went through many iterations ( original site), as a growing website does. In the years following, we found ourselves first inspired by, and then partnering with, great creators like: Felicia Day and her internet-breaking web show The Guild, Alex Albrecht, Jessica Chobot, Jace Hall, DJ Wheat, Day 9, and MinecraftChick to name a few. Not all of our existing catalog was appropriate for Blizzard’s big-time audience, but many early shirts made the transition including fan favorites like “Green Linen Shirt” and “Rogues: Original Ganksters.” Of course, we immediately had to take down our, erm, parody shirts, and replace them with official, approved WoW designs. As a hardcore WoW, Starcraft and Diablo fanboy, I couldn’t have been more stoked. Our first big license was World of Warcraft. We worked to build each other up and there was a true sense of camaraderie. I remember spending an hour designing the first BitTorrent logo for Bram Cohen so we had something to put on a shirt. We worked with groups like Cult of the Dead Cow, HNC (our first license, hi Dave), Packet Storm, Phrack, DEF CON, Apache, MajorGeeks, Kevin Rose’s TheBroken, Digg & Diggnation. Dark Tangent and the goon squad created a haven for like-minded hackers and we spent the entire 6 hour drive home planning for DEF CON 9. I’ll never forget the feeling I had leaving after our first DEF CON (8): acceptance and belonging. It was at an off-the-strip hotel (Alexis Park!) with thousands of brilliant hackers, network cable draped across balconies, hacked ATMs, fake ATMs, undercover feds, fountains dyed purple, and wonderfully unique people. The annual DEF CON hacker con in Vegas was the highlight of the year, a 3-day techno-party with some of the most brilliant minds in the world. We said F that and we hoisted a tiny digital flag on the internet with pride. But back then, if you loved computers, D&D, Star Trek, or hacking, you were probably part of a subculture that was often dismissed or derided. Sure, in 2022, geekery is not only accepted, but is also celebrated by the mainstream. In 1999, J!NX was a clothing brand founded on the mission to proudly celebrate all things nerdy.
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