Have you heard of..... Docor Hazmat?

I will be interviewing a few of my favorite indie brands in a segment called "Have you heard of..."

First up is creator of one of the coolest lines I've seen this year: DOCTOR HAZMAT!

Fresh off his "T-shirt of the day" win over at Future Label I talked to Bryan Sotomayor of the Brooklyn, NY based t-shirt company. Here is how our talk went....

Tell me a little bit about yourself and your brand..

I'm Bryan Sotomayor ruler of the Doctor Hazmat universe. I love cartoons, indie clothes, and being very stupid.

How long did you work on your designs before you decided to launch your tees?

I don't know how to draw at all, so I had to hire designers. Luckily I knew pretty much what I wanted. That saves time and money.

We worked on everything for about five months before releasing the first two tees. It takes time but it's that much sweeter when it finally comes out.

I checked out your site to buy the Nintendo inspired tee and you are all sold out of medium tees. Will you be reprinting any of tees, or are they one run prints?

All my prints are limited edition. Some are limited to a specific number.

I've gotten a few emails about reprinting shirts. The Doctor Is In and M.A.C. are limited to 50. I do have plans on reprinting them in different art styles or different colors in the future.

Super Doctor Hazmat will be reprinted in a couple of months. After that it will be gone in that color for good!

I waiting to reprint and put them up for sale until October. Why October you say? Because I WILL BE AT NY COMIC CON THIS YEAR!!! I can't wait!

My latest tee Happy M.A.C. is currently in stock in all men's sizes and most women's sizes.

What inspires you?

Almost everything inspires me. Cartoons, art, TV, movies, video games, even sneakers. I try to find inspiration everywhere.

What is your design background?

Nonexistent :oP

What is your ultimate goal for your brand?

To be able to meet up with fans somewhere and pay for everything.

Also to open a couple of stores, each customized differently from the next.

Describe your perfect day...

Wake up (cause that's always good). Find a ton of orders that I need to ship out. Drop them off at the post office.

Play football, basketball, baseball, or handball.

Meet up with my girlfriend for some Starbucks. Have some more Starbucks. Grab one last coffee from Starbucks on the way out.

Head over to SoHo. Check out all the boutiques. Decided to open a Doctor Hazmat store on Broadway between Prince and Spring. Buy lots of clothes. Meet up with fans at a pizzeria. Pay for everything.

Go home. Play a little World of Warcraft and/or Call of Duty. Meet up with some friends. Put on a blindfold, point somewhere on a map, and go on a road trip there. Then party with my friends and complete strangers till we pass out. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Lather. Rinse. Repeat. Lather. Rinse. Repeat as needed.

What are some of your favorite indie brands out right now?

Easiest question ever. SEIBEI and Fur Face Boy. They're really nice people and have great brands. I have a lot to learn from them.

What advice can you give someone that is about to launch a tee line?

Take your time, be prepared to spend a lot of money, create something original, and talk to blogs like this!

What was your biggest tee shirt related mistake?

I've only had 4 tees and haven't had a big mistake yet (I'm sure it'll happen someday)

What are you most proud of?

Earlier this year Happy M.A.C. sold out in men's sizes. That was a great moment for me.

What are you working on right now?
I just got word that I'll be selling at a booth at NY Comic Con! I'm already trying to think up cool things to print and bring with me. I'm really hoping to make it a fun booth to visit.

Time for a quick round of  "This or That?".. you ready?

shoot!

Pizza or Burgers?

Really tough one. If I can make it myself, burgers.

Football Baseball or Basketball?

Football

Rap or Rock?

Rap

Blond or Brunette?

Brunette

Beer or Liquor?

Beer

Fitted or Snap Back?

Fitted

80’s or 90’s?

90's

Mario or Luigi?

Luigi

PS3 or XBOX?

Xbox 360

Any shout outs?

Thank you for this interview.

Huge thanks to everyone that has supported Doctor Hazmat. There is more to come so stay tuned.

Check out the shop at http://www.doctorhazmat.com/

Follow me on Twitter @DoctorHazmat

"Like" me on FaceBook www.FaceBook.com/DoctorHazmat

And always...

STAY HAZARDOUS!