Recently, I had the honor of being featured in an unboxing review on I Am The Trend.

Packaging- B+

Pricing- A

Printing- A

Presentation- A

Thanks Adam for doing a great review!  Having someone who has been in the indie brand world for years give advice, critiques, and complements was really helpful.  It helps me to see the brand a little differently and hear what makes a good impression, and what made a bad impression.  Always plenty of room to grow- and I know where I will focus next.  What did you think of the review?

Leaping forward,

Adrian Black

Artist // Designer // Owner

He’s back… for more… and he’s brighter than ever.

Zombie Joey has made his return

We’re all at risk of becoming zombies…

Wasting away in front of a screen… unresponsive to texts and calls from friends… slowly decaying in a wasteland of fast food, YouTube and Netflix…

It’s time to brush ourselves off, rise up, and seize the day.

It’s time to live again.

This is the third colorway now available of “Zombie Joey“.  A custom mixed golden yellow ink infused on a soft cotton shirt create a perfect blend of comfort, style, and attitude.

Each shirt is finished with a pink woven label, proudly displaying the Sotare name, and with a hidden message on the inside.

Get yours over at the shop!

Leaping forward,

Adrian Black

Artist // Owner // Designer

The end of 2015 was a fantastic mix of new art, new people, and new experiences!  Last year was the best year of Sotare yet and I’m optimistic about what the future may hold.

TOYS

Making resin and paper toys is a lot of fun.  At Uprise Fest this fall, we ran out of paper toys!  It’s humbling and exciting to think of people buying little paper sculptures I’ve created and displaying them in their homes, rooms, and offices.

In November I released a new color way of Akumu.

The smiling green monster went a little bit darker this time as a ‘blackout’ version.  I really like the way that he looks like something from an old 1930′s black and white cartoon.

 It was fun to paint him differently and switch things up.  You can get your resin toy in the shop!

ART ZINE

For Christmas I wanted to do something special for some of my Instagram fans.  It’s crazy to think that through an app on a smart phone we are able to connect with each other over our shared love of things like skateboarding, art, stickers, graffiti, and clothes.   For me personally, Instagram can be a lot of fun- so I wanted to thank my Instagram followers for spending time connecting with me.  This gave birth to the first Sotare Art Zine.

The art zine is a 16 page, full color, mini-magazine showcasing artwork, photos, and digital colorings.  Only a few people were able to get their hands on this guy, as I limited this giveaway to five pieces.

I also included some stickers in the giveaway, some of which are unrelated to Sotare, but from my personal, non-branded, art.  It was a blast to make and the cover turned out looking really sweet.  These will be made available for purchase soon!

CHRISTMAS SHOWS

I was fortunate to be able to participate in the Downtown Movement‘s Holiday Pop-Up Shop event.  I love the opportunity to share my art and creations with people in my own hometown, a chance that comes seldom.  On December 11th and 12th we took over the downtown square and turned one of the storefronts into an artist market.  The space was previously used by a jewelry store, so there were lots of glass displays and different cases which helped display artwork and creations in a really cool way.  I was given my own room, which turned into a mini shop.  Lots of people were buying shirts, stickers, and posters.  It was awesome!

The following weekend I traveled down to Baltimore to be a part of the Charm City Flea‘s Holiday Market.  Arriving at 8:30 AM at the church I hurriedly unpacked my car.  We had a little over an hour to set up our booths before customers arrived.  It was a challenge, but I flew through set-up and was ready to go with time to spare.  The day was a fun mix of meeting new people, connecting with awesome artists, and selling art to cool locals.

As I move into 2016 I’m excited to be able to meet more people,  do more events, and make more art!

Leaping forward,

Adrian Black

Artist // Designer // Owner

He’s back… from the dead… and more colorful than ever.

“Zombie Joey” rises up from the grave to feed on the brains of the living.  He walks around numb and mindless… entrails spilling on the ground… brains dripping from his head.  He’s after you!  Once you’ve been infected with the virus, there’s no going back.

It’s easy to become a zombie in today’s society.

Staring mindlessly at our phones.

Disconnected from reality.

 Going through the motions of a mundane, brain-numbing routine.

