Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, November 25, 1993 TAG: 9311250414
SECTION: NEIGHBORS PAGE: W-8 EDITION: HOLIDAY
SOURCE: RANDY WALKER SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
On Nov. 19, Bucher plans to release the Roanoke Cartoon Map Shirt. The T-shirt, depicting various Roanoke businesses and landmarks, is the first of its kind, Bucher says.
"Eric Fitzpatrick did a poster of downtown Roanoke," she says, "and years ago a poster was done of the greater Roanoke Valley, but never before has this type of artwork been put on a shirt."
In addition to boosting city pride, Bucher hopes the shirt will put her business on the map.
Bucher has operated Starco Designs & Awards from an office over the garage of her south Roanoke home since the spring of 1992. The business specializes in plaques and imprinted apparel.
Bucher says she got the idea for a city shirt from a trade publication, then approached businesses.
She enlisted 24 advertisers - all that could fit on a 13 1/2-by-16-inch illustration. Each advertiser paid a flat fee, but some paid for additional options, such as a logo on the opposite side of the shirt.
"The shirt speaks ROANOKE loud and clear; nearly all the businesses involved are locally operated," a press release states. Also included are landmarks such as the Mill Mountain Star, St. Andrew's Church and Center in the Square.
Bucher chose illustrator Dell Siler, whose work has appeared in the Roanoker magazine, National Business College publications and the Southern Baptist Convention's children's magazine.
A watercolorist who works out of his home near Oak Grove Plaza in Roanoke County, Siler has also exhibited in California, New York and Maryland, and recently finished a one-man show at the Fine Arts Center for the New River Valley.
Siler, who uses a wheelchair and has limited use of his arms and hands, paints by holding a watercolor marker in his mouth.
"I don't like to make a point of it," he says. "It's a pragmatic way I must do my artwork."
Siler's physical limitations didn't interfere with his work for Bucher. "I took over tons and tons of photographs and a layout of where I wanted the businesses to go, and he had the rough mechanical in a couple of days," she says.
"The rough mechanical was just a pencil sketch," she says. "Then it took him about a week to put it to ink and color it in.
"I had a lot of input until he put it in color. Then I was basically told to stay away until he finished."
Hidden in the design are numerous stars - representing the Star City - and the number 1882 - the year of Roanoke's founding.
The 100-percent cotton shirt will be sold at most of the participating businesses. Suggested price is $15.
The cartoon map may eventually appear on a jigsaw puzzle, Bucher says, and sweat shirts with a black-and-white version of the map are planned.
Bucher hopes to produce shirts for Salem, Blacksburg and Lexington. "Every town should have a town shirt," she says.
Siler is pleased with the Roanoke version. "I think we've got a very nice media magnet for Roanoke and Roanoke business, and that's good," he says.
by CNB