Junior Mackenzie Busche created a surreal painting of a Banana Duck, using alcohol based markers and prismacolor pencils on high quality sketch paper with a bright yellow background. This became a hit amongst friends, family, and many others. Busche stumbled upon a photo of a sculpture while scrolling through social media and decided to create art inspired by it. Busche got the idea to put the design on apparel and more, by very popular demand. 

You can find the Banana Duck merchandise on their Shirts Unlimited website. Shirts Unlimited is a screen printing shop located on Belknap in Superior. The Banana Duck design is currently available on T shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps and koozies.   

“The process was pretty easy. My aunt, Shelly Bong, paid a fee of $20 to Shirts Unlimited  just to help start up the website, we helped design and figure which merchandise prices to use for the website, etc.,” Busche said. 

Shelly Bong, Busche’s Aunt who helped start up the website, owns some Banana Duck merchandise,

 “Very very creative, every time I wear it, I get at least 2 compliments and people are always wondering where I got it. It’s very creative, it’s so realistic, and so strange, it’s just amazing. A great conversation piece,” Bong said. “I plan on printing my own t-shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants, and other merchandise at some point when I get the money to buy the supplies. I’d like to make clothes that have other drawings and paintings on them,” 

Busche has made a few sales and about $100 in profit so far. With each sold, the profit is around 10-20%. They plan to put earnings toward screen printing materials. Freshman Vinnie Theisen also owns Banana Duck merchandise.

“It’s really funky. It’s fun to look at because it is weirdly realistic which is scary, but it’s cool,” Theisen said. 

Banana Duck merchandise apparel is unique and stylish and loved by many. It’s always good to support your local artists, and help them keep creating.