A tribute to Heinlein

A&D regular Ken Burnside has entered the Woot! derby, a contest to have a T-shirt design featured on that site. Ken’s entry is a tribute to Robert Heinlein.

Yes, that’s Robert and Virginia Heinlein on the rocket. Yes, the rocket is based on the illustrations from Putnam and Son’s Heinlein juveniles The skyline in the back is Kansas City, MO, though it’s hard to tell – Heinlein’s home town.

The Heinlein fans among my regulars should consider voting for this entry.

Only users who have made at least one purchase at any Woot site may vote in the Derby. If that’s you, just click “I’d Want One” next to any designs that catch your fancy. You can vote for as many different designs as you like, but only once per design. If you don’t see the “I’d Want One” buttons next to the designs, you’re either not logged in, or you’ve never bought anything from Woot. Go log in and/or buy something if you want to vote.

9 comments

  1. As a clarification:

    The art is by a graphic designer I periodically employ, the design and composition (and dragging around for reference images) is from me – it’s a collaboration and we split the proceeds. FYI, I can recommend the graphic designer quite highly; they have given me permission to forward on their contact information to interested parties.

  2. Sweet! Not that I could have actually designed that, but I’d have used the Latin text to “Sic Itur Ad Astra” instead…

  3. Heinlein is a native of Butler, Missouri. That town was in the news a few years back for a free gun with car purchase that a local car dealer was offering.

  4. “Ad astra per aspera” is the official motto of the State of Kansas, which like Kansas City were named for the Kansa tribe that lived in the area. I happen to live in Kansas City, Kansas (the city so nice they named it one and a half times), but most of the population of the KC metro area is actually in Misery.

    And yes, Puggg is right that Heinlein was born in Butler. But his family moved to KC, MO just a few months later, so it is entirely accurate to call KC his “home town”.

  5. Ad Astra Games is also Ken’s gaming company, so it all comes together pretty well. +1 for Heinlein.

  6. John Dougan: seconded, per aspera ad astra or the other way around is simply overused and a cliche. Every fifth kid who gets a Latin tattoo gets this one. I would recommend an actual Heinlein quote, f.e. “You pilot always into an unknown future; facts are your single clue.”

  7. My only problem with the picture is that any serious amount of rocket acceleration will NOT result in perky upward pointing breasts…

    now, pogo-ing, as was a problem on the early saturn V missions, might cause some interesting oscillations….

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