when it looks like something you’d actually see on the side of a van or on a complimentary desk calendar. This one is simple, yet respectful, with a decent easter egg in the year. And that’s the hat trick, folks.
My rating: 5
Cookie Monster has been waiting for the perfect moment to chestburst, Aliens-style, to deliver some baked goods to your friends. He’d give one to you too, but you’re probably dead because of the chestburst and all.
My rating: 3
Put Away the Toys… And Become a Man
There was a fantastic piece of fan art that we saw a while ago with the same Spider-Man homage, but with Caroll Spinney walking away from his discarded Big Bird puppet. That one was a lot more striking, while this one saddens me. I wouldn’t want to wear a shirt that celebrates leaving your childhood belongings in the garbage. That’s the opposite of what a Sesame Street art contest should be.
My rating: 2
Poor Elmo, stuck in a chicken wire cage. This is why I only eat eggs from free range chickens.
My rating: 1
Putting “Scram” on your chest is one way to give people the hint to stop staring at your boobs. Or at least the left one.
My rating: 2
There have been a few entries with this idea in previous Muppet design contests, and they usually look pretty great. This one handles the layering quite nicely (except for Oscar’s very pretty lady lashes), but for some reason, it’s not quite as striking. Maybe because we’ve seen it before, even though it still looks mighty cool.
My rating: 4
Cookie Monster looks so happy to find out he’s pregnant. He’s positively glowing! I wonder if he’ll be as pleased after the ultrasound when he finds out that he’s going to have several billion mouths to feed.
My rating: 4
I haven’t decided if I prefer my “Cookie Monster is a Monster” designs to portray him as an angry beast or as the happy-go-lucky Muppet who just wants a snack. The ferocious ones are definitely more out of character, but how silly does he look as he’s casually pushing over buildings while he lumbers toward the screaming desserts?
My rating: 3
The last Sesame/Threadless contest had a half dozen Pac-Man spoofs, but this time around, there’s only one or two. I’m still a little surprised that there aren’t any actual Pac-Man shirts out from Sesame Street, since a design like this is so obviously striking and enjoyable and a clever mix of pop culture icons.
My rating: 5
MonsteringOh! That’s a fishing pole! My dirty mind saw something completely different, which makes me ashamed and feeling filthy, but I can’t be the only one. Right? Guys? Someone??
My rating: 2
How to Do the ElmoDoes Elmo have a signature dance? Does it involve staring blankly ahead and Thriller-ing your arms back and forth? Why isn’t this his signature dance instead?
My rating: 2
ZCompare this to the other “Z is for Zombie” entry (found at the bottom of part 1 of our reviews). One of them is totally respectful of the characters and makes for a fun t-shirt design, while the other is disgusting, messy, and something you’d probably see at a Rob Zombie concert. Can you guess which is which?
My rating: 2
HybridYikes. Weird. I don’t think I need my Muppets to be Frankensteined. Except for that one Frankenstein Muppet.
My rating: 2
Comic ElmoAt what point does a stylized version of a character become too unrecognizable? If I saw this thing fighting The Hulk in the middle of New York, I’m not sure I’d wonder why Elmo is so huge and (possibly) evil. I’d be rooting for The Hulk to smash the big red monster.
My rating: 2
Elmo in the PocketPocket Elmos: Always in your pocket for an Elmo emergency. These things sell themselves!
My rating: 2
I’m the MonsterI get that the fur is supposed to be a twist on the oft-seen Cookie Monster face t-shirts, but it just looks like the wearer’s torso is slowly developing a sentient parasite. Like that mutant baby in Total Recall.
My rating: 3
Nom Nom Cookies RecipeHas anyone ever put a recipe onto a t-shirt before? I’m sure it exists, but I’ve never seen it. Therefore, I think it’s clever. Unless the recipe stinks, and then you may as well eat the shirt.
My rating: 4
A Little Elmo Inside (Nesting Dolls)
Y’see, this is what happens when you get too close to a batch of cookies on Sesame Street. Cookie Monster gets hold of one of your fingers, and the next thing you know you’re trapped inside his cavernous stomach, with only the hope that he might separate at the middle like a nesting doll so you can gain your freedom once again. Sometimes I worry that I think too much about the backstories of these t-shirt designs.
My rating: 3
Cookie Juice / Baby Elmo & Dorothy
More babies! These two are pretty well-made, and I dig the cookie bottle and stuffed Dorothy. But I just can’t see a full-grown adult wearing either of these. They’d make great onesies (as seen at the bottom of each picture), but that’s not really what this contest is about. Hopefully someone out there will notice that and produce something like this for kids only.
My rating: 4
Trashy StyleMaybe it’s just me, but I kinda hate seeing Oscar with both his head and his legs sticking out of his can. One or the other is fine, but both always weirds me out. Like his torso got elongated and he just developed a case of nudity shame so he has to wear the can like a barrel with straps. Also: Skateboards are totally rad!
My rating: 3
Pocket MonstersWhy does Elmo look so nervous to be in Oscar’s can? Or is he nervous because of Cookie’s hand placement? Either way, his uncomfortableness is making me mighty uncomfortable too.
