Mugs
Before I got into the mug and shirt business, I often thought it would be fun to make my own mugs and shirts with my own personal designs on them, for me. Since I've started selling them, however, I don't usually find time to do custom stuff. However, when a friend of mine moved into a new apartment, I decided to make her some mugs as a housewarming gift. As a reader of Boing Boing, I have been made astoundingly aware of the aesthetic potential of subway maps, so I made a set of four mugs with the maps of the London, Paris, New York, and San Francisco subway systems. I can't sell these because of copyright restrictions, so I thought I'd just share a photo of them:
Comments
Oh, those wacky copyright restrictions. Some time ago, I made a BART trip planner program which incorporated the official BART map. I guess I should be flattered that it became popular enough to attract the attention of the BART lawyers, who descended upon me like a swarm of, well, lawyers.
I put out a plea for to the community, and a few appreciative graphic designers came to my rescue with lovely original BART maps. Once again, the proletariat triumphs over The Man.
http://worrydream.com/bartwidget/
Posted by: Bret | March 19, 2006 12:34 AM
If you are ever doing this again, the Tokyo subway map is also pretty cool. And especially if you can get one with the Kanji characters for the stations, rather than the English letters.
Posted by: Two Sheds | March 19, 2006 01:45 AM
What about making mugs of the anagram transit maps?
Posted by: Kate Dalgleish | March 19, 2006 08:46 AM
I assume you've seen the various subway anagram maps (such as Toronto by Robot Johnny.
Transit Authorities, apparently, have no sense of humor and threaten legal action if you rechristen a station"Butt Rash"
Posted by: Anonymous | March 19, 2006 10:38 AM
Bret makes a good point. How important is authenticity here? If you provided only the look of a subway map on a mug, would it still be desirable? If I had money to spend on novelty coffee mugs (which I don't, but novelty coffee mugs will return to my budget someday), I would absolutely buy a subway mug.
Posted by: MrBawn | March 19, 2006 10:40 AM
Those mugs are classy. If your friend is ever taking the subway in one of those cities and drinking coffee, she'll always know how many more stops to go...
Posted by: cibbuano | March 19, 2006 01:59 PM
Those are cool. Subway maps are indeed sexy. For future reference: both Hong Kong and Moscow how gorgeous subway systems.
Posted by: Ben Lehman | March 20, 2006 04:10 AM
Of course, one COULD make up a subway system map entirely from scratch. Pick a cool harbor area (like, Arcata and Eureka?), make a schematic map of it, then add in transit lines.
Posted by: Stefan Jones | March 20, 2006 11:35 AM
I have an old mug (the copyright on it says 1985, but I think it is not quite that old) which is “officially produced” London subway map mug. Dunno if they are still available or not.
Posted by: mike | March 20, 2006 11:31 PM
I am pleased that Mornington Crescent was incorporated in the London mug.
Harry Beck, the internet salutes you.
Posted by: Fernanda | April 7, 2006 03:28 AM