TA'VEREN TEES SENDS WHEEL OF TIME CARE PACKAGES TO SOLDIERS OVERSEAS

Originally posted May 2012

Before he ever penned The Wheel of Time®, Jim Rigney (known to fans as Robert Jordan), was a soldier in the U.S. Army and fought in the Vietnam War – an experience that profoundly affected his life and the epic series he would create.

In honor of Memorial Day, Jim Rigney, and soldiers past and present, Ta’veren Tees is proud to announce the first ever “Sons & Daughters of Battles Campaign.” During the week of May 28, 2012, we will be sending Wheel of Time-themed packages to 10 U.S. soldiers currently serving overseas or preparing to leave their families to serve.

Each soldier will receive: 1 Ta’veren Tee-shirt; 1 Siswai’aman Bandanna; 1 officially licensed piece of WoT art donated by Ta’veren Tees guest artists, including Paul Bielaczyc and Ariel Burgess; and 1 “A Memory of Light” messenger bag and bumper stickers, which were provided by Tor.com to JordanCon, and generously donated to Ta’veren Tees.

WoT swag heading to soldiers overseas

We reached out to fans via Facebook and Twitter to send the names of WoT fans serving in the military, and from there we narrowed the field to 10 soldiers away from home, or soon to leave, who might appreciate a small token of thanks – and some Wheel of Time® swag.

New “Mat Cauthon” Tee Available for Pre-order!
In addition to “Sons and Daughters of Battles”, we are extremely pleased to announce the release of a new shirt based on the Son of Battles himself, Mat Cauthon. “Mat Cauthon by Seamas” is the second tee created by Wheel of Time® comic book artist Seamas Gallagher. The shirt will be available for pre-order starting May 25 at https://www.taverentees.com/matbyseamas and will ship by July 1.

As with the “Robert Jordan’s ‘Wheel of Time’” tee pre-orders last year, 10% of proceeds from the pre-order sales through June 8 will be donated to the Wounded Warrior Project, which enlists the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members.

The tee shirt is based on Seamas’s image of everyone’s favorite gambler, and features the dice chapter icon on gray, as well as the snake and wheel icon on the left sleeve. The back features the verse of “Jak o’ the Shadows” altered by The Band of the Red Hand to include Mat’s name. The shirt is 100% cotton and available up to size 5XL.

NEW SHIRT RELEASE HONORS ROBERT JORDAN, DONATES 10% OF SALES TO WOUNDED WARRIORS PROJECT

Originally posted May 2011

Ta’veren Tees continues to expand their catalog of Wheel of Time® shirts with the “Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time” tee now available at www.TaverenTees.com.

This shirt, available in men’s and women’s styles, was made to honor the series as a whole and the man who brought it to life, Robert Jordan. Jordan was known to friends and family as Jim Rigney.

The “Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time” shirt will be available for pre-order starting Friday, May 27. To begin the pre-order process, visit www.TaverenTees.com and go to the Black Tower or White Tower to find the men’s or women’s styles. Pre-order through June 10, 2011 and your “Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time” shirt will be shipped on June 10. All shirts ordered at the same time as this pre-order will be held and shipped at the same time on June 10.

Wounded Warriors Project
In honor of Memorial Day and soldiers who have fought in wars past and present, Ta’veren Tees is donating 10% of each pre-ordered “Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time” to Wounded Warriors Project, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that raises awareness and enlists the public’s aid for the needs of injured service members. The donation will be made on behalf of the Wheel of Time community, and will be made in Jim Rigney’s name. To learn more about the Wounded Warrior Project visit: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Many WoT fans might not realize that before Jim Rigney was a writer, he was a soldier in the U.S. Army and fought in Vietnam – an experience that affected his life, and eventually the story he would tell.

Rigney grew up wanting to attend West Point, but at sixteen learned his eyes were too bad for admission. He instead went to Clemson University, but ran into trouble because he was on a football scholarship, had chosen a major in electrical engineering, and was discovering girls and beer. He then joined the army “because that is what men do in my family. That is simply the way it has always been done . . . the Rigneys have joined the U.S. Army to go where the shooting takes place.” He went on to complete two tours in Vietnam, serving as a helicopter door gunner, as seen below.

