Today has been marked by terrible news for local businesses. First came the news that the Times Cinema and Rosebud Theater will close for good next week, which was followed by word that Soref's Carpet City has also closed its doors. Local music fans, meanwhile, are still reeling from a deep wound that may never fully heal: the 2009 closing of Atomic Records, the city's beloved independent music store. That wound was salted when the old Atomic storefront became the home of Atomic Glass, a head shop that appropriated the Atomic name and image without permission from Atomic Records owner Rich Menning. To longtime customers, the zombie-Atomic storefront—its large, once-welcoming windows now cloaked by seedy black curtains—stands as an ugly, painful reminder of what the city has lost, and of the struggles facing all local independent businesses.
So in a way it seems fitting that today was also the day that former Atomic Records patrons learned that Atomic Glass has also co-opted the design of the record store's iconic T-shirts. A post to Facebook from the Milwaukee Shirt Guys company this afternoon showcased the Atomic Glass shirts, and Facebook users quickly weighed in with their disapproval (sample responses: "not cool," "total sacrilege," "disgusting," and "shameless!"). "Wow, first the name and now the logo?" another commenter wrote. "I'm glad you guys got the business, but shame on Atomic Glass for trying to capitalize on something they have no affiliation with." Menning has weighed in as well. "The owner of Atomic Glass knows I am not happy about this, yet he continues," he wrote on the Facebook comment thread.
The original Atomic Records shirts, by the way, remain a source of revenue for Menning. You can still order them here.
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