Emmitt Smith of the Dallas Cowboys

Emmitt Smith by Mudge Studios for Trading Cards Mag '93

I did a lot of freelance sports art back in the early '90's. Football was one of my favorite sports to illustrate. Most of the assignments that  Mudge Studios got at the time revolved around doing caricatures of the prominent athletes playing at the time. In 1993 there were not too many superstars hotter than Emmitt James Smith III. 

Emmitt was about five years younger than myself- so I really enjoyed following his spectacular career. Emmitt came out of the University of Florida program to be drafted in the first-round of the 1990 NFL Draft by the Dallas Cowboys. It didn't take long for Emmitt Smith to find success with his new team. The Cowboys would go on to win their first Championship only a couple of seasons later. Emmitt is known for his countless accolades as one of the Greatest Running Backs to have ever played. To this day Emmitt holds the record for career rushing yards at 18,355 and career rushing TDs at 164, Emmitt was a Pro Bowler, All-Pro and NFL rushing leader for multiple seasons. Of course Emmitt is also known for his contribution in winning three Super Bowl Championships with the Dallas Cowboys. RB Emmitt Smith, Quarterback Troy Aikman and WR Michael Irvin were known as the "Triplets" during that historic Super Bowl run. The list of career spot lights goes on and on- not to mention those that Emmitt also accrued during his college days. 

Emmitt Smith Caricature by Mudge Studios for Reebok 1990's

Emmitt played for 15 seasons and was the first of the 1990 draft to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2010. Emmitt Smith certainly had a remarkable career as an athlete, but I also remember at the time that Emmitt was also a fine upstanding human being- someone that the kids could really look up to as a role model. Thank you Emmitt for all of your years on the Gridiron. Oh, and as the Reebok tee above reads... "Nice to Meet You."

Forgot that I had this Super Bowl XXVIII MVP Emmitt Smith pin. Mudge Studios was hired to do a series of acrylic portraits of many of the sports stars of the NFL, MLB and NBA during the 1993 and 1994 seasons for use on stamp pins- like the one you see above. I must have well over 50 of these pins, but unfortunately they all yellowed with age. Must have been a chemical that was used during the manufacturing process. Anyway, it was nice to back in time and revisit the memories I have of those that played the game twenty years ago.

Funny Football Valentine for Him

Real Men Cuddle Girl Friend T Shirt by fantasyfootball at Zazzle

Wow, Less than a week until the Big Game on February 3rd. After the Super Bowl has been played and the 2013 NFL Champions are determined, the football season unfortunately must come to an end. No more Monday Night Football, Thursday Nights, College Football Saturdays or that Jam Packed Game Day aka Sunday:( It will be once again be time to say 'goodbye' to yet another great year of one of the greatest sports on the planet and say 'hello' to that significant other who always seems to fall by the wayside once preseason begins. That significant other may be a wife, a fiancee or a girl friend. What ever the relationship may be, that partner truly becomes a Football Widow. Her only hope of connecting with him during the football season is to become a football fan herself, watch at least a couple of football games a week together and maybe even join a Fantasy Football League too. If she doesn't, she must inevitably live life as that football widow mentioned above.

Real Men Cuddle Swag from Wife at CafePress

The common scenario illustrated above gave me the idea for the Real Men Cuddle design. Mudge Studios wanted to come up with a funny Valentine's gift for him from the Football Widow. I was thinking that the Football Widow could not wait for the Football season to come to an end- so that she could finally have her man back. The Big Game is done the first week of February. Valentine's Day comes on February 14th. I figured that Valentine's Day is the first prime opportunity for the husband or the boyfriend to really make it up to her. Oh... and he better! The more hardcore the football fan he is, the more effort he'd better put into planning for his Valentine.

