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Hamster Loaf, Zickefoose Underwear

Friday, December 4, 2009


These social networking sites, I dunno. You can get kinda wrapped up in 'em. Like last night, I posted a photo of my HamLoaf, which is a meatloaf shaped like a hamster. Before cooking, it has a distinctly fetal quality, which several of my Facebook friends pointed out. I can assure you that it is much more appetizing when nicely browned. My little family can demolish an entire HamLoaf in a sitting, with only a little fighting over the crispy feet and tail. 40 comments came in about HamLoaf, including requests for the recipe (there is none; I just throw stuff together). Yeah, Facebook can be fun.

Social networking aside, I ask you: Why not sculpt your meatloaf? It's right up there with stopping to smell the flowers or to notice the dropping on the trail, in my book. Everything is there, waiting to be sculpted, smelt, identified, and it's all good, all free for the taking.

Moving along that train of thought, we all wear underwear, so why not have amusing underwear? Even better, why not own amusing underwear sporting anatomically accurate Zickefoose art?

In my career as a freelance illustrator, I've painted band logos on drumheads, Jersey cows on milk cans, bird feeders on packaging. I've done dozens of wildlife t-shirt designs, horse portraits, dog portraits, cat portraits; I've even done art for two marble headstones. I've done several kickin' tattoos which are walking around on live human beings. Nothing is off limits when you're trying to feed your family and pay the mortgage with art. And, like the flowers and the meatloaf and the dropping, all those experiences were good for me, all grist for the mill. I've enjoyed every minute of it, although the headstone gig did get a little weird.

So when Bill of the Birds asked me to help make real his idea, which had aged for about 15 years, of designing bird boxers, I jumped on that like butter on a pancake. Behold:


Need help with the joke? I thought you might.

They're kind of subtle.


This is my husband's humor, what makes living with him special, each and every day. (Thanks to Anne Taussig for invaluable design and production guidance.)

Christmas is roaring up. These boxers would make the perfect surprise gift for your husband or boyfriend, who lurks on my blog but never comments. Lurky lurk lurk.

Or for you. Yes, you! (I know this is primarily a chickblog; I'm not kidding myself.)

I like to wear boxers while gardening on really hot days. They're like super-comfy short shorts. And it's easy to sprint for the side door when you hear the Fed-Ex truck rumbling up the driveway.

So. They come in M, L, XL and XXL. And you can order them HERE.

I know I cannot have the hamsters, but I fervently hope they will give me a piece of HamLoaf. I know the difference. I cannot eat hamsters, but I can eat HamLoaf. Right, Mether?

Right, Chet Baker. But not too much, because there are onions in it.

21 comments:

You should have used the Red-cockaded Woodpecker instead.

Love the humor! I have tons of woodpeckers of all 7 species in my backyard and have often joked that if I had enough land to name it, I would call it "Pecker Woods".

Hamster loaf, ahh, it's all in the presentation.

You know I try to be good, I really do.
Bird underwear? well as the Romans used to say Semper Ubi, Sub Ubi.

Hairy Woodpecker, American Woodcock. I told you I try to be good but I usually fail.
What about: The Roadrunner and Wandering Tattler for bachelors?
Magnificent Hummer for singers?
Great Horned owl and for elders the Snowy owl.
You could always try the American Dipper.
The Greater Scaup would be okay, but not the Lesser.
I would avoid the Clark's Nut Cracker, the Laughing gull, Mockingbird and Pewee.
Definitely not the Limpkin.

The time change is getting to me, yeah, that's it it's the time change.
You can use that one Baker.

How about a sports bra with a Blue Tit on it?

The possibilities are endless, Julie.

That Bill and his potty humor - love it! Yes, I am now becoming consumed by Facebook, too. I never thought it would happen, but here it is. Can Baker not have onions because they are not good for puppehs, or b/c they give him the gas? (Or both?!)

From everything I have been told, by vets..onions and garlic are not good for our critters.

I've thus far resisted the Facebook addiction.

So, I've just ordered my boxers with the Hairy Woodpecker... teamed with a nice black t-shirt, it will be great sleeping attire! Love the creativity that flows from Indigo Hill!

OMG!!!!!!!! LOL funny!!!!!!!!! Hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for pointing out what should have been obvious: you don't have to be a guy to wear these. Duh ... off to find the credit card!

We have two designs for women coming out in the new year, but on T-shirts not boxers. Both feature Zick art. You'll hafta wait to see which species we chose.

OMG, these are just too, too funny and cute. Hope you sell lots!

You've got me craving the heck out of a meatloaf! Mine are usually round or square, but I just may be a bit more adventurous from now on. I think I may go for an Armadilloloaf. (Longer, crispier tail.) I love your wonderful, inspiring blog..but I never expected meatloaf inspiration! Great idea with the underwear, by the way, from a chick who sleeps in boxers.
Deb G.

I hope there are more pictures of Chet Baker behaving himself around the for-real hamsters soon. Chet Baker rocks!

Hehe, these are wonderful! Saw them on BilloftheBirds not too long ago. Bird names really do lend themselves to innuendo; my boyfriend and I always giggle at the Peterson audio guide's "Dickcissel", "Peewee", etc.

I notice you avoided putting the downy woodpecker (P. pubescens) on a pair of boxers--guess that's not too flattering. Hoping fervently that the ladies' shirts feature titmice...but "white-breasted nuthatch" might be taking things a little too far.

P.S. Speaking of illustration, I recently got my Project FeederWatch materials in the mail and was very happy to see your rendition of a dark-eyed junco on the back of the instruction packet! Love seeing examples of your talent, whether in scientific materials or...um...more unconventional mediums!

dunno about the woodpeckers, but I might buy a pair with Chet's image... though of course he is not a boxer

Womens' t-shirts? Awesome. I'm in. After I order a Hairy Woodpecker.

OMG, Julie....you really did it this time! I LOVE the hamster loaf and when I was finished chuckling about that...you told us about Zickefoose underwear! Just keeps getting better! LOL

Just ordered . Thank you! awesome.

So when can we order tank tops with Great Tits? *there used to be a site, nice tits dot org (or) great tits dot org ...it hasn't been functional in years, but it was the Royal Tit Watching society and they had the BEST cafepress shop of random tit things!

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