Sans Mutagen T-Shirt and Pacman Mug Review - Goodie Reviews

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T-Shirt and Mug Review

There are a lot of online portals for buying geek/gaming-related paraphernalia. Like a lot of people I've flipped through online catalogues, often with a sense of nostalgia creeping along the periphery.

SplitReason is one of those sites.

The selection of goods ranges from coffee mugs to women's underwear to hoodies to art prints to traditional t-shirts and hoodies. Many of these items are branded with "Internet recognized" brands like The Escapist, Destructoid, Sarcastic Gamer, and the webcomic Ctrl+Alt+Del. While some of these items feature some real laughs -- the Escapist's Zero Punctuation "allow me to hold your face under the putrescent waters of knowledge" still makes me chuckle -- many are just clever riffs on geek culture.

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Take for example the "Sans Mutagen" t-shirt, which Split Reason sent to me. Even without seeing the design of the t-shirt, those with any experience of a certain group of turtle ninjitsu practitioners named after Renaissance artists, should understand the concept behind the design. It's the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in their pre-mutagen state. Dominating the design is Beebop (the warthog)

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and Rocksteady (the rhino). Almost hidden on Bebop's back is the turtle's sensei, Splinter. It's a conversation starter for anyone that experienced the late '80s to early '90s version of the animated show, which is a lot of people my age.

Though the t-shirt has only been through the wash several times and it hasn't shrunk and the design hasn't faded or peeled.

The material itself feels right in the middle between thin and thick. It's cool, while still affording some kind of warmth and absorbency, which is just what us sweaty gamer types need.

SplitReason also sent along a coffee mug, "Tasty Treat." The Pac-Man design is appropriate considering the yellow guy recently celebrated his 30th Anniversary.

The mug only ships in maroon, which is okay because it makes it easier to see everything. Pac-Man is pondering a line of pellets which wraps around the mug and leads to a box trap baited with cherries by three familiar ghosts. It's definitely an item that (hopefully) everyone can immediately grasp what the "joke" is.

As far as features go, the mug holds 8oz and keeps things hot or cold for the typical time. My main concern with the mug is the durability of artwork. I've had mugs with cool designs only to have them gradually fade to a shadow due to repeated trips through the dishwasher. Only time will tell, but the four or five times the mug has made the journey hasn't resulted in any decline of the artwork.

So, I'm pleased with the quality of both items but a lot of shopping online comes down to ease of use and navigation. SplitReason has both. Setting up an account is quick, as was the shipping. Of course, it helps I live very close to Split Reason's shipping warehouse -- ordered one day, received it the next -- but it does demonstrate a streamlined inventory system. You won't be waiting very long for your order. (Be warned: these items ship from Canada so if an international border is involved, the shipping charges could be pretty high.)

SplitReason has been around since 2003, so they must be doing something right. Both items I received are of good quality -- comments on durability should come 6 months down the line -- so that might have something to do with it. Plus, they have a loyalty program and the chance to submit your own original designs which you might want to check out provided you have a few ounces of artistic talent.

- Aaron Simmer

(June 25, 2010)