Let's take a look at a few wearable collectibles that I have in the collection. There are a bunch of Dukes clothes both vintage and new. They range from T-Shirts to hats to shoes to jeans. In this post, I'm showing off some more unique wearable items that I'm really excited about.
We'll start with a new addition that's recently appeared on the blog. This is my Carnival of Thrills jumpsuit that I made for the first ever Dukes of Hazzard Halloween Costume Contest at the Hazzard Run at Cooter's in Luray. I showed it off a little in the post about the event, but didn't show off all the details.
The jumpsuit came from Walmart online. It was rather inexpensive and pretty simple. We added the Carnival patch, strips, the two 01 patches and the DukesCollector. With some sewing from my mom, it didn't take long for this to look perfect.
The Carnival of Thrills patch has been in my collection for a long time. I have one or two more around here. I know I got at least one from Cooter's but I really don't know who made them. They are perfect replicas from the show and worked perfect on the suit.
On the Carnival episode, which I recently rewatched and maintain that the two-parter is one of the best of the series, Bo's jumpsuit has a "Bo Duke" patch on it. I decided to make this one my own and had a DukesCollector patch printed. I matched the font nearly perfectly to the episode.
The 01 patches on the arms had an odd font on the show, but it makes sense that a local carnival forty years ago wouldn't be able to match the Gen'ral's numbers. I was able to match the font on the patches too. I got all three patches printed on zazzle.com and I'm really happy with the result.
What do you do with a Halloween costume after you wore it? Put it with the rest of your collection, of course. I'll bring this bad boy out more than a few times in the future, that's for sure.
Next up is a super rare, golden era collectible. It's a Dukes of Hazzard windbreaker jacket from King Jack made in 1981. I was aware there was an orange jacket with blue trim, that I didn't have, but never saw the reverse version and had to have it.
For being forty-one years old, the styling of this jacket really holds up. If this thing wasn't super rare I would wear it regularly.
The front logo is artwork we've seen on several collectibles.
The back of the jacket has a big orange 01. I really like the reverse colors of this jacket. The other version of this jacket, that's orange, has black 01s that we're used to.
The best part about this jacket is its size. I would have expected it to be kid-sized, but it's actually an adult jacket and not only that, but one that fits me!
The jacket fits perfectly. It's very light and made of thin material. Though I don't have the orange version, I've seen pictures of it and it came with a little pouch that the jacket fits into when folded up. I asked the person I bought this blue one from if they had a pouch, but they couldn't find one. My guess would be that this one had a pouch, but I can't be sure. The orange version is super rare, but I never knew there was a blue version and I think it's more rare. I'm so glad I added this on to the collection, but now I have to get my hands on that orange version.
The final piece in this post blows me away. It's so unique and so odd and I'm ecstatic that I got the chance to add it to the collection. This is the Rhino Linings 2005 Dukes of Hazzard movie General Lee Tour Pit Crew Uniform. Here's a little background:
There was this movie that came out in 2005 called the Dukes of Hazzard. It might have been inconsequential or it might have changed my life. You decide. As with most blockbuster movies, there are promotional tie-ins involved with the production. Tie-ins that stick out to me are Johnsonville Brats and Cottman Transmissions. Johnsonville had a presence on set the days I was there with their giant tractor trailer grill called the Big Taste Grill and provided brats for all of us cast and crew. In the scene when we throw hot dogs at Sheev, they are actually brats and the crew made sure none of us called them hot dogs. Later Johnsonville released promotional drink coolies that were given away at the premiere. Casual viewers might have missed the tie-in because Johnsonville is barely visible in the movie. If you are watching, there's a really good chance you thought we were throwing hot dogs at Sheev. Cottman's tie-in wasn't in featured in the movie, but they sponsored a NASCAR racecar that featured the Dukes movie logo during one race. There was also a 1/64 diecast of the Cottman NASCAR that was available when you purchased a tune-up at a Cottman location. You can read about that car
on this post.
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There's a joke about product placement in the movie that includes huge brands that aren't actually involved in the promotion of the movie. When we first see Billy Prickett's 23 Mustang racecar, it has Coca-Cola and Yahoo prominently displayed all over it. But Boss Hogg decides to plaster his face on the car in an effort to distract the fine people of Hazzard and keep them all at the race track so no one disputes his effort to strip mine most of the county. Billy has all the logos on his jacket throughout the movie. Along with Coca-Cola and Yahoo, there's also Doritos, Ford, Castrol and BFGoodrich. What you don't see, unfortunately, is the actual movie promotional partner, Rhino Linings.
