Monday, April 1, 2019

The Feast of Fools 1998


I've designed dozens of commemorative T-shirts in my career and this was one of the most elaborate. It was for a New Age/Pagan convention called "Ecumenicon," which I attended most years as a "token Christian" and sometime esotericist. I did the shirt for many consecutive years before Ecumenicon faded out. The T-shirt, stored among my other convention garb, is still bright - it was printed on a tie-dye pattern Kelly Green. Ecumenicon was themed on various holidays and times of year, whether or not they matched the shirt or not. This time, it matched the shirt: Ecumenicon was held in March around St. Patrick's day. And we included April Fools' Day, too. 

I loaded the design with symbolism: The figure is from the Tarot's "Fool" card, the Tarot being another theme for Ecumenicon. He is about to walk blithely off the cliff. In the sky at the top are angels playing basketball ("March Madness," you know.) and a smiley sun. In the center, sheep turn away from following the Fool off the cliff in a moment of wisdom. Under the cliff are drunken leprechauns and a Ferengi with a pot of gold. The "Ecumenicon" typeface was part of CorelDraw's excellent store of decorative type.

Ink on illustration board, 8 1/2" x 11", spring 1998.

1 comment:

Stacey said...

Love this,and not just because I feel a fool during March Madness ;)