Alternative Hero is the t-shirt and accessory company many years in the making.  On Thanksgiving Day 2005 after watching the Detroit Lions lose miserably to the Atlanta Falcons an idea was born to create a t-shirt mocking the team that had been rebuilding for most of its modern existence.  The idea for Rebuilding Since '57, a clever and subtle shirt taking a jab at our local professional football franchise, became a reality.  Owners, Doug Zuba (a 28 year old graphic designer from the University of Michigan) and Ed Zuba (a 58 year old professional people person from Ferris State University) created the shirts and went to the next home game.  We sold the aforementioned shirts at various tailgates and bars downtown.  The reaction was overwhelming. We completely sold out our entire stock. After that successful day, we created Since57.com, an online store selling the shirts.  Shortly after creating the website, we were featured in the Detroit Free Press. Our new found notoriety helped open our shirts up to a larger audience and expand our popularity.  For the two years that followed, we continued printing the shirts, slightly tweaking the design to fit the brand, including, a very successful, 50th anniversary shirt commemorating the 50 years since the last Lions championship.

In 2008, after an undefeated pre-season, we decided to have a little bit of fun with the idea and create the 2008 Pre-Season Champions t-shirt.  The response was amazing.  We were immediately selling the shirts faster than we could make them.  After another mention in the Detroit Free Press and local sports radio station 1130 WDFN The Fan, we were once again on the radar.  After a handful of win less games to start the season and Thanksgiving fast approaching, our team was set to play on the national stage.  With negative attention pointing directly at our team, we were contacted by ESPN2 to be interviewed about our shirt idea (Watch Here).  The interview went great, the national attention allowed the shirt to reach a new level...until the team went 0-16 later in the year.  With the news of the first win less season in NFL history we were once again contacted by ESPN2 to be interviewed.  This time it was in response to our new Zero and Sixteen t-shirt and poster (Watch Here).  The interview turn our new shirt into another success. Soon after, we decided to take the entire concept of what we were doing and create a brand that allowed us to expand.  The concept ended up being Alternative Hero.  The idea was to take the success of our Lions t-shirts and venture into other sports territories.  We now have the freedom to create anything we feel would be fun, locally or nationally.  One minute we will be mocking performance enhancing drugs in sports and the next finding a unique angle in another.

ALT HERO is the t-shirt and accessory company focused on being the alternative to the mundane. Our goal is to focus on the sarcastic, witty, clever, and occasionally pathetic. We pride ourselves on playing off sports culture, current events, or anything we think fits our goal.  Bottom line is we try to create things you want to own and show off.  ENJOY!