'Keep Calm and Marathon:' Fenway T-Shirt Co. for Boston's 'Supahfans'

At Supahfans, a locally owned business based in Fenway on Brookline Avenue, it's not enough to just put words on a shirt. 

"It's a design that speaks to your soul," said owner Kevin Krueger, who started the company in 2004 after a not-so auspicious start. 

Krueger, a longtime Red Sox fan, had been coming to Fenway Park for years and always saw people selling t-shirts in the area. But when he printed up his own and tried to sell them without a proper license, his gear was promptly confiscated by police.

"In about 20 minutes," he said. 

At that point, Krueger went back to school at Babson for a business degree, and re-launched his concept soon afterwards, eventually setting up a brick-and-mortar store in Kenmore Square. 

"I was seeing a lot of hater shirts, and I said no, let's be colorful, let's celebrate Boston," he said, noting that Supahfans slogans and designs go way beyond "words on a shirt," to the shirt you're proud to wear out to a bar. 

"Our shirts are going to last you years, too," he said. "It's not just a flash in the pan, wear it and its old news. For us, our designs are going to speak to your New England soul: Prideful, positive, smart, comfortable and respectful."

Krueger said that with the events from this year's marathon, he knew he needed a design that went beyond just words. That's when they came up with 'Keep Calm and Marathon,' a take on a slogan that stems from British propaganda to live on without fear that has taken on new life recently. 

"I thought it was appropriate for Boston," he said. "That was my first thought: To address people being scared. We have a strength as a community here."

Krueger's business is currently run through a store location at 182 Brookline Avenue, although he plans to move next year, and also through the Supahfans website. 

Do you have a Supahfans T-shirt? What's your favorite logo by the Fenway business? Tell us in the comments. 

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