What happens when you cross all-American symbolism, retro tattoo inking style and a Democratic presidential candidate for change? A cool yet timeless t-shirt design!

What’s new and old and cool all over? Our new California and Mar Vista designs in the style of vintage tattoos is what, and just in time for the summer.

A sun setting in the west, a glimpse of ocean through the hills, palm trees and the tail (or fluke) of a whale. Available with words “Mar Vista” (Rotem Gear’s location) or, or wider appeal, “California.”

Close-up:

These new designs are available on a range of products from apparel for all ages to drinkware, to a “souvenir” pillow, to a barbecue apron — how much more summer-friendly can you get?

Rotem Gear attended a party to celebrate the publishing of the book Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe during Book Expo weekend here in L.A. Here’s author and lovely uber-cool-jew Lisa Alcalay Klug showing off the spanky new cover and wearing a Rotem Gear retro Vegas-inspired shirt “Lucky One-Eight” t-shirt. (For those who don’t know, 18 means “life” and is good mojo.) By the way, this is not the shirt that will be in the book.

Lisa read excerpts from the book, including how to make egg creams and Mani-martinis, demonstrated by wacky actress Barbara Heller.

Check out that pict! Mani and Absolute .. seems almost heretical … a shanda, a boosha. And maybe charpa thrown in to boot. But really it’s a sort of screwdriver that looks like a tequila sunrise, and it’s all in fun and … well, get the book and make one and you’ll see :D.

The book will become available on September 1st, just in time for Rosh Hashana! But you can pre-order the book on Amazon.

Cool Jew: The Ultimate Guide for Every Member of the Tribe

From reviews:

Cool Jew covers everything Hebraic from womb to tomb, finally putting an end to Christmas tree envy. Short essays, lists, instructional guides, photographs, and original illustrations celebrate Jewish cultural pride with love, enthusiasm, and irreverence.

Entries ranging from “Heebonics for the Yiddish Impaired” to “Self-Help for the Christmas Carole Intolerant” provide the long-awaited Jewish response to that WASP manual of the ’80s, The Preppy Handbook.

Ok, geography buffs, what city in Japan shares a name with a US presidential candidate? If you said Ronpouru (Ron Paul) you’d be wrong.

But the city of Obama in Fukui Prefecture has been following the race closely and rooting for Barack Obama and the notoriety that would come to the city, should their unwitting namesake be elected.

So how could we resist making our own Obama-on-Japanese t-shirts? We offer them in three styles;

• Bold katakana — which is usually used for foreign names
• The kanji as used in the city’s name,
• “Obama - not just a city in Japan.”

We think these are tons of fun, as well as making a statement.

Congrats to Kathy of Austin, TX, who won a groovy Kitty & Crossbones t-shirt from us. Stay tuned for upcoming give-aways!