This affected him profoundly. In his blog, he wrote:
“I have, or used to have, a photo of a young man sitting on a log eating C-rations with a pair of chopsticks. There are three dead NVA laid out in a line just beside him. He didn't kill them. He didn't choose to sit there because of the bodies. It was just the most convenient place to sit. The bodies don't bother him. He doesn't care. They're just part of the landscape. The young man is glancing at the camera, and you know in one look that you aren't going to take this guy home to meet your parents. Back in the world, you wouldn't want him in your neighborhood, because he is cold, cold, cold. I strangled that SOB, drove a stake through his heart, and buried him face down under a crossroad outside Saigon before coming home, because I knew that guy wasn't made to survive in a civilian environment. I think he's gone. All of him. I hope so.”

Jim came home with a number of decorations, and went on to become a best-selling fantasy writer. He always had a great deal of appreciation and respect for every man and woman who was willing to serve his or her country.

It is in this spirit that Ta’veren Tees would like to honor Jim Rigney and the countless others willing to serve, and would like to thank customers in advance for being a part of the donation when they purchase this shirt.

DRAGONMOUNT VIDEO NEWS: WHEEL OF TIME T-SHIRTS!

Originally posted April 2011


In this week's Wheel of Time Video News, host Kristen Nedopak discusses the new officially-licensed WoT t-shirts. 

AN OPEN THANK YOU LETTER TO DRAGONMOUNT, KRISTEN NEDOPAK'S KITTY, AND OTHER WoT COMMUNITY LEADERS

Originally posted April 2011

To the Creators of WoT News (and Kristen's kitty!) and other WoT Community Leaders,

     We wanted to take the time to thank you for the wonderful job you did on the WoT News segment about Ta'veren Tees and its products. It was informative, witty and very much appreciated.

     As with any business that is starting out, reaching the customer is the most important part, and you have greatly aided us in reaching the Wheel of Time community. The sales of these first six designs will fuel the other designs that we have in the pipeline, and allow us to give the community what they want (more WoT goodness!). We have some great designs, ideas, and surprises lined up. Most of them we already had in progress but a few of them have come from feedback from the WoT community, and we are excited to eventually share those with the public.

     The great thing about the WoT community is that it’s not just a large group of people, but that it is a large group of people that all care passionately about the book series and share ideas together. As individuals we have been a part of that community for some time. As a business we are very happy to join that community and we appreciate the warm reception you all have given us.

     If we can ever be of any assistance to you in any way, please let us know. We have much toh.

May the Light illumine you,
                 Jeffrey, Kiley and Sophie
                 Ta'veren Tees      

OFFICIAL WHEEL OF TIME® T-SHIRTS TO BE SOLD BY TA’VEREN TEES

Originally posted March 2011


Fans of Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time® series now have a way to wear their love for the WoT on their sleeves – literally.

Ta’veren Tees is the exclusive provider of Wheel of Time® apparel officially licensed by The Bandersnatch Group, Inc. Located at TaverenTees.com, Ta’veren Tees is the first and only to sell T-shirts dedicated to the characters, themes, imagery and sayings found throughout Robert Jordan’s epic series.

The initial store opening features six designs; two for women, two for men and two unisex. More shirts will be rolled out and added to the inventory over the coming months, but don’t be fooled by the site name – shirts won’t skew only towards the series’ three famous ta’veren. Whether you’d like to throw a spear with the Maidens or secretly call yourself a darkfriend, you will find something to wear on TaverenTees.com.

“With the first designs, we want to make sure we address the wants and needs of both male and female Wheel of Time® fans. We think that fans will be very happy with the first six shirts and the ones we will release in the near future,” said Jeffrey Daniel, co-owner of Ta’veren Tees.

“It is important to us to take The Wheel of Time® world that Robert Jordan beautifully created and show our admiration for the series that we all love,” said Sophie Decaudin, Ta’veren Tees co-owner. “This is something that hasn’t been done before, there was a need for it, and we are excited to meet that need head on.”

By creating these shirts, Daniel, Decaudin and Co-owner Kiley Kellermeyer hope to provide yet another avenue for WoT fans to express the love and devotion they feel towards the amazing world and spell-binding characters Jordan created.

“These designs are not only colorful, but reflect the themes and characters in The Wheel of Time® books,” said Harriet Rigney, editor of the series and widow of James Rigney, the author. “They may not be able to stop cold steel, but they are extremely fashionable.”

“We also salute Jeffrey, Kiley and Sophie for the design and layout of the Ta’veren Tees website,” she continued. “It’s a clean, uncluttered format that’s easy to navigate and I’m sure the fans of the books will enjoy visiting often.”

 “Sometimes playful, often insightful, Ta’veren Tees are a welcomed addition to the line of products officially licensed by The Bandersnatch Group,” she concluded.