Touch My Tee - The Beginning

Every Story has a beginning. Which leads me to ponder where exactly did the story of Touch My Tee begin? 

I guess the answer would have to take us back to the 80's. The 80's to me was a decade quite like no other, for one, it was my first. It was an incredible time when incredible events were taking place. I was probably a little too young to truly appreciate and experience all of the delights it had to offer, and it wouldn't be until the early 90's that I really started to experience what was given to us in the 80's. 

The 80's gave birth to some of the most remarkable films. The era of the real action hero. A time when Sylvester Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jean Claude Van Damme and a host of other Hollywood superstars were pumped up and dropping films left right and center. There was also a plethora of what was classed as B movies, some real Friday night entertainment. Horror films that were so bad they were great. 

For me, all these films became an addiction. But not just watching the films, it was the whole experience. It was the going out to the film rental shop to hire out a few films on a Friday night. Quite different to the on demand entertainment today. Scanning across the endless covers until something draws you in. Clonking the video cassette tape into the VHS player and pressing the play button. The whole process of watching a film. All these stories would fuel the imagination, planting seeds for future growth. 

It wasn't just the movies though. In the 80's there were more incredible events happening. Home computing and arcades were flourishing. The Commodore 64 was released, an 8 bit machine that would touch the hearts of anyone that came into contact with it. Even today in 2024 - the commodore 64 still beats strong in the retro gaming world. Games and movies became entwined, if a movie was released, it was almost certain there would be a game for it at the time. 

This was also a time of real arcades. Arcades lined with cabinets, Phoenix, Space invaders, Paperboy, Roadblaster, Outrun, Space Harrier - i could go on. Vibrant artwork on big, sturdy cabinets that housed a single game. Sounds effects beeping out all around you. People looking over your shoulder watching you play. A communal gaming area that swallowed up your coins.

Yes, this was the start of Touch My Tee. Not a particular time or a particular place, it was the experiences during a period of time in a remarkable era that would lay the foundations for some incredible memories. Memories that are etched on this heart eternally. Feelings that do not fade. A Love so strong that its all consuming. It wants to be shared, and it will be shared, through T shirts. 

So Touch My Tee & I'll Touch Your Heart.