Halfling Clothing Co. Releases First Limited Tee Series

Meet Tom Miller, owner and designer behind the newest apparel company to hit Middle-earth, Halfling Clothing Co. Whether you want to strut your Shire pride with their “The Brew for the Brave and True” tee or support the worlds most famousest of wizards with their “Architect of Plans” tee, they design it all. In this Q&A learn what inspired the company, their designs, and what’s in store for the future.


M-ENews- What was it that inspired you to start Halfling Clothing Co.?
   
Tom- I've always had a love for graphic design, from a young age I've loved drawing things out or expressing ideas on paper. But unlike most kids who began doing this at a young age... my pictures still look like I am 5 yrs old. I have a horrible time using any kind of normal art medium. This is why I love graphic design. I'm able to take what I see in my head and finally create it using a tablet or mouse. My artistic ability seems to work best on a computer I'm afraid.

My love for Lord of the Rings I guess is the biggest part of this though. I love Tolkien Literature to a point that I even went as far as basing relationships around it. So when I decided one day "I'd like to try making a T-Shirt", it was natural that my designs would be inspired by fantasy literature in a strong way.

M-ENews-  What's the story behind the company's logo?
   
Tom- The story is fairly simple. I knew I wanted to do something that was easy to relate to for fantasy literature fans. The "Halfling's Frontdoor" is a great way to do this for us. It symbolizes the sense of close to home environment our company uses, but also shows that all adventures begin with stepping outside your front door.

Our design "Of Good and Evil" was adapted from this original logo to the design we now have. It shows the green good earth and happy lands we all would love, and the dark sadness and terror we all face during our lives. But - as in all things that we hope and dream, good always ends up on top!


M-ENews- Who creates the t-shirt art?

Tom- Although the art is all designed by myself (Tom), I can't take credit for the ideas we come up with. Many are ideas that are bounced around the loft (our home base of Ops) as well ideas from around the community. Its really a chance for me to take small jokes or ideas and turn them into something more visual in the form of a shirt design.


M-ENews- Why are your tees sold in limited series?

Tom- The limited series is our way of both keeping the company in a controllable size and making sure that those who buy our shirts have something unique. You can't buy our shirts at any Walmart, or shopping mall. Its something that was created for those who appreciate the ideas and inspiration it conveys.

M-ENews- Do you only make t-shirts/ will you expand to create accessories?

Tom- You know, this is something we've been getting a lot of interest in. We're working on a line of Sweatshirts as well. That is where we are currently at, but I don't think we are limited to only apparel. We have a few surprises up our sleeves still. And I can't wait to show them to our customers and friends.

M-ENews- Where would you like to see the company in 5 years?

Tom- I can't really say. I'd like to see the company expand into something really special. A place where people can look for the kind of shirts we design. I'm not sure what to expect. We love what we do, and we will do it even if its only for a few people out there! Something we have looked at is expanding to sell through some select websites like Jinx and ThinkGeek, but that is something we want to happen when the time is right. We are just enjoying what we do, one day at a time.

Follow Halfling Clothing Co. on Twitter and Facebook and check out their full line of apparel here.