Real Men Cuddle Tee from Girl Friend at Skreened

The concept for Real Men Cuddle is based on an Original Football Design with a slogan that once read 'Real Men Huddle' complete with Football Graphics. This is a design that the guy may have on a football t-shirt in his drawer for example. Well, That is until the jealous football widow hijacks the design and smears it with a lipstick kiss, crosses out the 'H' and replaces it with a 'C' and then writes XOXO P.S. Don't forget your wife or girl friend. The Real Men Cuddle design can be found on football t-shirts, hats, shot glasses, coasters, stickers and more. You can check out our Funny football gifts for him from that sassy football widow at most of Mudge Studios POD shops. Real Men Cuddle really make Great Valentine's Gift Idea for him from that very patient football widow. See our Girl Friend version of Real Men Cuddle too:) Making him wear or display this design will certainly give the football widow great satisfaction as he has to explain himself to his family and friends. Real Men Cuddle becomes a funny conversation starter.

Real Men Cuddle Girl Friend Swag at CafePress

For what it;s worth our Real Men Cuddle design was picked by Zazzle as one of their Today's Best.

Hopefully that will translate into some extra sales:) See an excerpt from the email notification that I

received last night...

Vintage Minnesota Vikings Front 4 by Mudge Studios

Minnesota Vikings Front 4 Salem Sportswear 1989

Well, The Conference Championship Games have both been played and we are now on standby for two long weeks before the  Baltimore Ravens and The San Fransisco 49ers collide in Super Bowl XLVII at New Orleans on Feb 03, 2013. Thought I'd rummage through my collection of old sports t-shirts that I have acquired through the years. Mudge Studios had arrangements with most of the companies that I did work for to receive samples such as the t-shirt above as a courtesy.
The Vikings Front 4 Tee was the first football tee that I came across in my box of oldies, but goodies. This vintage football t-shirt was produced by Salem Sportswear and officially licensed by the NFL in 1989. The caricatures of the football players were illustrated by Mudge Studios while one of the graphic artists over at Salem did the layout, graphics and color plates. That artist did a particularly nice job with the Front 4 Text design and the rendering of the football field.
The 1989 NFL season was a remarkable one for the Minnesota Vikings. The Vikings went 10-6 that year which was good enough for the Vikings to take the NFC Central Division. 10-6 certainly doesn't sound like anything to blog about- and you'd be correct in thinking that way... Except- what made the 1989 season Spectacular was the Minnesota Vikings Front 4 which included Chris Doleman, Keith Millard, Al Noga and Henry Thomas. Combined the Vikings Defense produced a Astounding 71 Sacks with 39 of them coming from Chris Doleman and Keith Millard. Doleman had 21 of those sacks which made him only one sack shy of tying Mark Gastineau's record that he set in 1984 of 22 sacks. The current sack leader is Michael Strahan of the 2001 NY Giants at 22.5 Sacks. Also worth noting was that The Vikings team was only one sack shy of tying the 1984 Chicago Bears Single Season Sack Record of 72- a record which still holds today.
1989 was certainly an exciting time for the Minnesota Vikings. Defensive Tackle Keith Millard would go on to earn the coveted Defensive Player of the Year honors while Chris Doleman still holds the Viking's franchise record of 21 sacks!
I love going back in time.

Vintage Ickey Shuffle Tee 1988

The Ickey Shuffle by Mudge Studios for Salem Sportswear 1988

Elbert "Ickey" Woods played his NFL career with the Cincinnati Bengals. It was during his 1988 NFL Rookie season that Ickey Woods exploded onto the pro football scene rushing for over 1,000 yards and scoring 15 touchdowns.  During Ickey's magical rookie season, he would refine his signature touchdown celebration, dubbed the Ickey Shuffle. It would become a fan favorite.  during that magical season.

 I remember when I was assigned this project while freelancing at Salem Sportswear, The Ickey Shuffle had become a phenomenon. Bengal fans were enjoying a winning season- eventually earning a trip to the Super Bowl, kids everywhere were mimicking the shuffle at their football games and on playgrounds too. In today's terminology, The Ickey Shuffle indeed went viral and this had happened well before the days of YouTube and all of today's hot Social Media stuff.

