New Disruptors 54: Wait a Cotton-Picking Minute

Jay Fanelli and Nathan Peretic know how to go it on their own. They've done it not just once, not just twice, but now three times. They formed the interactive-services company Full Stop Interactive, out of which United Pixelworkers was formed, a company that produces fine wearable merchandise. And United Pixelworkers gave birth to Cotton Bureau, a site that uses crowdfunding to pick which shirts should get printed. Now they're doubling down and focusing entirely on the T-shirt and merchandise businesses.

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Things we mention in this episode:

Aaron Draplin runs his own design firm, Draplin Design Co., and collaborates with Jim Coudal on Field Notes. I interviewed Jim in January 2013 and Aaron in September 2013.

Pittsburgh defied the United States Board of Geographic Names to keep an h at the end of its name. Dribbble lets designers show off their work.

We talked through several different methods of T-shirt printing, including traditional silk screening and digital printing or direct-to-garment printing, in which something akin to an ink-jet printer outputs ink onto clothing.

The Incomparable T-shirts, with art by The Icon Factory, sold in the hundreds. If you see a zeppelin, you're probably in a parallel universe.


The New Disruptors is a podcast about people who make art, things, or connections finding new ways to reach an audience and build a community. Glenn Fleishman is the host, and he talks with new guests every week. Find previous episodes at the podcast's home.