Say Aloha! Doug Burkman, Creative Director at Reyn Spooner, talks storytelling D&D shirts

Doug Burkman you’re the Creative Director at Reyn Spooner. What does Reyn Spooner create?
Reyn Spooner is Hawaii’s authentic Aloha shirt maker – a heritage brand that began in 1956. We don’t call them ‘Hawaiian shirts’… They’re properly called Aloha shirts.

I did not know that! I’ll start calling them that from now on.
In any case, with our super-talented team of textile artists, we create unique and original artwork that makes its way onto our shirts. Our signature fabric – called Spooner Kloth – is printed on the reverse. That results in a shirt that looks more lived in and wearable since the colours are less intense than the face side of the fabric.

Do you know, that’s something that might appeal to me! I always worry that Hawaiian shirts – excuse me: Aloha shirts – are too garish… So now, tell me a little about the company’s background…
In 1949, we were Reyn’s Menswear with a few stores in southern California. In the 1950s, the founder, Reyn McCullough, moved his family to Hawaii and partnered with a local Waikiki boardshort manufacturer named Ruth Spooner. Once they formed their alliance, Reyn Spooner was born during the golden age of Aloha shirts. It was the reverse printing that really kicked our shirting business into high gear – something totally new and unique at the time!

Great potted history, thank you, Doug. Now, Reyn Spooner holds a range of licenses… Broadly speaking, what makes an IP right for you?
Yes, over the years we’ve made shirts for everyone… MLB, NFL, college, Disney, Peanuts, original Godzilla, The Grateful Dead…

This is quite a Who’s Who!
The list goes on and on, Deej! Reyn Spooner generally has success when the design is either nostalgic, quirky, cute, or has properties that have stories to tell, much like DUNGEONS & DRAGONS.

Of which, how did you come to be working on DUNGEONS & DRAGONS this year?
Simply put: Reyn Spooner LOVES to commemorate and celebrate anniversaries… The D&D 50th was something we couldn’t turn down!

And with something like DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, where do you start the process, Doug?
We first ask what kind of story we can tell with the design. It’s important to connect with the fanbase, and that only happens when you get the details right. We spend a lot of time researching various characters, poses and settings, or classic scenes from a film, say. We generally kick things off with a call with the licensing partner and review their style guide, assets, and ‘do-and-don’t’ guidelines. Each partner is so different. They can provide unlimited creative freedom or put many guardrails in place from the outset. We then must take all imagery from our mood board and begin an edit.

Tell me about that: what is it that helps something make the cut?
When you want to include the best and most memorable stories, some things don’t make the cut simply because there’s only so much space on a shirt… So we begin with a layout of selected images, then a pencil sketch, and finally colour… We paint some designs by hand while others are painted using Adobe software. The licensing partner is brought in for feedback somewhere close to the finish line.

“For icing on the cake, we ask ourselves: what easter eggs we can add in?”

And how often – at that late stage – are there changes?
Oh, there are almost always changes of some sort – that’s the process. But at the same time, the talents of our team are mouth dropping… People go wild when they see the final artwork coloured up, and the process in its entirety – from mood board to pencil sketch to painted art. Lastly, for some icing on the cake, we ask ourselves: are there any easter eggs we can add in? These can be a ‘Where’s Waldo’ moment for the fanbase and fun to include!

Brilliant. I especially like that last touch. And can you describe the D&D shirt to us?
The shirt is a snapshot of playing the game! There’s a party of characters that heads off on an adventure together and we tell their story. The artwork includes six scenes… Each scene depicts one of the abilities: Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, Charisma.

Which is which, Doug?
Dexterity is an Elf Ranger with oathbow fighting an owlbear in the forest. Wisdom sees a human fighter battling a gelatinous cube in a dungeon while a mimic sneaks up from behind. Meanwhile, the halfling rogue keeps himself busy filling up his bag with gold!

I think I used to work with him! Ha! Constitution?
While in a cave, a dwarf cleric and a human wizard find themselves surrounded by a threatening beholder and group of bugbears… They have a hard battle ahead, but no worries: the silhouette of Drizzt is in the background coming to assist! For Intelligence, the dwarf, wizard and fighter are depicted in an epic battle against the Blue Dragon. The wizard is casting a spell as the dragon emits lightning breath.

The detail here is incredible, Doug. You’ve clearly put a great deal into every aspect… What’s left? Strength and Charisma?
Yes! Strength is the final battle… All five characters go up against the Red Dragon. Hidden among the treasure in this scene is the vorpal sword. Then – for Charisma – our party can be seen after the battle. They’re at the Yawning Portal Tavern enjoying beer and sharing stories of their adventures!

“The world of D&D is so rich that it was hard to narrow it down.”

Wow. That really is something else! And with such a rich variety of material available to you, what made you select the imagery that you did?
For the 50th anniversary shirt it was most important for us to include the characters, monsters and beasts that every die-hard fan would want to see. As you say, the world of D&D is so rich that it was hard to narrow it down… We had a few people weigh in on each scene, though, making sure it was a fan shirt made by fans of the franchise. These people included my family members, the creative director of D&D, plus long time D&D adventurer – actor Matthew Lillard.

It’s amazing. I’ll be sure to include which ever images we’re allowed! Tell me: how did you come to be in this line of work? What’s your background?
I’ve been creating prints and patterns for my entire career. I started off at the big guys – Gap and Uniqlo – then went on to a few other exciting projects before landing at Reyn Spooner. I’ve been wearing Reyn Spooner shirts since the 90s, though, so I feel a closeness to the product. This role is all about the artwork. I’m art director, creative director, curator, editor, designer and artist all rolled into one – AND doing it through the filter of Hawaii makes it even better.

Absolutely fantastic. This has been a real pleasure, Doug! We do need to wrap it up, but before we go… What’s the one question I could’ve asked you today but didn’t?
Hmmm. “Tell me about the ‘world’s most-collected’ tagline.”

Sounds promising! Doug, tell me about the ‘world’s most-collected’ tagline!
Thank you, Deej – I will! Reyn Spooner is the world’s most-collected Aloha shirt brand. We have guys that have dozens of shirts in their closets, and many with over 100 shirts. Generation after generation of men love Reyn Spooner. With new shirts featuring D&D, Godzilla, Ultraman and others, we hope that we continue to surprise our customers with something new and unexpected that they absolutely must have.

Fantastic! Thank you so much, Doug.