I also remember that during the late 80's that the NFL began cracking down on taunting and touchdown celebrating. It had something to do with the enforcement of their new planned celebration rule. This not only included touchdown celebrations in the end zone, but to off-field celebrations as well. So, Ickey generally danced his shuffle in proximity to his team's bench near the sidelines and not in the end zone, but now The Ickey Shuffle was actually in danger of becoming banned in the NFL. Fortunately, the NFL ruled that the Shuffle as not considered taunting as it was not performed in plain view of their opponent and it was allowed to continue.

The Ickey Shuffle had really peaked during Ickey's exciting Rookie season. Unfortunately, very early during his second season Woods would tear his Left ACL forcing him to leave the game for more than a year which resulted in him losing his starting spot. Woods returned, but In '91 things didn't go much better for Ickey as he hurt his other knee in preseason. Woods inevitably had left the game at the young age of 26, but not before he left his mark on the league, bringing the NFL one of the most iconic TD celebrations in NFL History… The Ickey Shuffle.

Smash Mouth Football - Mudge Studios T-shirt Design

Smash Mouth Football Shirt by Mudge

Smash Mouth Football - Mudge Studios T-shirt Design @ Skreened : "Cool Smash Mouth football art by Mudge Studios on t-shirts. Featured is generic RB #00 preparing to grind it out for the toughest of extra yardage. The Gridiron Rules! American Football is of course one of America's most popular and Intense Sports. Gridiron Football is played at many levels and variations including Pop Warner and American Youth Football for kids, high school, university and collegiate, semi-pro and professional in leagues such as the NFL , Arena Football League and Canadian Football League. Whether you play or just love to watch Football, checkout our large variety of cool football Designs on apparel and other football novelties. Our Sports Art was created by Mudge Studios who has done Sports Art on officially licensed NFL, NBA and of course MLB products for over 20 years."
'via Blog this'

The Mixed Martial Artist

The Mixed Martial Artist at Zazzle!

MMA has climbed to the top of the food chain to become one of the most popular sports in the world today. I've been a fan since the original Ultimate Fighting Championship was held back in the early 1990's. Back then, the tournament was held to determine what was truly the most effective fighting style of all of the martial arts. It was exciting to see unique match ups of world class martial artists with almost every discipline represented. Since then, the UFC has evolved tremendously. The rules are much stricter, there are now weight classes and a limited number of timed rounds. The competitors have also evolved in all aspects, becoming the highly trained, well-rounded fighter that is today's Mixed Martial Artist. 

I am certainly a Fan of MMA. I am also graphic designer that appreciates the classic art produced by the master painters and sculptors from years gone by. We've combined MMA and some iconic masterpieces to create Our Unique Mixed Martial Artist Gift Shop. Mixed Martial Artist showcases great works by Michaelangelo, Van Gogh, Leonardo DaVinci, George Bellows, Edvard Munch, Rodin and more that were graphically infused with the awesomeness that is MMA . Check out our MMA Lisa, Starry Fight Night, The Creation of MMA, Vitruvian Man- MMA Fighter, The Scream- MMA Style, The Thinker and More. You'll see that Our MMA t-shirts, posters, mugs and more make perfect gift items for those who literally appreciate The Mixed Martial Arts.

 Mixed Martial Artist Posters at Zazzle!

Starting at the top left we have MMA's version of The Scream. The Scream is a classic painting by expressionist Edvard Munch in 1893. This world-famous artwork depicts a mummy like figure screaming with hands to the face in distorted agony. The Scream is globally recognized as an icon in today's pop culture as it is featured in some form in a variety of movies, cartoons, products and advertisements.  

Our version of The Scream features a weird looking Mixed Martial Artist sporting MMA gloves, a tattoo and shorts. MMA is truly the ultimate scream. This MMA Fighter looks great on our Mixed Martial Arts t-shirts, posters, stickers, mugs, buttons and more. 

