I’ve just reviewed the work of Dane Thompson at my urban art blog and had to give his awesome t-shirt a plug, so where better than here? I grew up watching Diff’rent Strokes and the inimitable Gary Coleman who died in 2005 from pneumonia brought on by heart surgery. His life was a sad tale to tell, suffering a lifetime of autoimmune disease, his parents ripped him off as a child forcing him to sue, he spent time in prison and his career panned after his early success. Gary Coleman was a real fighter, his amazingly confident performance as Arnold Jackson, the youngest adopted son of the Drummond family saved an otherwise dull TV offering. I didn’t like Diff’rent Strokes as much as Fresh Prince, it was a little less patronising than The Cosby Show, but Gary’s character and his famous catchphrase “What ‘chu talkin’ about?” was a regular greeting at my school for a year or so. Life proceeded to dump on the guy after his short stint of fame (no pun intended) and for many it’s a lesson in how f*cked up the world of fame and celebrity really is.

Life Is Short Tee

This superb design is one of a wide selections of work from Dane’s DST to Infinity illustrated street art project, and it’s a damn fine drawing! I love this tee, I really do, it’s such a poingnant subject, and somehow it manages to celebrate a sweet nostalgia rather than merely delve into the pain and suffering of Gary Coleman. You can order yours for $28 in sizes S-L – email DST@Geloe46@mac.com to order yours today!