All those other companies were included because they are so big and so well known that it was meant to make Billy's character seem like the best driver with the best sponsors. But Rhino Liners was actually paying to be in the movie and you can barely see them. I only know which scene they are in because I know every scene in the movie and know the Rhino Linings vehicle. When Bo gets the idea that Boss Hogg must be scamming Billy and that he can't possibly be in on the scheme (spoiler alert: Billy is in on it) he pulls the General Lee in front of Billy and his crew. Billy and Dil are seen driving a pickup and behind them is a super duty truck with a off road vehicle and a tractor trailer. The off road vehicle is Rhino Linings' promotional vehicle called the Rhino Linings Off-Road RTV. Above is the best shot of the RTV. It's a shame because Rhino Linings had high hopes for the vehicle to be prominently featured in the movie. How do I know this? Because they put out press releases saying so.
To promote the movie, Rhino Linings sponsored a cross-country tour that included the General Lee, the Rhino RTV and the Rhino Linings Pit Crew Truck. That may be the truck in the above scene, but I can't be sure. The press releases say:
Rhino Linings USA, Inc. Presents The Dukes of Hazzard, General Lee National Tour
Yeeeeeee Haaaaaw! Get ready, 'cause The Dukes of Hazzard, General Lee is comin' your way!
BURBANK and SAN DIEGO, Calif., July 18, 2005 -- The famed 1969 orange Dodge Charger, known as "The General Lee" in Warner Bros. Pictures', The Dukes of Hazzard movie, in theatres on August 5, is coming to a town near you!
In celebration of the movie's release, Rhino Linings USA, Inc., the worldwide leader in sprayed-on polyurethane linings, is teaming up with Warner Bros. Pictures and their feature film, The Dukes of Hazzard, in a multi-million dollar promotional, media, and ad campaign, as well as the Rhino Linings(R) General Lee Tour.
The Rhino Linings(R) General Lee Tour takes off July 26th from San Diego and makes its way cross-country, ending August 7th at the big weekend race in Indianapolis. The touring caravan features "The General Lee," two Rhino Linings Pit Crew trucks and a Rhino Off-Road(TM) RTV(TM) (as seen in The Dukes of Hazzard), plus ABC Sports Field Reporter and Sirius Satellite Radio NFL and College Football Host -- Jack Arute, in select tour cities.
Consumers can enter the Rhino Linings Climbing the Hills of Hazzard Sweepstakes for a chance to win the Rhino Off-Road(TM) RTV(TM) and other great prizes. To enter the sweepstakes, call 1-800-254-1553 or go to www.rhinolinings.com/contest.
So come be a good ol' boy or girl and meet The General Lee caravan and Rhino Linings Pit Crew in your city! Be among the first to hear The Dukes of Hazzard soundtrack on Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax, featuring the new hit song by Jessica Simpson, "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'." Plus, the first 25 people in each city will pick up a free Rhino Linings(R) General Lee Tour T-Shirt and will join the Rhino Linings Pit Crew to gas up the General Lee. Tour cities, locations and dates (subject to change) are posted HERE
About Rhino Linings:
Rhino Linings introduced the sprayed-on truck bed lining solution to the US in 1988 and has been the industry leader ever since, according to industry consultants Frost & Sullivan. Today, Rhino Linings has over 1,200 dealers in 50 countries around the world. Its protective coatings encompass automotive, commercial, military and industrial markets around the globe. Visit Rhino Linings at www.rhinolinings.com.
About Warner Bros. Pictures' The Dukes of Hazzard:
Set in present day, The Dukes of Hazzard follows the adventures of "good old boy" cousins Bo (Seann William Scott) and Luke (Johnny Knoxville) Duke, who with the help of their eye-catching cousin, Daisy (Jessica Simpson) and moonshine-running Uncle Jesse (Willie Nelson), try and save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County's corrupt commissioner, Boss Hogg (Burt Reynolds). Their efforts constantly find the "Duke Boys" eluding authorities in "The General Lee," their famed 1969 orange Dodge Charger that keeps them one step ahead of the dimwitted antics of the small southern town's Sheriff, Roscoe P. Coltrane (M. C. Gainey). The Dukes of Hazzard is rated PG-13 for sexual content, crude and drug-related humor, language and comic action.
