So he begged off. And he didn’t hear much from Urban Outfitters after that. But a few days ago, Earle got an e-mail from a friend who works in an UO branch. At first the friend had been excited that the store had received a shipment of Johnny Cupcakes designs, a bomber plane unleashing a payload of sweet treats. But a closer look at the tee, whose design was all but identical but in different colors, revealed the label for the store’s clothing line, Urban Renewal.
“I was kind of iffy at first; I didn’t want to get worked up for nothing,” Earle says. “But then she sent me the T-shirts. It was almost the exact same thing. The plane was facing a different way, they put cherries on the cupcakes and added a teeny bit more detail.”
Earle sent an e-mail to Urban Outfitters on Monday night, “politely asking them to take the shirt off the shelves before we go with any further action,” but he’s yet to hear back.
In a statement supplied to the Phoenix just before deadline, an Urban Outfitters spokesman writes that the T-shirt is part of a tripartite “anti-weapon” series. “The anti-weapon concept was then given to one of our vendors who in turn executed the graphic. The vendor involved is one that we have a long-standing relationship with and is one who functions primarily as a licenser and thus by nature is extremely sensitive to issues of original art. We have a strong tenure of working closely with young, local designers and small brands alike. In addition, we have the utmost respect and admiration for young, urban companies and the creative individuals, designs, and products that drive them.”
Earle is skeptical, to say the least. He’s thought about contacting lawyers, but recognizes that this foe comes in one size only: extra-large. “They’re a multi-million-dollar company. They know what they’re doing, and they do this all the time. They change their designs around just enough so that they can’t get in trouble.”
In keeping with the happy connotations of his iconic namesake, Johnny Cupcakes is keeping his chin up. “I’ve been trying to look on the bright side of this. I’ve had a bunch of people telling me that you’re not an official clothing line until your brand gets knocked off.”
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On the Web:
Johnny Cupcakes: www.johnnycupcakes.com
