SPY Tee (SOLD OUT)

ORDERS OPEN: 5/14/26
ORDERS CLOSE: 5/18/26
TO PRINT: 5/19/26

PRINTED ON GD1801 BLACK TEES. 

BY LOCAL BUSINESS.

ALL ITEMS TAKE BETWEEN 3-4 WEEKS TO PRODUCE AFTER THE ORDER PERIOD ENDS. You will always receive your item unless otherwise contacted. All items are final sale. We are not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced packages.

SPY magazine was founded in 1986 by Kurt Andersen and Graydon Carter, two young journalists who set out to create a satirical monthly that would skewer the powerful, the pretentious, and the self-important in New York City and beyond. Launched with a shoestring budget and a surplus of attitude, the magazine found its voice almost immediately — sharp, fact-checked, and wickedly funny. It filled a niche that no other publication occupied: a kind of gonzo journalism of manners, obsessed with the hypocrisies of the social elite. From its first issues, it attracted a devoted readership among media insiders and culture-watchers who relished its willingness to say what other outlets would not. The magazine's aesthetic was rife with dense columns, clever infographics, and bold headlines and became as distinctive as its prose.

SPY became most famous for its ongoing ridicule of Donald Trump, whom it memorably and repeatedly labeled a "short-fingered vulgarian" a phrase that would haunt Trump for decades. The magazine pioneered the concept of sending progressively smaller checks to celebrities and billionaires to see who would cash a $0.13 check, a stunt that revealed surprising greed among the ultra-wealthy. It also invented or popularized several journalistic formats: the annotated photograph, the elaborate fact-checking sidebar which would later become standard tools across media. At its peak in the late 1980s and early 1990s, SPY boasted a circulation of around 250,000 and was considered essential reading in Manhattan media circles. Carter and Andersen eventually departed, and the magazine cycled through several owners, gradually losing its edge and original spirit.

SPY published its final issue in 1998 after a long decline, but its influence on American media and culture proved remarkably durable. Its DNA can be found in publications like The Onion, in the sensibility of late-night television, and in the general culture of celebrity takedowns that now dominates the internet. Graydon Carter went on to lead Vanity Fair for 25 years, and Kurt Andersen became a celebrated author and broadcaster, both carrying SPY's irreverent spirit into new arenas. The magazine is frequently cited by media historians as a forerunner of the ironic, knowing tone that defines so much of contemporary journalism and satire. In an era when the powerful too often went unchallenged by a deferential press, SPY proved that rigorous reporting and genuine wit were not mutually exclusive — and that holding the elite accountable could also be great entertainment.