OH MY DEAR READERS. It’s been over a month since I put these wheels in motion, and after a lot of hard work from my lovely designer, the (massive) first round of merchandise is done! YOU CAN NOW OWN MARK READS/WATCHES T-SHIRTS AND BUTTONS AND STICKERS, OH MY!
Check it:
http://cafepress.com/markdoesstuff
There are approximately 100 pieces of merch that you may now own. I love the idea of making merch that only other Mark Does Stuff fans will be able to recognize. THEN YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE THE COOL KID ON THE BLOCK.
I went with CafePress for a few reasons, but mainly the fact that it allows me to focus almost no time on upkeep of the store or printing or shipping. I’m a one-man operation, aside from my designer Melissa, and I would rather spend time writing fun things than trying to manage an in-house print and shipping depot. Plus, it’s easier for those who do not live in the United States to buy merchandise!!
Shirts range from $15-$30, with the cheaper shirt material available for those who can’t afford to drop $30 on an organic tee. Buttons, magnets, and stickers run from $3.49 to $5.49.  (LOL I PUT FIVE HUNDRED AND FORT-NINE DOLLARS LOL) And what sort of stuff can you buy? How about a Gryffindor Mark Reads Harry Potter shirt?
Wait, what about a shirt to inform the world of their preparedness?
But what if you want people to know you require all the hugs ever?
Or how about a general reference to both sites that will leave folks puzzled because they are not as hipster as you?
Or (and this is my personal favorite) you could tell people just how real shit has gotten! (Note: The actual banner is WAY bigger when printed. This preview does it no justice!)
Seriously, look at this car magnet:
SHIT YEAH people will be crashing their vehicles because they will be so jealous of you.
All of this will help keep up costs of running my two sites, and if things do well, I hope to be able to make the switch to doing Mark Reads/Watches full-time. What does that mean for you, dear Watchers?
- More reviews.
- Concurrent series.
- More liveblogs.
- VIDEO LIVEBLOGS
In the coming weeks, there will be more designs of shirts and miscellany added. There will be coffee mugs. There will be House-specific shirts with Mark Reads Harry Potter quotes on them. There will be Mark Reads The Amber Spyglass merch.
What I would like to know from you is: What do you want to see, fans of Mark Reads? I have completed more series here than Mark Watches, so I have a large array of series to choose from. You are welcome to suggest/demand anything you like. On top of that, if you are a graphic designer and want to take a stab at designing a non copyright-infringing item of merch, I WILL PAY YOU FOR IT. It’s only fair!
Thank you all for two years of support! (Wow, it’s been two years since I started Mark Reads.) I never thought I’d reach this day, but I’ve been dreaming of it a long time. Thank you, each and every one of you, for making my life so wonderful.
You can follow me on Twitter (@MarkDoesStuff) and I’ll announce new designs and merch. If it’s Mark Reads specific, I’ll probably also announce it here.
YAY!
LAST MINUTE EDIT: I will post predictions for A Clash of Kings tomorrow morning for some weekend reading!
Very exciting! I'm especially excited about coffee mugs.
Idea: What about a "Team Mark" t-shirt in the style of those Team Edward/Team Jacob t-shirts? Maybe someone else could design, since I fail at pretty much anything graphics related.
I love it! It's a great idea for a t-shirt
HAHAHA OH MY GOD. But which lovely face of mine would work best????
One of your horrified reaction faces from the Twilight reviews?
I LOVE THIS IDEA. Mark's D: face is fantastic and I can make it into art that will print BEAUTIFULLY on a t-shirt. Think Obama HOPE posters.
Except where the Obama poster had "Hope" written, we should just have D:
SOMEONE MAKE THIS WHY ARE MY PHOTOSHOP SKILLS SO FAIL
I AM THE DESIGNER HE SPEAKS OF AND MY PHOTOSHOP SKILLS ARE SOMEWHAT LESS FAIL, THEREFORE, I AM GOING TO MAKE IT. I AM DEAD SERIOUS. MARK HAS ALREADY TOLD ME HE'S GONNA SEND ME A PHOTO. CAPSLOCK.
This is awesome! I can't wait to see the finished design/shirt!
OMG YAAAAAAAAAAAY YOU ARE MADE OF AWESOME AND WIN
*FLAILS LIKE A CRAZED PERSON*
Perhaps with "You en't prepared" on it as well?
