The OffWorld Designs tie-dyed dragon t-shirt is a crowd-pleaser at Dragon Con. I asked co-owner Barbara Van Tilburg to tell us the history of the beloved T.

Daily Dragon (DD):  How did OffWorld Designs get started with the tie-dyed dragon T-shirt project?

Barbara Van Tilburg (BVT):  In 1996, we asked for permission to produce a dragon t-shirt on a tie dye.  The first shirt was a blue and purple tie dye with the old Dragon Con dragon logo and art created by William Stout. The dragon was printed on the front and airbrushed in the logo colors. Since then Ray Van Tilburg of OffWorld Designs has designed and produced this special Dragon Con shirt.

DD: How many years have you been producing the shirts for Dragon Con?

BVT: We started them in 1997, so this is the 21st year.

DD: How do you come up with such interesting and different designs every year?

BVT: Work on the next design starts right after we recover, sometimes alternating between a more graphic design or a full painting. Ray tries to keep it fresh and different from any previous design.

DD: Tell us about this year’s Dragon Con tie-dyed t-shirt.

BVT: For this year’s design, we pulled out all the stops. It has Celtic elements as well as a star field, combining past and future in one design and incorporating the new Dragon Con logo.

DD: Where will the shirts be available for purchase at Dragon Con?

BVT: The shirt is available in the Marriott hotel, Marquis Level under the stairs and at the OffWorld Designs tables in the Americas Mart, 2nd floor table A-1.