This is the promo item shirt from Sega Video Games World Tour. This was done in cooperation with Nickelodeon, and happened in 1991. It was a 'tour' of the USA, done in buses & trailers that would set up demo & promo areas at shopping centers & malls in various cities. They had game demos & comparisons so you could try Mario, then see how fast Sonic is.
The whole thing took place in 1991, so this is actually a very early item/one of the first promo pieces made. It's uncommon because you had to actually BE at the roving event to get one. This particular shirt was aquired at The Plaza in St. Louis, Missouri . At the event this recanted Origin Comic was given out. You can read about the event with The Seattle Times and The Free Library. The logo for the shirt says "Sega Video Games World Tour '91 Game Gear Genesis" & it has modified Sonic stock art to have him holding the American flag. The orange airplane at the top has the Nickelodeon logo on it. It may not be wildly colorful, but this is still quite an exclusive item to have in your collection!
Photo discovered by: Berzerker
Here's another unusual sample from the past, a shirt that features badniks! The shirt says "Badnik Trouble" and has worried Sonic tip-toeing across the front. If you look closely, you can spot Moto Bug, Caterkiller (even though it is also purple, and on the purple checkering) and Roller (near Sonic's hand) A fourth badnik lurks near his other hand. This shirt is two sided, with 'getting ready to run' stock Sonic on the same purple checkering for the back. This shirt is uncommon, and was likely from 1994.
Here's a nice & unusual classic tee with wrap-around design. It features 2 modified stock arts, both of them turning Sonic's shoes into inline skates/rollerblades. Curiously, Sonic is shown holding a broom and sweeping in both. Brooms are sometimes used to play street hockey. The background is made of various words in several fonts including "Sonic Boom Fast Furious
Photo discovered by: Berzerker
Sonic with a basketball, once again. For some reason, the old-time shirt makers loved to portray him doing all kinds of sports he never did in any of the games, while totally ignoring the ones he DID do (snow boarding, hang-gliding, etc) However, the shirt itself is still neat to see, with Sonic in a jumping/possibly dunking pose. It makes great use of being two-sided, with the non-stock art on the back. This one isn't common either, and was released in 1994.
This is a shirt many have seen only in photo-form. Made semi-famous by its appearance in the Sonic & Sega wares catalog that came enclosed with many Genesis games, it is somewhat hard to get a hold of anyway. The catalogs that showed this (and other items) continued to be published/enclosed long after the merchandise had run out or become un-order-able. The shirt says "2 Dudes with Atti2udes" and has Sonic & Knuckles, with the S & K logo and Sega logo. The "2"s that replace words/letters have 'spatter look' paint. It's a very recognizeable/collectible shirt--if you can get a hold of one. Made in 1994, sold only through the catalog. Catalog can be seen in full on SonicGear.