OKAY SO CAN ANYONE FIND THAT IMAGE
FROM WHEN I REVIEWED TWILIGHT
AND IT WAS JUST MY FACE
BEING SUPER DISTURBED
http://markreadstwilight.buzznet.com/user/journal…
OHMYGOD i'm wearing Biore face strips and I had to stop looking at this page or else my laughter would ruin my pore-cleansing.
I love it.
This is the best idea ever. Team Mark!
I have been restraining myself from buying anything frivolous for awhile now to make sure I have enough money for some of your fantastic merch, and I am so glad I did because I want all the things! Seriously its all amazing <3<3<3
If it hasnt been suggested already, I would like to put forward the idea of ANYTHING AT ALL WITH THE PHRASE 'WATERFALLS OF WIN' ON IT PLEASE AND THANK YOU.
Now Im going to go and be very very excited and buy stuff 😀
waterfalls of win needs to happen!
DONE. Will happen.
thank you thank you thank you!
I didnt think it was possible but now I am even more excite for this :'D Thank you!
I'm so excited about this! *¬* I'll try to buy something soon…
CONGRATULATIONS, MARK!!! THIS IS SO EXCITING!!! I will buy ALL THE THINGS!*
*that I can afford, BUT STILL!!
People will be crashing their vehicles! Especially with that $549 sticker! Yes! YEEEAHHH! 😉
My only concern is that if you have the time to write all of those reviews and liveblogs and things, where will I find the time to read/watch all of those things? Because it's all about me 😛
Very excited for mugs. I will drink ALL the coffee from them.
Me, too! I will use it at work, and I will be the coolest person in my company. HA HA HA.
SAME!! If I can get a Team Mark mug, I can die happy.
I just posted a whole new section for mugs & water bottles! Only existing designs right now, I'm at work-work and I need to access my files, but once I do–probably tomorrow?–there'll be water bottles with INTRIGUED? and SHIT JUST GOT REAL vertically up the side as well.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
SO EXCITE
^(YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT SHOULD BE ON A T-SHIRT! 'SO EXCITE'!)
Yessssss jinx.
That would be awesome on a mug, actually, because once I have caffeine that's basically my mood.
YES! Perfect – SO EXCITE is SO MARK READS!
I love the "You Are Not Prepared" undies hahahahaha.
I want a "Shit Just Got Real" shirt so badly but I have no idea when/where I would wear it except around the house! I have a shirt with a fan and a vacuum on it and they are saying "You Suck" and "You Blow" to each other and even that is too naughty for me to wear in public because I'm a wimp.
I would love a shirt that says "SO EXCITE."
I saw the "You Are Not Prepared" undies and immediately had to check for "Shit Just Got Real" undies. They do not exist. Way to stay classy, Mark.
Ohhhhhh yes thank you Mark, that would be a little much.
I also love the idea of "Intrigued?" or "You Are Not Prepared" spread across one's bosom.
Exceedingly huge laughter over here. Thank you. 😀
I didn't see the undies! Oh man, this is like the best stuff ever. MY CHRISTMAS SHOPPING IS DONE!
Seconding the EXCITE t-shirt!
There is nothing more appropriate than the "I Want All The Hugs" shirt in Hufflepuff colors. Nothing.
Amen.
Yayayayay.
A 'PLEASE DIE IN A FIRE' shirt could be cool 😀
So excited. I'm going to check it out asap.
CONGRATULATIONS MARK!!! So cool.
Basically, I want nothing more than a "FIVE POINTS FROM YOUR FACE" shirt in Gryffindor colours.
HAHAHAHAAH. During which reviews did I say that?
You said that during the chapter 12 reviews of Sorcerers Stone. http://markreadsharrypotter.buzznet.com/user/jour…
Thank you for reintroducing me to that review. I laughed so hard.
"Buttons, magnets, and stickers run from $3.49 to $549"
Erm, may I give you a full stop? "." here you go 😀
And YAY for Merch. I am poor at the moment (literally living on bowls of cereal and the contents of my freezer because I have no other options right now) but when I have some money to spend…
Oh, and I love the pants. I so want some "You Are Not Prepared" underwear 😀
Oh, and can "You En't Prepared" appear on something?
I've always been particularly fond of "Everything is beautiful and nothing hurts" personally. I'd picture it with lots of happy, soothing things, puppies, kittens, unicorns, rainbows, baby ducks, etc.
yes! i would love that! Mark please do something about this!:D
Ah! I'd also buy the hell out of that! because I like shirts that kind of make sense even out of context, if you get my meaning.