“Zombie Joey” is a reminder to rebel against the mass society and make a difference.

A reminder not to conform to the norms of this generation but to stand up for what is right.

A reminder to wake up and follow your dreams.

This design is screen printed using the split-fountain technique creating a vibrant effect of colors fading from blue to pink.  Due to the screen printing process each zombie shirt will have a different fade and each one will be unique.

“Zombie Joey” is printed on a black, soft, sweatshop free, American Apparel ring spun cotton tee. The shirt is adorned with a pink hem-tag, emblazoned with the Sotare logo.

This special-edition “Zombie Joey” is now available exclusively at the online shop.

Leaping forward,

Adrian Black

Want to win some free Sotare?

Want exclusive coupon codes?

 Want to be alerted of bundles and new shirts?

Want to see some sneak peeks of upcoming releases?

Join our email list to begin getting the Sotare Exclusive Newsletter!  Your mail box will not get crowded or overrun with spam mail.  Instead you’ll receive a once-a-month newsletter with behind the scenes photos, product release alerts, exclusive coupon codes, and more.  I will be randomly picking subscribers to receive prizes each month, starting in October.

Will you join?

His brains ooze out… You can see his bones and guts…

He’s not dead… He is undead!

The zombie emerges… from the grave and to your closet on this soft, comfortable, jet black tee shirt.

Zombie Joey is a reminder to all of us not to be another faceless drone, a zombie of society’s mundane routine.  Instead we need to stand up for what is right and actively engage in making this world a better place.

Zombie Joey is printed on a black ring spun American Apparel shirt using soft off-white ink.  Use the coupon code “Friends10″ for 10% off your purchase.

For a limited time, Zombie Joey has been bundled with three other shirts and a belt for our End of Summer Sale.

You can grab this pack for $65.  More exciting things to come next month!

Leaping forward,

Adrian

Inspiration.

We all have it. We all need it.

Sotare was inspired by the things I love, which like many people was spending time playing Super Mario Brothers and other classic Nintendo games, watching cartoons, and being captivated and fascinated by the art of it all.

The “Poken-at-chu” poster combines those influences in a bright, dazzling poster that goes off with a sonic boom.

For the first time, the mask comes off.   We can peek behind the costume and see Joey enjoying his day. A mix of digital, hand drawn, and painted elements comes together in this fresh 11 X 17 poster print titled “Balloon Boy“.  This poster is based on a mixed media spray art piece that I created of the same title.

Each of these posters are printed on 11×17 paper and are ready to be framed and hung on your wall.

You can never have enough art to display in your room or home.

Leaping forward,

Adrian Black

Strength. Courage. Endurance. Sotare.

Last month we released “Coat of Arms”.

This shirt features a large Sotare crest and an array of hidden kangaroos and secret messages.

For June, we release “Coat of Arms” in a sapphire blue.

What better way to get prepared for the patriotic summer holidays than by repping some red, white, and blue Sotare? Get yours at over at the store!

This summer we are running a Summer Shred contest on our Instagram.  It’s simple.  Just take a picture or video of yourself skateboarding.  Post it to Instagram using the hashtag #mysummershred.  We will be randomly picking winners throughout the summer.  This contest will be going until August 31st.  So get out there and shred for some threads!

Also, just wanted to mention that at the end of May, I was able to be a part of the Trove Gallery in Hagerstown, MD. During the Western Maryland Bluesfest, the Trove Gallery was open, offering works from a wide variety of artists, including myself. Thanks to everyone who stopped by and special thanks to those of you who threw down hard earned cash to rep the Sotare brand!

More exciting things to come this summer including more Instagram contests, sponsorships, new clothes, new toys, and new market dates.

Leaping forward,

Adrian Black

Greetings all!

I’ve started a new thing over at our Facebook page called “What to Watch Wednesdays.” Make sure to check that out every week as I highlight some of my favorite pro skaters, artists, and behind the scenes videos I dig up on YouTube.  I promise to only take a up a few minutes of your day with the most awesome of videos!

Thanks for being a part of Sotare!  I’m very excited about things going on this year.

Leaping forward,

Adrian