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Clerkmanifesto is going context free for 100 days!

While I retire from 31 years at the Roseville Library, sell nearly everything I own, fly with my darling wife to Japan for 40 days, and then move together to France to start to build a life there, I present a less explained clerkmanifesto, a clerkmanifesto of snapshots and time travel. Below you may see old posts without introduction from my 4,750 post collection. You may see random photos, brand new or years old. I may write a passage about Japan as if of course you know I'm in Japan, I may make a simple observation or joke, but whatever it is, I won't be explaining it. You'll have to take it as it comes.

For more context you are welcome to read this longer introduction.

And if this is all too confusing I welcome you to investigate our thousands of fully explained historic posts from the past 12 years, though I'll be the first to admit, hours later, you may still come away a little confused.

Here, however it works, is what clerkmanifesto has for you today:

Once upon a time, more than 20 years ago, I made a series of t-shirts using fabric markers. My idea was to reference books I was particularly fond of, but in a more oblique way, through imagery, or sometimes through something of note that exists in the world of that novel. I made four designs, which, back then, was the work of many weeks, unlike now, where it is the work of many minutes.

The books I referenced were The Snarkout Boys and the Avocado of Death, One for the Money, something I can't remember, and The Eyre Affair. The other three are lost to time, though I really wish I had that avocado one. But I did keep one of them, the one devoted to Jasper Fforde's Eyre Affair (and its sequels, though there were barely any around back then). Once, when he was doing a reading in my town I even got him to sign my shirt!!! He liked my shirt. He even took a picture of it.

Cleaning out my locker at work I found this last of the shirts. The shirt is ill-fitting and old, but the drawn design on it was still clear. I took a photo. Then I asked my AI to make it a little neater and cleaner. Sometimes my AI disappoints me. Sometimes it produces something to work with that can be good with some effort. And sometimes, like with this, it's exactly what I wanted out of the gate.

I thought some about what I wanted to show you in regard to this; the original shirt image, the first successful rendition, or maybe everything altogether, but in the end,  I feel like just putting my best foot forward. So here is the one, finished, clean version of my design. 

I am even thinking I might make a new t-shirt out of it.