Frequently Asked Questions

What is this? Where am I?
Is this shirt actually going to become a real thing?
I want one! Where can I get it?
Hooray! This will make a great Christmas present!
It’s going to look, um . . . better than that image I saw on Twitter, right?
What about kids’ sizes? Plus sizes?
You’re not just doing this for money, are you?
Awesome! So, how can I help??
What’s your issue with Matt Taylor’s shirt? Are you against sex? Do you hate fun? And do you understand the magnitude of the achievement of landing on a comet??
Shouldn’t there be a shirt with female AND male scientists on it?
Who are you anyway, and what makes you qualified to do this?
What does your Twitter handle, @SMLXist, mean?

What is this? Where am I?

Here’s a pretty good primer.

Is this shirt actually going to become a real thing?

Yes! At least that’s the plan. This image started as some lighthearted satirical commentary, but I received so much interest and so many requests that making the shirt real seemed not only natural, but necessary. I am currently sourcing vendors who can produce the shirt at a reasonable cost, and developing the logistics for production and distribution.

I want one! Where can I get it?

It’s not available yet. But we’re working on it. The current plan is to use Kickstarter to run a pre-order and ensure we have enough interest to do a full print run. The set-up costs for edge-to-edge printing can be prohibitive, so a large bulk order will keep costs down. After the initial run, things get a bit more up in the air. There is the possibility to do another Kickstarter for the second run, or we could make the shirt available POD through a site such as Zazzle. The latter is logistically much simpler, but precludes donating any funds to a non-profit.

I’ll provide more details on the plans as they evolve on this site.

Hooray! This will make a great Christmas present!

Sad face—it won’t be ready for Christmas. Custom ordering shirts like this in large quantity typically takes 6–8 weeks, and there is a lot to be done before we can even go to print. But that’s what IOUs on post-it notes were invented for, right?

It’s going to look, um . . . better than that image I saw on Twitter, right?

Yes! I promise that the final design will be crafted with much more time and care than the Twitter pic I dashed off in ten minutes between bites of my morning omelet.

What about kids’ sizes? Plus sizes?

I’ve gotten requests for both a Hawaiian-style shirt (much like Matt Taylor’s original shirt) and a lower cost/more casual t-shirt. I’m endeavoring to have both available. Sizing availability will be based on what’s available from the vendors. But so far, the vendors I’ve identified offer kids’ sizes and a wide variety of adult sizes. Diversity and inclusivity is the aim!

You’re not just doing this for money, are you?

No, I am not doing this for me at all. This is so much bigger than me. I won’t keep any of the profits from this endeavor. Proceeds will be donated to a non-profit that promotes diversity in STEM education and fields. The non-profit has not been identified yet, but I have reached out to the Association for Women in Science. The Kickstarter will not launch until I have partnered with an organization to receive the funds.

Awesome! So, how can I help??

It makes my heart glow that this question is asked so frequently. Thank you all so much for your outpouring of support. There are several major ways you can help:

• Check out this list of the women who have been nominated for the final design and help me find their photos. Send me a link or the photo itself (with information that proves it is safe to use) at ThatOtherShirt@gmail.com. The photos must meet the following standards:
  • The photo must be public domain or under Creative Commons license. (But if you have a bead on a photo that might be available by permission or an affordable license, I’ll take those tips too.)
  • The face part of the image should measure at least 600 x 900 pixels. (If it is slightly less than that, I’ll still see if I can work with it.)
• Suggest other women in science to add by emailing me at ThatOtherShirt@gmail.com. I can’t guarantee everyone will make it, but I still want to hear about the amazing women you want to honor. What I will guarantee is that the final design will incorporate a breadth of diversity of field, ethnic/cultural background, era, and popularity/fame.
• Suggest non-profits to receive the proceeds. I have received several suggestions, but the final decision has not been made yet.
• Spread the word! The original tweet has certainly made its rounds, and now it’s time to make sure everyone knows that this is happening. Once the Kickstarter launches, we’ll be on the clock to get the orders and donations in.

What’s your issue with Matt Taylor’s shirt? Are you against sex? Do you hate fun? And do you understand the magnitude of the achievement of landing on a comet??

I love sex and I love fun. I also love fun sex. And probably sex on a comet would be pretty damn fun, and also an astounding achievement. None of this is related to why Matt Taylor’s shirt was problematic. But here’s the thing: I’m not here to dwell on a negative thing that happened. I am here to make something awesome a reality. So I’m not going to talk about this very complicated issue in this space. Here are a few pieces that explore this issue, and I encourage you to check them out:

• http://www.damemagazine.com/2014/11/13/hes-smart-enough-land-drone-comet-naked-lady-shirt
• http://www.theverge.com/2014/11/13/7213819/your-bowling-shirt-is-holding-back-progress
• http://space.io9.com/that-time-a-scientist-was-held-accountable-for-his-sens-1658525347
• http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2014/11/13/why-everyone-is-freaking-out-about-what-shirt-a-scientist-wore/

(However, if you still want to hear my opinions on everything from feminism to my lunch, with plenty of cat pictures in between, you can follow me on Twitter @SMLXist.)

Shouldn’t there be a shirt with female AND male scientists on it?

Sure! That sounds like a great shirt, and you should totally make it! But the shirt I’m making is going to celebrate women in STEM fields because they have been historically underrepresented, and this is an awesome opportunity to remedy that just a tiny bit.

Who are you anyway, and what makes you qualified to do this?

My name is Elly Zupko and I am a writer, artist, and feminist. I’m a published novelist, and I’ve had work published in XOJane, Literary Orphans, The Eloquent Atheist, and more. Most importantly, I was a semi-finalist in the Washington Post Peeps Diorama Contest.

The only thing that particularly qualifies me to do this is my desire to be the change I want to see in the world. (That, and I know my way around the Adobe Creative Suite and copyright law.)

What does your Twitter handle, @SMLXist, mean?

SMLXist is a reference to my publishing imprint, SMLX Books. Very simply, it stands for small, medium, large, extra-large; in other words: something for everyone. I adopted the term SMLX because it represents inclusiveness and the understanding that we all have different needs and desires, but all deserve an equal shot at them.