Mirror Synchronicity: Death Cafe & Death By Gun

When I was putting together my Kickstarter campaign for the Death Cafe, I needed to come up with images for the t-shirts that we were going to offer as rewards.  I called my artist friend Jay Schuh and asked him if he could create ironic images of the worst ways to die.  At first he was a little shocked, but then he said, "Oh what the heck, it might be fun."  (That might have come after I told him he could make some serious money.)
It was meant to be a statement piece of this is my worst fear.  For me, it was Death By Crocodile, and that was the first piece that I asked Jay to design.  It was the first one that he created and I used it as the cornerstone of my campaign.  I made a t-shirt, and I talk about it in my Kickstarter video.

Well, I think Jay liked doing the Death By art, because he then gave me a couple more.




I loved the Death By Shark and the Death By Poison, but then Jay created the Death By Gun.  It was my least favorite because I felt it was a bit more serious and less campy.  Perhaps I sensed it was more likely to happen and thus less ironic.  Yet, I included it in the campaign anyway, because it was another striking example of his art and he had already created it.

Death By Gun art is now the thorn in my side. I should have trusted my instincts. Only one person ordered the t-shirt, but there was a minimum order of 12 per image. My vendor suggested that maybe I might want to ask the donor if they would be willing to switch to another shirt. I said I didn't want to ask that because they donated the money already and I did not want to put them on the spot. I also happen to know the person who requested the shirt and I know that he really likes video games. Other than that he is a liberal. So I resigned myself to buying 11 extra Death By Gun t-shirts, thinking that I'd have to figure out a way to sell them.



Here's where I see the synchronicity with the shirt. Our first Death Cafe in the U.S. was July 19. We talked about all sorts of subjects related to death, dying and living. Then later that evening, after midnight, the Aurora shootings happened. Sadly, this event re-focused America on the subject of death.  It also re-opened the whole gun debate in America.

Overnight, the Death By Gun t-shirt suddenly makes a statement, but I'm not quite sure what it says.