Top center features our MMA Thinker. The Thinker created in the great tradition of Michaelangelo is an iconic sculpture by Auguste Rodin in 1902. This world-famous artwork depicts a man pondering a deep internal struggle while seated on a stone. To this day, The Thinker is widely recognized as a symbol for philosophy and intellect. The Thinker has also inspired countless other artists in rcreating their own version.

Our version of The Thinker features a Mixed Martial Artist sporting MMA gloves, a tattoo and shorts. MMA is truly the thinking man's combat sport. This MMA Fighter also looks great on our Mixed Martial Arts t-shirts and novelties.

Top Right showcases the Creation of MMA based on  Michaelangelo's The Creation of Adam.  This masterpiece is part of a world-renowned Fresco painted on the Sistine Chapel ceiling by  c. 1511 during the Renaissance. This world-famous artwork illustrates the Bible's Book of Genesis at the time Adam was created.  To this day, The Creation has inspired a multitude of other artists in painting and illustrating their own versions, often as parodies. Examples can be seen in magazine illustration, advertisements, movies and cartoons.

Our version of The Creation zooms in on the two hands with the index fingers touching. Of course, We have the hand outfitted with MMA gloves, resulting in the Creation of MMA.  Our version of Michaelangelo's Creation looks great on our variety of Mixed Martial Arts Swag. 

Bottom left shows MMA Lisa inspired by the Mona Lisa of course. he Mona Lisa also painted by Leonardo da Vinci c. 1503-1519 is arguably the most recognized painting in the world. The enigmatic portrait has been studied countless times through the ages and our fascination of The Mona Lisa seems to never wane. The original is currently displayed at the Musee du Louvre in Paris. 

Our version titled MMA Lisa features Mona with a black eye and a bit of a bloody nose. Of course MMA Lisa is outfitted with MMA gloves.  Our version of Leonardo's Mona Lisa looks great on all of our Mixed Martial Arts gear. The MMA Girl in your family will love our Mixed Martial Arts Stuff.

Bottom center features Starry Starry MMA Fight Night. Post-impressionist painter Vincent Van Gogh created The Starry Night in 1889.  The nocturnal scene records the view that Van Gogh had just outside the window of the sanitarium room he once occupied. This work has become widely regarded as Van Gogh's masterpiece. Starry Night, an iconic image,  is also one of the most reproduced images of all time.

We absolutely love this painting. We added several MMA elements such as a variety of MMA gloves and fists as well as an MMA cage to the work. We titled the resulting effort... Starry MMA Fight Night. Check out all of our cool Mixed Martial Arts t-shirts, posters, stickers, mugs, buttons and more.

Mixed Martial Artist T-shirts at Zazzle!
A sampling of some of our MMA t-shirts are displayed above. The MMA tee to the right is our  Vitruvian MMA Fighter.  

The Vitruvian Man is an iconic pen and ink drawing by Leonardo da Vince c. 1487 during the Renaissance. This world-famous artwork depicts a man in two superimposed poses within a square and a circle revealing the Proportions of Man. Vitruvian Man is but one of many examples of how Leonardo da Vinci enjoyed mixing art and science. To this day, Vitruvian Man has been employed as a symbol for science and medicine. The Vitruvian Man has also inspired a multitude of other artists in drawing their own version.

Our version of Vitruvian Man features a Mixed Martial Artist sporting MMA gloves and shorts. Our Vitruvian Man rocks the cage as he seeks to dominate his next opponent. This MMA Fighter looks great on our Mixed Martial Arts posters too!

Thanks for browsing the Mixed Martial Artist.

