Debuting the "Rescue Sirens" apparel collection at shop.rescuesirens.com! August 1, 2017 00:00

From Jess: 

More big news! We had a blast at San Diego Comic-Con last month, and I hope to blog about that soon, but I have an announcement to make first that I could barely hold in until August: we've finally launched our "Rescue Sirens" apparel collection here on our website!

Now, we used to sell "Rescue Sirens" logo T-shirts on TeePublic, but I was never really satisfied with the experience; I didn't like that you had to leave our website to complete your transaction, and TeePublic's account customization options left a lot to be desired. I'm all about consistency, so what I really wanted was an integrated solution to selling shirts and other merchandise.

I found that solution sometime around the beginning of this year, and, ever since, I've been designing new shirts and ordering samples whenever I've had the chance (which, given how extra crazy this year has been, wasn't as often as I would've liked!). I've had the shop all set up and ready to go for several weeks, now, but I wanted to wait until after SDCC to launch it, and I thought it would be a great way to kick off the month of August.


What's in this store, you ask? We're starting off with a variety of T-shirts and tops branded with our swell "Rescue Sirens" emblem (the illustration of a mermaid's silhouette holding a lifeguard can that Chris drew), available in both unisex and women's styles; we also have accessories like hats (embroidered with the logo I designed) and a tote bag. Each item is made-to-order just for you, and your new swag usually ships out within seven to ten business days.

Swim over to shop.rescuesirens.com and take a look!

In the near future, we'll expand our line to include products that feature Chris's beautiful "Rescue Sirens" character artwork. I'm also eyeing housewares like coffee cups and throw pillows -- basically, anything I would want to have, myself.

After lots of requests, we're also really eager to offer our own take on mermaid leggings, with designs based on the tails of our "Rescue Sirens" characters -- that way, you can pair your emblem shirt with your leggings and rock a casual "Rescue Sirens" cosplay! The leggings from our fulfillment center are super soft and designed to take you from the pool (yep, you can swim in 'em!) to Disneyland to the gym and back to the couch; they're high-quality, fast-drying, and won't show the world your Underoos. I didn't want to make leggings unless I could make good ones (I'm a leggings fiend who is firmly in the "leggings ARE pants" camp; I don't wear much else), and these are awesome. We just need to find the time to finalize our designs! Whose tail would you like to see leggings-ized first?

Oh, and before I forget, keep your eyes peeled for a couple of cute "modern mermaid" designs in addition to our branded emblem tops. Everyone loves wearing those "Mermaid Off Duty" shirts, but, of course, our mermaids in "Rescue Sirens" are always on duty -- and, just because you don't have a tail at the moment, that doesn't mean you aren't a mermaid! I love my "Mermaid On Duty" tank tops and I hope that you will, too.

Trying to start an intellectual property from scratch is hard. No two ways about it. Even with the thousands of books that we've sold in the past two years, we haven't turned a profit yet -- printing is expensive, and distribution can be a challenge. Besides the coolness factor of selling "Rescue Sirens" merchandise, our online store also represents a way for us to make a little money to help fund our future books and other projects. We have a ton of mermaid dreams that we'd love to see realized.

I know I say it all the time, but it's true: your support, whether it's buying official "Rescue Sirens" gear from us or just spreading the word and introducing other people to our series, really does mean everything to me and Chris. "Rescue Sirens" is our passion project, and we'd be dead in the water without all of you. (I'd gone too long without a water-related pun. Sorry, not sorry.) So... thank you. ♥

What do you think of our clothing line so far? Are we off to a good start? Is there anything in particular that you want to see in future releases? I'd like to roll out new products every month or two, schedule depending. Samples can take a while to come in -- or, once seen in person, can require revisions -- and I like to test our merchandise to make sure it's up to our standards before adding it to the website for purchase.

(Speaking of that, if you ever receive an item that doesn't look quite right, please don't hesitate to reach out to us at contact@rescuesirens.com so we can make it better with a replacement or a refund.)

You may want to poke around the website a bit, as well, as I've been busy updating pages like our "Rescue Sirens" profiles and Chris's gallery page with artwork new for 2017; I also created the beginnings of a gallery for "Rescue Sirens and the Great Fish Round-Up" artist Dylan Bonner. I'm always adding more entries to our extensive FAQ, too, so check there first if you have any questions.

As always, we love seeing you all in your "Rescue Sirens" gear, so please tag us on Instagram (@rescuesirens) and/or include the hashtag #rescuesirens in your caption if you snap a cool photo of yourself wearing your new favorite shirt!