Los Angeles

As a kid, you feasted on piles of sweets despite your dentist's insistence that you stop; as an adult, you compulsively feast on sweet gear, despite your credit card company's insistence you stop. Feed the beast, with Johnny Cupcakes t-shirts.

A Boston-based musician-turned-shirtist, JC's opening his first West Coast shop on Saturday; '50s bakery-themed, it's decked out w/ a wall of 27 steaming ovens, a stovetop-styled counter, and gear displayed in bakery cases and industrial fridges. The shirts themselves all sport baked-goods-related cartoons, are limited edition (though some "limits" hit the hundreds), have oven-mitt-shaped tags, and're sold in JC-branded bakery boxes, sure to result in a disoriented, late-night case of 100%-cotton-mouth. Sure to be in stock designs include the cupcake-and-crossbones JC logo, the original "Batman" logo refitted with the brand's name and a chef's hat, and the state of Cali, also topped with a chef's hat; other possibilities include JC greats like Afro Jones, Uneasy Bake Oven (terrified 'cakes sliding into an oven-monster), and a dunking Air Johnny (and you always thought Bill Wennington was the cupcake).

JC's also got tons of opening specials, like silkscreened posters, limited edition tote bags, and free 'cakes all day -- so you can stuff your old passion into your new passion, then run before Diner's Club/Dr. Schulman can catch you.

---