Custom T-Shirts at Trader Mort's

Trader Mort's is selling custom printed shirts. The front has a cool design of the liquor store and 'Trader Morts' in stylized letters. The design on the back is rather odd. It looks like a grinning Aztec wearing swim fins, carrying a surf board in one hand, and a bottle of hootch in the other. The t-shirts run $13.95... don't know how much the sweatshirts run. Grab 'em while you can!!!

I also noticed Trader Mort's is more into selling more fixings for tropical drinks... rums, limes, etc, than they used to. They also sell Tiki Magazine. So it looks as if the store is embracing it's Tiki roots.

Front

Back

Whats with the indian and surfboard?

I think that the term trader was not coined for its wampum and pelt trading symbolism in early america.

Thanks for the heads up Tikipedia.

I think tikipedia's right, it's supposed to be an Aztec. As in the SDSU Aztecs. Just a thought.

But, I agree that it just doesn't scream Tiki (or even murmur it). Guess they're going for the college crowd on this one.

There is a large drawing of, I believe, the same character framed and next to the door. It may have been something that somebody (an employee, the owner, a friend-of-a-friend) drew, and it managed to make on the shirt. So there just may be a San Diego State connection... or it could just be somebody who is artistically-challenged. Perhaps Shag would offer to redo it? :)

BTW, for the San Diego ohana who may not know... Hilo Hatties opened a store in downtown (on 5th near Island Ave.). I picked up an aloha shirt when I was down there.

If your from waaay up north where my diggs are, this pic. doesnt seem odd at all.

Believe it or not, those are the same images (both the building and the Indian), that are on the vintage matchbook from the 1970s. I'll try to post a picture soon.

Sabu

They have had shirts with the same logo for years, actually picked one up years ago before we moved down to san diego.

They do all the shirts for the local soccer league. His lovely daughter is dating my rotten son.:)

Funny(not the ha ha kind)story.

On our way back from the Bali Hai in my drinking days, Rita and I stopped at Morts to restock some exotic rums, after selecting and carrying a hundred bucks worth of different bottles to the counter, the nite employee balked at honoring the discount unless I could prove I had one by tearing it out of my magazine! Rita and I started laughing but he was apparently serious. I hate destroying my magazines and since they had a few Tiki Mags there for sale I asked, "how would I know of the coupon's existance if I didn't see it in my own copy of Tiki Magazine?" ... the employee got a kick out of my reasoning but waved me off with a chuckle.

Anyway that was my last visit to Trader Morts, but I rejoice in it's continued existance at the gateway to Shelter Island, and wish them many years of success.