We are undoubtedly not alone in feeling sincere nostalgia for analog objects. Not much can beat the tactile sensation of popping a VHS out of its clamshell, or the skittering sound of a decimal die hitting the table. As we all try to find ways to keep our spirits lifted and minds occupied, it’s compelling to shed new light on the items in our lives we might overlook daily.
The six apparel designs in this collection provide a deeper look at the thought and ingenuity behind the everyday objects that entertain us. Spanning decades of analog brilliance, we’ve scoured the U.S. Patents database to curate an array of illustrations authentically replicated from their original source. Explore the design history of some of our most beloved forms of entertainment with our POP CULTURE TRADEMARKS apparel collection.
The Pop Culture Trademarks Apparel Collection is AVAILABLE NOW via mondoshop.com.
Stereoscopic Viewer Patent T-Shirt
Printed by Amplifier
Sizing: Unisex S-3XL, Next Level 3600 Cool Blue Tee
Expected to Ship in 3-5 Business Days
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$25
Edwin Meyer was a pharmacist at Owl Drug in Portland, Oregon in 1919. From the drug store, he developed a photo-finishing business. He borrowed money from his dad to head out on his own and quickly became the nation’s largest producer of 2D scenic postcards. Stereoscopic (3D) postcards were a novelty, but the viewers were bulky and awkward.
Meyer was approached by William Gruber, a Portland organ maker, amateur inventor, and photography enthusiast. Gruber had cobbled together a compact, lightweight viewer using recently-popularized 16mm film stock. A deal was struck, and Gruber’s now-ubiquitous plastic contraption soon swept the imagination of 1950s America.
Memory Cartridge Patent T-Shirt
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Sizing: Unisex S-3XL, Next Level 3600 Maroon Tee
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$25
Decimal Dice Patent T-Shirt
Printed by Amplifier
Sizing: Unisex S-3XL, Next Level 3600 Gold Tee
Expected to Ship in 3-5 Business Days
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$25
In 1974, visionary game designer Gary Gygax launched the wildly-influential Dungeons and Dragons at Gencon, the fantasy and tabletop gaming convention he founded six years prior. As part of the design, Gygax re-introduced a die that has existed since Roman times – the icosahedron – or, the 20-sided die.
Given its long history, a trip to the patent office never crossed Gygax’s mind. The patent was eventually filed on Aug. 12, 1997, under the dubious claim that it would aid the operation of state lotteries... but we all know who really earned the kudos.
Console Patent T-Shirt
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Sizing: Unisex S-3XL, Next Level 3600 Black Tee
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$25
In 1983, video game revenues were $3.2 billion dollars. In just two years, revenues had dropped to $100 million, a 97% drop. Enter Masayuki Yukawa and a team of crack Japanese inventors.
They developed the next generation of video game consoles, featuring a reliable and iconic front-loading cartridge system and a new set of design parameters. By 1988, sales of their cartridges eclipsed the total combined sales of all other home computer software, and Japan was cemented as the dominant force in video game design.
Video Tape Patent Raglan
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Sizing: Unisex S-2XL, Sport Tek T200 White & Black Colorblock Raglan
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$30
Although second-to-market behind the superior quality Betamax, JVC engineers Yuma Shiraishi and Shizuo Takano fought and eventually won a brutal decade-long format war with an argument grounded in the philosophical stance that fair use and open standards are better for society.
Sony had locked down their earlier Betamax technology, charging licensing fees for anyone wishing to utilize, monetize, or improve upon them. Shiraishi and Takano argued that sharing technology among inventors and competitors without licensing was better for consumers and society at large. On their shoulders, the VHS era was born. Home entertainment would be forever changed.
Film Reel Patent T-Shirt
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Sizing: Unisex S-3XL, Next Level 3600 Black Tee
Expected to Ship in 3-5 Business Days
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$25
Digital vs. film. Blu-ray vs. HD-DVD. VHS vs. Betamax. Format wars have been a part of film history since the very beginning – the very, very beginning, in fact.
The 4-perforation 35mm standard we know today developed only after a bloody fight between Thomas Edison, William Dickson (one of Edison’s inventors who left to form Biograph), the Lumiere Brothers in France, and many others. Michael Delaney’s patent #US1144693 for a spring-loaded, self-rewinding film reel – shown here – was beautiful and elegant, but alas, did not survive the original format wars.
