AVG
ALIEN VARIETY GOODS
GOODS FOR THE MISFIT, THE WORKER, THE OVERLOOKED, AND THE UNSPECIFIED.
NOT
FROM
HERE.
HOW THIS STORE WORKS

STEP 01: ADAM DRAWS IT.

Every single thing in this store starts the same way: Adam gets home from work, plays with the dog, rips a doink, and starts drawing. Real ink, real paper, sometimes real iPad, one real human hand. No AI generates the art. None ever will. Drag the folder across this one and watch the robots take it from there.

DRAG THE FOLDER. EVERYTHING IT PASSES GETS PROCESSED.
Original hand-drawn ink hedgehog sketch by Adam The same hedgehog after automated processing, dark colorway
← DRAG THE FOLDER →

→HAND-DRAWN. INK, PAPER, ADAM.

STEP 02: THE ROBOTS WAKE UP.

The drawing gets dropped in a folder. An automated pipeline does everything a small exhausted staff of just Adam used to do. It is honest work and the robots do not complain.

> intake: drawing received ........ OK
> sharpen + upscale 4x ........... OK
> remove background .............. OK
> colorways: green/pink/cream .... OK
> write listing (sigh) ........... OK
> publish to store ............... OK

NO HUMANS WERE INVOLVED IN THIS STEP. THAT IS THE POINT.

STEP 03: NOTHING EXISTS YET.

Everything here is print on demand. There is no warehouse, no inventory, no pile of unsold shirts haunting anyone. Your order is the thing that makes the thing.

CURRENT STATUS: DOES NOT EXIST.

STEP 04: THE MATH, OUT LOUD.

This store runs as a public service for the arts, so the prices stay honest. Every product is what the print shop charges us, plus 20%. The 20% keeps the robots running, with a little left over for the headstash. Shipping passes through at cost. Card fees come out of our cut, not yours.

ALIEN VARIETY GOODS
*** HONEST RECEIPT ***

TEE
PRINTER CHARGES US$14.00
OUR MARKUP (20%)$2.80
YOU PAY$16.80
EXAMPLE NUMBERS. REAL FORMULA. THE 20% PAYS THE ROBOT BILLS. WHAT'S LEFT IS HEADSTASH. SHIPPING ADDED AT COST AT CHECKOUT.

TYPICAL MERCH STORE
*** INDUSTRY RECEIPT ***

TEE
PRINTER CHARGES THEM$14.00
THEIR MARKUP (150%)$21.00
YOU PAY$35.00
TYPICAL PRINT-ON-DEMAND RETAIL MARKUPS: TEES 100-200%, STICKERS 200-400%, POSTERS 150-250%. SOURCE: PUBLIC PRICE LISTS OF THE OBVIOUS SUSPECTS.

STEP 05: THE FINE PRINT.

One more thing, stated plainly, because vague AI claims are worse than none. This operation did not take anyone's job. The drawings are Adam's and stay human. The job that got automated was Adam's, with Adam's full consent. He would rather be drawing.

THE ONLY JOB
AUTOMATED HERE
WAS MINE.
SIGNED, ADAM (THE HUMAN)

NO ROBOT DREW ANYTHING HERE. NO ROBOT EVER WILL. EVERYTHING ELSE, THE ROBOTS HANDLE. AVG IS RUN AS A PUBLIC SERVICE FOR THE ARTS. HAVE A DAY.

STATION 01 / 05
⚠ HANDLE WITH CARE
 AVG-1997-UNS
WARNING: EXISTENCE MAY BE POINTLESS.