"Everything was beautiful. Nothing hurt." is actually a Vonnegut quote that has entered the lexicon–I'll have to do some copyright research to make sure we can use it legally, but hopefully we can!
AND MY DAY IS MADE. Slogan t shirts! They are my Kryptonite.
I've just ordered my 'You are not prepared' t shirt! Will post a picture somewhere when it arrives.
😀
*squees and flails around*
This is so exciting! If I wasn't flat broke and unemployed right now, I'd be buying myself some styilsh Mark shirts! My favorites are "You are not prepared" and "Intriqued?" in Gryffindor colors. <3
Hey Mark, when you come up with an idea for a new shirt, why not have a competition to design it? And have people vote for the version they like best?
Could be fun, just an idea.
This will happen for…um something else. SOON.
Ooooo, colour me intrigued!
oh, I would LOVE to see mark Reads His Dark Materials stuff! And um, idk what else because i so rarely buy stuff but.. well, Christmas is a few months away, i could tell my dad I want some Mark Reads merch! (since i dont follow Mark Watches like, AT ALL due to the fact that I never watch TV and rarely watch movies)
I liked the "You Are Not Prepared" panties. he he he though it would make me want to run around and moon people.
I would wear those on a date, yes, I am that nerdy.
OMG I am so excite! I promised I'd buy myself a little pressie if I passed my exams (HELLS YES PEOPLE, I PASSED MY EXAMS) so now I just have to decide what! Yay!
What about notebooks/pens, ones that look like the one Liesel wrote her life story in The Book Thief with your favorite quotes from the book/posts?
I like this idea. And I can always use more pens
this is so adorable.
I will beg for a "FIVE POINTS FROM YOUR FACE" shirt. I am not above it.
DOne. I love it.
YES PLEASE.
Could we get "take a swig from a bottle of win" or something Bottle of Win related on a water bottle?
Oh, I so want that!
That would be AMAZING.
Mark could you please please please put the link to the cafepress website somewhere on your other merchandise site at some point? It would be super helpful because I can never seem to remember where to go for these things!!!! My mind is too easily distracted! Also Underwear that said Intrigued or I want all the hugs would be the best things ever. And I totally support the Take a swig from a bottle of win waterbottle!
Lovelovelove.
I would instantly buy a ~High Fives on the Astral Plane~ shirt. Just putting that out there.
Yayayayayay!!! My budget is small so I have to contemplate which is the many items I wish to purchase. But I wanted to say thank you for the range of options you give in the t-shirts! I really, really appreciate that.
p.s. Off-topic from this thread, but I'm delighted that you're reading ASOIAF.
What about some type of "Spoilers" design.
THERE ARE NO SPOILERS IN MARK SING SE.
Would buy.
I would love a shirt from Hedwig's detail logs! Maybe it could just say "Detail log / Hedwig / Subject: Harry Potter" or something?
Yes! I'm so excited! Awesomeness forever!
The world is not prepared.
I would like, I WANT ALL THE HUGS, in a small kids size. The less expensive version please. I have an almost 4-year old that I would gift it to.
And, another vote for Bottle of Win, water bottle.
It's never too early to get people hooked on Mark! 😀
I request "There are no spoilers in Mark Sing Se."
(It doesn't count as copyright infringement if you only use part of the name… right??)
You need to make one regarding your eternal desire for the earth to open up and eat people. And/or how people need to die in a and/or all the fires.
I'd like to see a 'Where is my pocket Ron?' t shirt with a little picture on a pocket Ron on the front.
I always thought that was an adorable mental image.
Ok, really weird story – I told my sister today that new merch was now available, and Mark was asking for suggestions, and she said 'How about that pocket Ron quote?' and I was omgwtfbbq I JUST suggested that this morning! So clearly we have some newly discovered physic link.
Or just…similar taste in quotes.
Mark, what are you doing to us? My daughter and I spent the entire weekend thinking up things that should be on shirts! "See that fire? Please go die in it" was the favorite 😀
I think an "ALL DRAWERS ARE NOT EQUAL" from this (http://markreads.net/reviews/2011/11/mark-reads-looking-for-alaska-one-hundred-twenty-eight-days-before/) Looking for Alaska review would be awesome.