A Great Gatsby iPhone case? Sweatshirt? Tote bag?

The new merchandise collection by Out of Print Clothing features t-shirts, fleeces, totes, iPhone cases, notebooks and journals with the original The Great Gatsby cover art by Francis Cugat. I surmise that this release is timed with the December 2012 opening of the newest Great Gatsby film version, starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Gatsby, Carey Mulligan as Daisy and Tobey Maguire as Nick.

There is something somewhat appealing about clothing adorned with images from great literature instead of brands and slogans, and a quick peruse of the Out of Print website reveals some tempting kids tees boasting covers like Carle’s The Very Hungry Caterpillar and Melville’s Moby-Dick (although these are also offered for adults).

I’ll admit that a Great Gatsby notebook makes some sense, but the rest seems at best odd if not unexpected. As an English major and Gatsby fan – and if you haven’t read this book or read it recently I order you to read now or re-read! – I just wish the art was a bit more creative. Perhaps a green light and a dock. Or a library of real books.

They say the collection features “lavish, literature-based items…ideal for cultural bookworms and Gatsby fans.” But this fan’s ruling is still out. What do you think?