Manute Bol Salem Sportswear Caricature Tee

Manute Bol Caricature Classic Salem Sportswear T-Shirt

I was going through some of my old caricature art that I did for Salem Sportwear back in the 1980's and came across this classic of Manute Bol when he played for the Golden State Warriors. I believe that the design above was released in '88 or '89 and it certainly was a revised version of the original Manute Bol illustration that I had painted when he was with the Washington Bullets. During Manute's 3 year stint with the Bullets, he had teamed up with Muggsy Bogues. Muggsy was also a fan favorite and he just so happened to be the shortest player in the league standing at only 5'3". As you may know, Bol was one of the tallest players to ever play in the NBA. I believe that his height was listed in the media guides at 7 feet 7 inches! Having these two play together on the same court  served as quite the spectacle back in the day! I know that I must  have an original ink-washed illustration featuring both players for another Salem Shirt somewhere. If I locate it, I'll make sure to post it at some point. Here, I depicted Manute kneeling on the basketball court preparing to dunk the rock- after he had ripped the whole basketball rim, backboard and pole out from the floor. Playing center, Manute Bol would go on to become one of the elite shot blockers in all of NBA history. By the time Bol had wrapped up his career, he would have many more blocked shots than points scored. 

Manute Bol was born in Sudan,  the son of a very proud Dinka Tribal Elder. The name 'Manute' literally means 'special blessing' And that he was as Manute was very charitable with the large amount of money that he made playing professional basketball in America. Much of his charity would aid causes that supported his people back in his home country. Bol would make return trips to Sudan to visit the refugee camps. The people loved him dearly and would treat him like royalty. Also- interesting to note is that back in the 1990's Manute met with officials from the Pentagon, the Congress and the State Dept to warn the U.S. of the growing threat of Osama bin Laden. Unfortunately, Manute felt like he wasn't taken seriously. 

I was able to follow Manute's Career as he was only a couple of years older than myself. I did smile when I came across this old pellon of Manute- so I thought I would share:) Unfortunately he passed away in 2010 at the young age of 47. May he rest in peace.

Update: I continued reading and learning more about Manute after I had finished this short blog post. I learned that Manute is survived by 10 children. My thoughts are with them. One of Manute's sons who is named Bol Bol is currently a 6'3" seventh grader. I've also heard it reported that he is really closer to 6'5".  Anyway, I came across a YouTube video of Bol Bol at a Cross Roads Elite Basketball Camp and it looks like the young Bol really has some hoops skills. He may have a bright future playing in the NBA just as his dad did. I would really enjoy seeing the Bol legacy continue.

Big Kid Athletic Gear by Mudge

Big Kid Athletic Gear by Mudge Studios

What Little Kid doesn't think that they are Bigger than what they really are? This is especially true when it comes to playing sports. Maybe it's that the little kid looks up to an older sibling or even maybe that Mom and Dad serve as their sports role model or Just maybe, the Little kid has a big... more likely- the HUGEST Heart ever. Whatever the circumstance, every Little Kid wants to be that 'Big Kid'. 

Property of Big Kid Sports Designs

That's where our BIG KID Athletic Gear comes in. Our Sports Designs include: Big Kid Sports Camp, Future Sports All Star, Multi-Sport Athlete, Big Brother Sports Camp and more. Our Big Kid Athletic Gear showcases really cool football, hockey, lacrosse and baseball designs featuring a variety of team colors. Each sport will start with a selection of Red, Blue and Black sports helmets for immediate sale with additional helmet colors to come later. Our Future Sports Star gear makes great gift ideas for every Proud Dad, Mom, Grand Parent, Aunt, Uncle to give to their very own Big Kid Sports prodigy... your future Sports Star. Our Big Kid Athletic Gear is the Perfect birthday gift idea for your child's sports themed birthday, Christmas or any other special occasion. Many designs can be personalized and customized with your child's name, team or favorite slogan. 

Future Multi-Sport Athlete design by Mudge

Our Big Kid Sports Art was created by Mudge Studios a seasoned professional artist- who has done Sports Art on officially licensed NFL, NBA and of course MLB products for well over 20 years. Thanks for shopping and please share this site with your sports lovin' friends and family. 

Your kid's sports future is now- so pick out the appropriate sports merch now. Thanks for browsing. Sports Rock!