My rating: 2
OutnumberedI don’t know who I feel worse for. The cookie, who is obviously about to be ripped into tiny pieces by an octet of hungry monsters, or the eight Cookie Monsters who have to fight over one measly cookie. This is what we call a no-win scenario.
My rating: 3
Son of MonsterThere is a literal ton of Sesame Street art that’s been created through the decades, so I can’t blame an artist when he or she accidentally comes up with the same idea. This one was previously created by Sesame Street Magazine illustrator Joel Schick (as seen here), and although Schick’s is better, that’s still a kinda unfair comparison. We’re all mediocre artists compared to official Sesame illustrators.
My rating: 4
I’m a Monster!This one took me a second. As a big Sesame Street fan and as a big Arrested Development fan, I think it’s hilarious. But the fault is in that extra second it took me to get the reference when I thought it was a striped(?) Cookie Monster with a tiny hand announcing his last name to the world. Do you think he won the cookie for marksmanship while in Army?
My rating: 3
I <3 CookiesGawwwww. But this love affair won’t last. We always eat the ones we love.
My rating: 4
I am a Cookie MonsterClever concept, but it really doesn’t work with Cookie Monster. I think you need a well-defined neck before finding the perfect place to swap in a human head.
My rating: 2
The Letter ShuffleThis one’s a little busy, but I love getting lost in the chaos of it all. The colors are bright, the dripping paint is a nice touch, and I like it enough to ignore the fact that it’s using the same stock photos we always see. I don’t know what “The Letter Shuffle” is, but I’m game.
My rating: 5
Grumpy Cat is still totally a thing, but it won’t be a thing forever. That feline fad’s star is bound to fade at some point, so why not make a buck off its coattails while we can? Even long after Grumpy Cat isn’t hip anymore, this adorably upset Oscar is still really charming and hysterical.
My rating: 5
Dreams Come TrueI never realized how much Cookie Monster and Uncle Scrooge have in common. I can’t even decide which would be more fun to swim in: Coins or cookies. Or I could split the difference and swim in a pool of chocolate coins. Mmmm.
My rating: 5
Oscar is Made Of…Oscar’s kinda hidden in there, isn’t he? Maybe the outline art just makes him too hard to see, or maybe it’s a good thing that Oscar can get lost in his own pile of trash. And I’m sure he’d love that.
My rating: 4
This piece comes courtesy of ToughPigs friend Ivan Guerrero, and Ivan absolutely hits it out of the park. Not only is Oscar made out of all of the garbage mentioned in “I Love Trash”, but it’s designed as a game of I Spy. According to Ivan, you can find all of the following items somewhere in the image above: A sneaker that’s tattered and worn, some newspaper (thirteen months old), a fish that’s smelly and cold, an old harmonica, a button, a pirate ship, a banana peel, a battery, a saw blade, a paperclip, an eggshell, two bones, a piece of rope, a hinge, a yellow airplane, a plastic Indian toy, a faucet, a rusty make-up brush, an old paint brush, a plastic spoon, a wooden plank, a strainer, and a plastic toy brick. Wow.
My rating: Withheld, since the artist is one of us.
AWKward! This makes me think of those weird Japanese toys where Elmo is dressed as Hello Kitty and Hello Kitty is dressed as Elmo. One of you is going to have to go home and change.
My rating: 4
Oscar de RecycleOscar is absolutely the best poster Grouch for recycling. Nobody knows better about how one man’s trash is another man’s thing-he-adds-to-his-trash-collection. I love how Oscar has merged with the recycling symbol, even if it makes him look like he’s been skinned alive. I think this should totally replace the original symbol as the face of the entire recycling movement.
My rating: 5
No Eat Cookie MonsterCookie Monster is a cookie! At least this time he’s not boring old chocolate chip, like he’s seen in so many other entries in this contest. I feel sorry for Cookie Monster’s little taste of karmic retribution, enough so that this design makes me sad, and I wouldn’t want to wear it. Dang, now I’m all bummed out. Thanks, Cookie Monster.
My rating: 3
Not a FanAs previously stated, Oscar loves recycling. And this artist does too, since it’s using yet another image of Oscar in that exact pose.
My rating: 2
Oscar the MetalheadOf course Oscar would be the heavy metal fan in the Sesame Street universe. It’s loud, most people hate it, and it allows you to dress like a clown at the hobo rodeo.
My rating: 4
BountyI can’t think of anything more irritating than an eyepatch that rests directly on your eyeball. Ouch ouch ouch.
My rating: 3
The 3 Best Friends That Anyone Could Have
I’m finding this piece hard to look at, between the off-model characters, the faded colors, and the fact that their heads are just floating in the ether for no real reason. If I didn’t have to write about it, I wouldn’t have even noticed it.
My rating: 2
Go GreenHow does Slimey even use a spray paint can? Does he wrap his body around it and smash his face against the nozzle? Even with all that, how did he paint the recycling symbol with such accuracy?? That is one talented worm.
My rating: 4
Smart CookieYou’re gonna eat your words, Cookie Monster! …And wear glasses for some reason.