RHINO LININGS USA TAKES THE GENERAL LEE ON TOUR, OFFERS SWEEPS
Rhino Linings USA is taking that infamous orange Dodge Charger, The General Lee, for a spin as part of a multi-city tour to promote the upcoming release of Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Dukes of Hazzard movie.
The company, which manufactures polyurethane linings, is teaming up with Warner Bros. Pictures to bring a piece of the film to life via a cross-country tour. The tour features The General Lee, two Rhino Linings Pit Crew trucks and a Rhino Off-Road RTV, as seen in The Dukes of Hazzard, making stops in 13 cities from July 26 through Aug. 7. Stops include San Diego, CA, Hollywood, CA, Houston, TX, New Orleans, LA, Birmingham, AL, and Atlanta, GA. The tour concludes Aug. 7 in Indianapolis.
During the event, 25 people in each city will receive a free Rhino Linings General Lee Tour T-shirt and help the Rhino Linings Pit Crew gas up the General Lee.
Based on the hit TV series,
The Dukes of Hazzard follows the adventures of cousins Bo, Luke and Daisy Duke, who with the help of their Uncle Jesse try to save the family farm from being destroyed by Hazzard County’s corrupt commissioner Boss Hogg. The Duke boys manage to escape small town sheriff, Roscoe P. Coltrane, in their unmistakable 1969 Dodge Charger. The film hits theaters nationwide on Aug. 5.
To further leverage the film, Rhino Linings is running a sweepstakes, which offers fans the chance to win a Rhino Off-Road RTV. Consumers can enter the Rhino Linings Climbing the Hills of Hazzard Sweepstakes online at Rhinolinings.com/contest.
One grand-prize winner will receive a Rhino Off-Road RTV, valued at $25,000. One first-prize winner will get a five-day, four-night trip for two to Hawaii, hotel accommodations and use of a rental car. Rhino Linings will award monthly prizes of $400 worth of vehicle accessories to three winners.
The sweepstakes is open to consumers 18 and older and ends Sept. 12. Internet materials support.
And we're back. See, Rhino Linings had big hopes for their brand to be featured in the movie. I'm guessing the marketing department wasn't too happy when their logo was barely seen in the final cut. They might have been in the Chinese Theater watching the movie for the first time just like I was at the World Premiere. They probably didn't have as much fun as I did. To be honest, I had no idea the above mentioned tour took place. I tried to be as connected as possible to the movie and everything that came with it in the summer of 2005, but somehow the Rhino Linings tour slipped passed my radar. I only found out about it while doing research on this awesome new addition to the collection. So what exactly is this new addition and why did I go in to such detail about Rhino Linings and the movie tie-ins? Because, gentle reader, this final piece in today's blog post is an awesome promotional movie tie-in that wasn't meant for public release and is absolutely incredible!
But before we get into the incredible new addition, let's fill in one blank from the above press release. While doing research about the Rhino Linings General Lee tour, I read in the press release that attendees of the tour received a free Dukes of Hazzard t-shirt. My first thought was, I got to find one of those t-shirts! While discussing my research with a family member, I remembered that I already had the t-shirt and I even remembered where it was! I think I just had to say it out loud for my brain to put the pieces together. I went to an area of the collection that has a lot of unorganized Dukes clothing and found the giveaway shirt.
I also remembered that I blogged about the shirt as was a little surprised that I bought this thing way back in 2013 and that it's been sitting in the same general area all that time. I need to organize that area better. (I already started doing just that).
In that 2013 blog post, I wrote that the shirt mentions the Rhino Linings tour and I had no idea what it was. It only took me ten years to do the research and figure it all out.
The front of the shirt features the General Lee jumping and has the Rhino Linings and Dukes movie logos. I'll get in to those further below.
The back has a big blue colored 01 and info about the tour beneath it. I'm glad I only had to look to my collection to find this shirt, and didn't have to search in the wild. I'm pretty sure this is the only one I've ever seen available. Now to the the main event, the incredible addition, the reason I've mentioned Rhino Linings so much...
