Unleash The Madness At Tolky Monkys

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Welcome to the crazy world of Spanish Pop Art label Tolky Monkys. It’s a veritable Euro designer fun house over at http://www.tolkymonkys.com/ but if you ‘no habla englais’ then you should head straight to the English language version of the store at http://www.tolkymonkys.com/en/. However if you’re in Spain, or around the Med you might want to see them in the flesh as it were, you can see their sizeable list of stockists here.

The fact is that for me at the very least I needn’t worry about language barriers, good design concepts will always carry through and this is certainly true of TM, their quirky style, insane graphics and world of strange characters and situations need little explanation. As with many cult trends out there you may find that yours will literally immerse them self in the cornucopia of Tolky-esque fantasies; there are t-shirts for the lads and the girls (as well as hoodies), postcards, posters and even wallets which I’m sure they’ll all be showing off to each other before you know it.

Tolky Monky’s is one of those few labels that I can imagine becoming an animated series one day, their style is so unique and instantly memorable, if you “get it” or don’t it doesn’t really matter, visually the impact is so overwhelming that this range is sure fire bet for a future international “yoof” brand, perhaps if they get the right backing, promotion and sponsorship far more. If you want to see plenty more large images (than I can possibly show here) of their products pop on over to their Flickr stream and gaze in wonder of the madness that is TM. Whilst you’re at it keep up with all the latest Tolky monkys news at their blog.

As for the products, expect the highest quality, printed clearly and crisply each design works its way around both front and back, as well as sides and seams of the garment, extending and extenuating the tale told Although I have to admit I must simply be too old these days because I can’t really fathom what’s going beyond the fabulous design work – ah well c’est la vie. Anyway all their highly original tees are on offer for ‚Ǩ22 each for girls and ‚Ǩ20 for the boys plus a few reduced to just ‚Ǩ15. Available in sizes small to large (not sure how large – perhaps mum and dad can get them too and embarrass the kids), and are now shipping right across Europe and the USA. So if you don’t want to blend in with the crowd on any beach from California to the Costas you know where to go!

Conceptually I will have to take a back seat in this particular review (which is a first for me) and let the gang at Tolkys Monkys do the talking, after all it is ‘their world’ I am featuring here! So, when you’re ready, put your space suit on, grab your favourite magic robes, forget everything you’ve ever learned in the humdrum ordinary age of the 21st Century and fly with me to an alternative parallel dimension where characters like Roger The Lab Rabbit, Eggbeater and Blind Mucus, Olegario The Gregarious Zombie and other bizarre characters from the minds of Tolky Monkys rule the day. If you want to learn more about all the characters at TM click here.

Gustavo Tee (The Long Armed Kid)

Right, so here we go, this is Gustavo who… I will let Tolky Monkys explain:-
‘Gustavo is a special kid. At birth the doctor didn’t know which one was the umbilical cord. The reason was that Gustavo dragged his arms on the floor. His parents terrified, despised Gustavo. He has spent most of his life in his cradle. Lack of affection and misseducation have resulted has provoqued that Gustavo doesn¥t know how to talk. But not everything is bad: Thanks this he has learn to communicate through his long arms’. Yes the English translation does need a little work but I think we get the idea.

This is a beautifully sketched character, it reminds me of a hybrid between Japanese Manga and Anime and a character from ‘Ren and Stimpy‘ if it had been given a seriously fuelled injection of “cute”. I don’t bandy that description around lightly, it’s not often you’ll find that word on my blog but even this old git has a heart in there somewhere, what’s more my GF Christina is cooing in the distance so I know I’m not wrong here. I love the faux-30s look to the design, I’m featuring this girl’s tee in black here however you can also get it in green in sizes small to large for ‚Ǩ22.

Panda Zampando (Panda Stuffing Himself) Tee

Also available in red for this men’s tee has again a rather bizarre explanation – read on:- ‘After his tough battles with the octopi Panda needs a rest, and as he’s half bird he goes to where all birds go to take a break, to the wires between two telephone poles. But when he lands his weight stretches the wires downward and all the birds slide towards him. He considers them blood brothers, but what with the fresh smell they give off and his hunger after the battle, he can’t help but take a few mouthfuls here and there. Poor trusting birds…’ To be honest I’d forget the reasonings, give the whys and wherefores a miss and just soak in the cartoon madness goodness! A really nice colour combo, striking graphics and a crazy concept come together to make another Tolky classic, this time for the guys available in sizes small to XL in dark grey (I’d say blue) and a rather fetching tile red for ‚Ǩ20.

Eye of God Tee

I love this design, yes it’s mad but what did you expect? The fact is it does what it says on the label, if there’s a god and he has at least one eye and it managed to go on a walkabout which I’m sure an omnipotent eye could do (at the very least) it would probably look just like this. As Tolkys Monky explains ‘This being is represented in many different ways, but at Tolky Monkys we know that in reality he is an eye with arms stuck on. Who needs more? That’s all that’s needed to see all and touch all. And just like in other cultures, this God actively interferes with things; in fact, he never stops poking his nose into everyone’s affairs‚Ķ’ so there! Anyway if you love it you can get it for just ‚Ǩ15 in their current sale, available in black and tile red, sizes small to XL.

Ariane (Half Eaten Mermaid) Tee

One last bout of craziness before I go, this is as mad as t-shirt get, Ariane – The Half Eaten Mermaid (Marmade) – I will let the ppl at Tolky tell this fishy tale ‘After being exile from the subaquatic kingdom of Golondria, Ariane was forced to wander about all alone the oceans. One dark night when she was around some cliffs she was attacked by a band of all-consuming fish turtles attracted by her smell. All alone before the danger, it was easy for the turtles to eat her fleshy and beautiful tail, but she was lucky, the human flavour of her chest was not of them affability so they left her alive. Now she’s alone, without friends, country less and…with a fleshless tail.’ I’ve had to correct a few spelling mistakes but you get the gist of it – essentially Ariane is a mermaid without a tail. Kind of horrific in concept yet succulent and sweet in creation, a perfect way to round off the whole theme for Tolky Monkys well worth a visit if you fancy a stroll through the far side of comic creation, t-shirts so bizarre yet so sweet, it’s rare to find such a crazy combo as this!

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