SPAWN of the dead

by Drew Bouman
August 28, 2022

 A Spawn Armageddon promotional tee for the 2003 game.

Graphic tee and art lovers alike: it’s time to take another look into the world of 90s comics and how the graphic tee craze of the time helped create some of the coolest vintage tees we have ever gotten our hands on.

Continuing what I’m calling ‘Ragstock’s Limited Series on Indie-Comics,’ here’s what happens when you give complete creative freedom to one of the most well-known comic book artists of all time. 

Todd McFarlane is probably best known for his work on Amazing Spider-Man, and in the early 90s, was soaring to astronomical levels of comic book stardom. To put the exact level of stardom into perspective, his cover art for Amazing Spider-Man no.328 sold for $657,250 in 2012. That isn't even his only piece of original art from the series to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars. 

McFarlane and six other artists decided to split off from DC and Marvel in 1992 to create Image Comics after being fed up with having little control over their work. The news was so big and the artists were so influential, that Marvel stock fell over $3 per share when the announcement was made. At Image Comics, each artist owned their own publishing house and had full control over their comics from concept to final print. 

Todd McFarlane’s studio unleashed Spawn No.1 into the universe under Image Comics in May 1992. The first edition of Spawn sold 1.7 million copies, a record for independent comics. The series was a hit, earning it the title of ‘best-selling comic on a consistent basis' by Wizard Magazine in 1993. In 2019, Spawn released its 301st issue, setting yet another record as the longest-running creator-owned comic series and new issues are still being published.

McFarlane’s art is dark, detailed, and expressive. In the pages he penciled you often see warped and dynamic anatomy, detailed backgrounds and costumes, and expressive faces. 

Take Ragstock’s vintage 1997 Spawn tees, printed on coveted Giant XL tees. They both feature massive all-over prints that really highlight McFarlane’s art style. Tell me that the ‘Chains’ shirt doesn’t scream McFarlane’s webs from the Spider-Man universe.

RAGSTOCK's Spawn 'Chains' tee

RAGSTOCK's 'The Shadows Will Live Tee'

‘The Shadows Will Live’ tee also shows his dark and detailed style with its backlit imagery, jagged and detailed landscape, and bold pops of red on the embellished cape. 

Both of these prints are crack-free and the color is beautiful. These shirts are great vintage additions to your closet that will work well with the dark, baggy, graphic-heavy style that is trending right now. These shirts are both available for sale as of August 2 - Click here to check out the whole collection. 

Not a fan of the all-over graphics? Well, good news! Ragstock’s collection also has this back graphic Giant tagged tee.

The back graphic on our vintage Spawn 'Territory' tee

This tee is again in near-mint condition, and the tag and collar show no signs of wear. The graphics are intact and bold, and the black fabric is still deep and dark, allowing the graphics to really pop. The art on this one really encapsulates the graphic style emerging in the 90s, and makes for a perfect addition to a vintage collection.

In true McFarlane fashion, the art is bold and expressive. The distressed look on the text gives a nice grunge feel to the shirt. Pair this with some black pants, leave it untucked and accessorize any way you see fit. This shirt is a great blend of trendy and timeless. Need more details? Check out the listing here for measurements, pictures, and the chance to buy!

We also have this 1992 Screen Stars Best single stitch tee. The vintage tee offers another incredibly well-preserved graphic and the shirt is in nearly deadstock condition. Not to mention, the dark and expressive art on the front screams McFarlane’s style. Again, with size XL on the tag, this shirt will be a great statement piece for a casual and clean-cut look with some jeans, but is also versatile, and can be worn as part of a baggy, skater look with some cargo pants this fall. This shirt is a head turner among vintage aficionados, fashionistas, Spawn fans, and McFarlane die-hards. Need more details? Check out the listing here for measurements, pictures, and the chance to buy!

1997 Spawn 'Violator' tee from RAGSTOCK's collection

Spawn is more than just a comic. The cultural influence Spawn had is undeniable. Spawn: The Album brought together artists like Metallica, Marilyn Manson, Tom Morello, and Korn with some of the biggest producers of the time. The album debuted at number 7 on the Billboard Top 100, and stayed on the chart for 25 weeks. Spawn made its way to the silver screen in the 1997 Spawn movie, home TVs with the 1997 HBO animated series Todd McFarlane’s Spawn, and even a few Spawn video games coming out between 1999 and 2003. 

An outfit put together using a vintage Spawn ringer tee from Ragstocks Collection

More recently, Spawn appeared in 2020’s Mortal Kombat 11 as a playable character. Batman/Spawn no.1 was also announced at Comic-Con in July 2022, and the long time teased reboot of the Spawn movie is back in the press. Jamie Foxx called the production special, and gave some tantalizing details on the costume during an interview with comicbook.com in August 2022.

An outfit using a Spawn tee from our upcoming drop

We are also peeling back the curtain on more of Ragstock’s vintage comic & movie tee collection in our upcoming drop on August 30th. We’re giving you the chance to own these pieces of 90s pop culture history.

The drop features some more Spawn movie promo, Spawn TV show, and Spawn: Armageddon game merch, as well as some sweet Aliens and Lord of The Rings movie promo tees.  All of which will be available for sale on August 30th at 3:00pm. Feel free to preview the drop here, and don’t forget to set your watches people (or whatever people do nowadays…! )

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