My rating: 3
Looking Back at Your Childhood
This might be a cute, downsized logo for a kid’s line of t-shirts, but not so much for us grownups (again). It’s pretty harmless, which could also translate to “boring”.
My rating: 2
The Cute, the Grouch, and the Hungry
I’d give this one high ratings just because it allows me to type the words “Cookie Monster in a sombrero”, but I also dig it for the art, the spoof, and the wordplay. Also for the sombrero.
My rating: 5
Cookie RecyclerCookie Monster, I think it’s time you admit you have a problem. You’re hanging out next to trash cans in alleyways in the hopes that someone might toss you a cookie. Come on, let’s get you some help.
My rating: 3
Brought to You by Trash!Is Oscar simultaneously exploding and melting?
My rating: 2
Catch My CookieBoth Elmo and Cookie Monster look great. Elmo looks like he’s actually running (which is hard to do when all you have is the same stock photos to base your illustration on), and Cookie looks ominous in silhouette with his glowing eyes. The only weird part is the cookie scent (assuming that’s what it is?) wafting through the air into Cookie Monster’s nostrils (he has nostrils??), but I’ll forgive it since Elmo is obviously, heroically leading the big, scary monster away from an area with lots of innocent bystanders.
My rating: 5
HelloWhy yes, I do keep a small monster inside my ribcage who can access the outside world through a cookie-shaped hole. Why do you ask? …Oh! How embarrassing! My Cookie is showing.
My rating: 4
Try a CookieI’m not a fan of the spots floating on top of this image. It makes Cookie Monster hard to see, even though I don’t really need to see him lounging with his legs spread slightly in his bathrobe. Now, swap the robe for his Alistair Cookie smoking jacket, and you’ve got yourself a deal.
My rating: 2
And That’s the Way the Cookie Crumbles
Oh man, that’s the purest look of sheer terror. Am I supposed to feel bad for every cookie that Cookie Monster has ever eaten? Because that’s totally the vibe I’m getting from this contest.
My rating: 4
Share it Maybe?That “Share It Maybe” video was a YouTube phenomenon, so it seems obvious that there should be a t-shirt tie-in. This one is great, as it doesn’t hit you over the head with the Cookie Monster references. The furry question mark, the hand, and the cookified letters are more than enough to get the point across.
My rating: 5
Raiders of the Lost CookiesThis piece was submitted to the first Threadless/Sesame contest, and since it didn’t win, I see no reason why it can’t be submitted again. And since I already reviewed it, I’m giving myself permission to reuse my original statements: “This is hilarious. Not just that, but you know exactly what just happened to Cookie Monster, whose gluttony forced him to sneak into a cave to steal a precious jar of cookies, only to then be chased by a cookie boulder. He also hates snakes.”
My rating: 5
BewareTo be fair, he’s going to eat all your cookies whether you were warned via a t-shirt or not.
My rating: 3
Tao of Cookie MonsterI don’t think I’ve ever seen a yin-yang symbol that looks like one side is trying to eat the other. It kinda defeats the purpose of that whole balance thing, huh?
My rating: 4
Cookie ComicsIt’s amazing how you can tell a such a complete, epic story in just three panels. Bloody brilliant.
My rating: 5
From the Street of 123I’ve seen a few Run DMC parodies with the Sesame Street characters, but I’m not sure we need more. There’s a huge cache of rap artists to choose from, so why not spoof Heavy D or the Beastie Boys or The Sugarhill Gang? I think Elmo and Cookie would make a great Kid n Play.
My rating: 2
Now Cookies Come to Me!I am not surprised that Cookie Monster would sacrifice comfort (and all the bones in his body) for a chance at more cookies. But he probably could’ve chosen a better hiding place aside from a transparent glass jar. You’re not fooling anyone, Cook.
My rating: 3
Cookie LoveThe moon has been seen many times in this contest as a giant cookie with a bite taken out of it, but this one doesn’t look like either a moon or a bitten cookie. It’s just a big letter C with chocolate chips, and apparently Cookie Monster has mastered the art of levitation so he can sit on a cloud just to look at it. Ah, true love!
My rating: 2
Fortune Cookie MonsterWeird mustache alert! It’s weird! I don’t know my feels! Did he grow it or did he just part his fur down the middle? This confusion is what he gets for messing with the occult.
My rating: 3
Monster CookiesWe’ve seen Cookie Monster as a cookie many times, but this is probably the best one. Not only does he actually look like a real cookie (as opposed to being covered in chocolate chips), but I really like that it looks like an advertisement. I’d buy ’em, and I’d nomnomnom ’em.
My rating: 5
PeaceSometimes, all you need is a well-drawn picture of Oscar the Grouch. No twist, no catch, just Oscar and Slimey hangin’ out like bros. Beautiful work.
My rating: 5
And so we come to the end of part 3! That only leaves the final fourth of the Threadless Sesame Street t-shirt design contest to go! Tune in soon to see how this whole thing wraps up!
Click here to eat a terrified, sentient cookie on the ToughPigs forum!
by Joe Hennes – Joe@ToughPigs.com