This is the Dukes of Hazzard Rhino Linings General Lee Tour Pit Crew Uniforms! Aside from getting the grand prize that was the Rhino Off-Road RTV, which most likely didn't have any Dukes of Hazzard styling to it, this is the next best thing to own from the Rhino Linings General Lee tour!
This beautiful shirt and pants ensemble is jam packed with Dukes and Rhino Linings insignias. There's a lot to take in on these pieces as they are meant to resemble NASCAR pit uniforms. Let's take a look at everything.
The back has the biggest logos on the set. As seen in the the photo above this one, there is a Simpson logo, Simpson is the manufacturer of the race wear, then a large Rhino Linings logo, complete with a Rhinoceros design that
Jeffrey would love, and Rhino Lining's slogan. Below the slogan is a web address that is, sadly, no longer active. I wonder what fantastic Macromedia Flash based brilliance that mid two-thousands website had to offer.
Below the Rhino Linings info is the biggest Dukes of Hazzard movie logo embrodary I've ever seen. Stare at it in all its glory! We know the difference in the 2005 movie logo is the large underlining Z beneath the title. The logo is silvery and shiny. It's really something special. Below the logo is WB's legal info and the release date of the movie. The pit crew that worked the General Lee tour were walking billboards for Rhino Linings and the Dukes movie. But I guess the same can be said for NASCAR drivers and pit crew. Someone has to pay the bills.
The front has the same Rhino Linings logo and the web address on it.
The Dukes logo is smaller on the front but still as shiny. It's on the right lapel and doesn't include the movie release date.
The left lapel has more Rhino Linings regalia. In addition to selling their spray on liner product, Rhino Linings also used the tour as an opportunity to sell credit to buy their product. The white circular patch is a logo for the Rough Terrain Vehicle, or the RTV that is mentioned in the press release, is barely visible in the movie, and featured along side the General Lee in the tour. Below that is artwork for a Rhino Linings credit card. My favorite part, obviously, is the inclusion of Bo Duke on the card. Rhino Linings went the extra mile and added one of our two favorite Duke Boys on the card. That could be my favorite part of the whole uniform.
The accoutrements don't stop there. The sleeves are covered in Dukes and Rhino Linings goodness too. The top of the right sleeve has an orange 01 with the RTV patch and the Bo Duke credit card above the Simpson logo.
I really love this credit card. I was surprised that it had a somewhat unique credit card number and not just 1234.... I don't think 546616 before the 0123456789 means anything, but maybe it does. The slogan Protect Now, Pay Later is below that card.
Jeff, which Rhinox looking drawing do you like better?
The left sleeve has different insignias on it than the right. The orange 01, which is unique and great, adorns both sleeves, but this one has the Dukes movie and Rhino Linings logos.
The sleeve movie logo is red instead of silver. This marks three logos on the shirt. That has to be a Dukes shirt record or something.
Below the Dukes logo is Rhino Linings and Simpson. All the logos on the front, back, and sleeves really make this shirt look like a pit crew uniform.
But a uniform isn't complete as just a shirt. The members of the pit crew were also supplied with matching pants, and they don't disappoint! The pants are matching, General Lee orange, and have the large Rhino Linings logo and Rhinoceros going down one leg.
There isn't any Dukes on the pants, but really, how many logos do you need on your pants?
The back has a small Simpson logo above one pocket.
The best part about this set is the size. It's my size! The uniform fits me like a glove. Thank goodness the pit crew member this was tailored for, who later decided to get rid of it, was similar in body shape to me. Even the pants fit perfectly!
I love this Rhino Linings 2005 Dukes of Hazzard movie General Lee Tour Pit Crew Uniform! It is such a unique piece. I would have to imagine only a handful of these were made. They could only be, what, four or five pit crew members on the entire tour? Of those, how may would keep their uniforms? And then how many would later sell them to a rabid Dukes Collector? I would have to think if any more of these exist, they are in the Rhino Linings marketing department storage facilities, right? Having this suit, along with the giveaway t-shirt, makes me think I have the entirety of the Rhino Linings Dukes of Hazzard offerings, except of course the RTV that was given away.
These three wearable Dukes of Hazzard items, one custom, one from the golden era, and one used for marketing at the beginning of the modern era, are all very special. Of course the Carnival suit is a one-off that I made, but the blue jacket is super rare and the pit crew uniform is probably a one of a kind. I'm so happy I have these three items in my and can't wait to find more unique pieces like these to add to the collection.
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