This kick-ass mug is sold by Rampage coffee and handcrafted in the USA by a "master potter." It is sturdy at 720 grams, 3.75 inches tall, and holds 14 ounces of our delicious black elixir.
The design on the glazed surface was inspired by one of the coffee varieties sold at the store. It shows a carved hipster-skeleton, who in spite of having a bullet hole in his skull, sports a masterful beard and sleek hairdo. He's also wearing shades on which you can see the reflection of the city. Ooo yea baby! The company logo is also carved around the circular motif, which actually rises above the surface of the mug by a few millimeters. The effect of the glaze is fantastic but difficult to properly capture in a photograph.
Drinking from this mug is an interesting experience. Its visual design alone evokes feelings of laid-bad toughness. It says, you’re a bad dude or dudette, and you’re gonna kick some ass, but first drink some coffee and drink it like a man, even if you're a woman. This is the sort of mug you use when you stand on your doorway in the morning, as the sun rises over the horizon and you ponder whose ass you’re gonna kick that day.
Now, you might be saying, but all this branding is just consumerism and consumerism is bad. Hm… well, if you think that way, then I guess I now know whose ass I’m gonna kick. You're damn right it’s consumerism, Jack. The freedom to design our reality by surrounding ourselves with objects that lead to the meaningful expansion of intelligence, consciousness, and awareness. No one knows this more than the youth who lived under the chains of communism in the Soviet era. Western music, fashion, cosmetics, art, and so on were valuable objects that helped bring about perestroika. Object design was a powerful force during the Cold War, which in the USSR at the time, was controlled by the old communist guard in the Kremlin. These consumer products that the Soviet youth so desired, reminded them that somewhere out there, beyond the confines of the motherland, an alternate reality existed. A reality in which freedom of choice was a thing. An underground economy of western goods flourished as a result. Each object was an expression of one’s own singularity and statement of resistance against dictatorial authority. Understandably, the bureaucratic machine in The Kremlin wasn't cool with all this. As far as they were concerned, there was only one approved reality based on the drab and humorless tenets of Marxism. Praise the bored. So that’s why I don’t bemoan and begrudge consumerism, and the freedom it brings to design our own singular reality, including coffee drinking.
At least that’s what I tell myself as I stare into the horizon and drink from this mug. Of course, not everything is roast and roses, and there is a con to this mighty vessel. It cools the coffee faster than my porcelain cup. I’ll resolve this issue by filling the mug with hot water prior to drinking from it. Overall, I'm enjoying it very much. The testosterone-leaden aesthetics are spot on hilarious, and you still get a nice cozy vibe from it. Perfect for a rainy evening when you’re journaling and chuckling to yourself about the excellent ass-kicking you did that day.
Thank you for reading. All images were take by @litguru