Oklahoma’s iconic business, Eskimo Joe’s from Stillwater, shook the market with its hilarious t-shirt designs dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Route 66, which is celebrated in 2026.
The history of Eskimo Joe’s is remarkable. In 1975, Oklahoma resident Stan Clark opened a bar, which evolved into a multimillion-dollar “full-service restaurant and clothing line that has become recognized worldwide,” according to www.eskimojoes.com.
Currently, Eskimo Joe’s includes Eskimo Joe’s and Mexico Joe’s restaurants, Eskimo Joe’s Clothes, Eskimo Joe’s Promotional Products Group, and two retail stores in Tulsa and Stillwater.
The company has creatively explored Route 66 subjects for decades.
“We have had a Route 66 design in our product mix for 25 years. There are various Route 66 landmarks incorporated into all our designs… You can easily pick them out of the designs, and that’s part of what we think makes them so popular!” said Kendra Burtrum, marketing manager for Eskimo Joe’s.
One of the current, and probably, the best designs on the Route 66 100th anniversary is the t-shirt with a large map of the United States (on the back of the t-shirt) showing the Mother Road going through several states: California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Illinois. In the picture, Eskimo Joe’s character and his beloved dog drive a red antique car through a small town that has a vintage gas station, “motor hotel,” and a restaurant.
Cows stare at Joe’s car while a local merchant sells watermelons from his truck in the background. The yellow-brownish sunset and clouds decorate the landscape, mixing into a collage with the U.S. map. The “Greetings from Historic Route 66” slogan is placed in the upper left corner of the picture. Its font is reminiscent of a car’s decal style.
The “America’s Main Street Celebrates 100” slogan is in the lower-right corner of the design. The main character charms a viewer with his unforgettable smile. A zigzag road composition creates an impression of movement.
The t-shirt’s front is original as well. Eskimo Joe’s character is portrayed as a tourist holding a photo camera. An asphalt road ribbon wraps Joe and his dog. The pet smiles, its red tongue hanging out from its mouth, reflecting an always cheerful image of its owner. This design makes me laugh until I cry.
Another Eskimo Joe’s t-shirt design, commemorating the 100th anniversary of Route 66, features a ‘relaxed’ composition where the character is portrayed standing, leaning against his turquoise antique car, and holding a bottled drink in his hand. An old beige-brown sandstone garage with two antique cars decorates the background. The slogan “Eskimo Joe’s Celebrates the Mother Road” crowns the scene.
Additionally, a small map of the United States with Route 66 outlined in red is placed in the lower left corner. A “Travel through Time on Main Street U.S.A.” sign wraps the map. The Route 66 logo is at the bottom; it has two arrows on both sides, emphasizing that the road stretches from Los Angeles to Chicago. The company’s and Route 66 logos are stylized into neon light signs. It creates a contrast between them and the night scene in the picture.
Also, number three t-shirt design dedicated to the Route 66 100th anniversary is an impossible collage of iconic American images. These are the “Holiday Inn” hotel, antique cars, Will Rogers, Blue Whale, Cain’s Ballroom, and Eskimo Joe’s restaurant from Oklahoma, Hollywood’s palms, and Chicago’s skyscrapers.
But the focus is on the main character who is sitting at the restaurant table with a cup of latte in his hand. His amazing smile excites the mind. A “Celebrating Adventures on Main Street U.S.A. since 1926” yellow ribbon flies in the sky. The United States map serves as a background for the composition.
“Get Your Kick on Route 66” is split into two parts, with the road’s name in bright red. The U.S. cities and towns located on Route 66 are listed in a “skirt” around the map. The t-shirt’s front design features the “Miles and miles of smiles” slogan next to a picture of Eskimo Joe and his dog leaning against the antique car against the background of the colorful Route 66 logo.
“We have a team of artists who work on most of our designs,” said Burtrum. “But Mike Staubus and Darren Maine are the two who have had the biggest hand in bringing these Route 66 designs to life over the years. While they may sketch an idea as a rough draft, our artists all use the computer to create their designs.”
The stunning Eskimo Joe’s clothing designs bring laughter, joy, and positivity into people’s lives. The excitement is not over, while the main character, a hilarious Eskimo guy, keeps exploring the Mother Road.
