Image via Complex Original
The Hundreds made a name for itself when it launched as a West Coast streetwear brand informed by L.A. culture. Its bold graphics and iconic Adam Bomb character kept the cultural conversation going into the new millenium. While older brands like Supreme and Stussy had been holding down the crown for years, The Hundreds proved it was one of the new kids on the block with serious staying power. Thank Bobby Hundreds for that—the co-founder of the brand knows the ins and outs of streetwear and you know what they say: knowledge is power.
Ten years later, and The Hundreds is as huge as ever. So what better time to take a close look at their history? From collaborations that never came to pass, uber-limited gear, and other random trivia, here are 50 Things You Didn't Know About The Hundreds.
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The Hundreds was initially conceived when Ben Hundreds and Bobby Hundreds were in law school.
Obviously, the "lawyer" thing didn't work out for either of them. via
Before law school, Bobby Hundreds freelanced for magazines—writing, taking photographs, and contributing art.
9/11 and the decline of print media convinced him that he needed a stable job. via
Bobby Hundreds finished the first year of law school at the top of his class.
It landed him a summer internship working with a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court and a veteran research attorney named Abram Edelman. via
Abe Edelman convinced Bobby to pursue The Hundreds instead of a law career.
He could see Bobby was more passionate about The Hundreds than being a lawyer, and advised him to do what he really loved. A few months later, Edelman succumbed to cancer. The Hundreds is partially dedicated to his spirit. via
The "Mic" tee from The Hundreds' first collection is based on Slick Rick's silhouette.
The original photo is one Bobby took at a live show, and then traced later for the shirt. via
The Hundreds' first collaboration was with L.A. skate shop Brooklyn Projects.
Magic Johnson and Patrick Ewing are featured on that shirt. The snapback is an obvious homage to Eazy-E. via
The first official Hundreds party was actually held at Brooklyn Projects.
It was called "Circle" and included a group art show curated by Bobby and Ben. via
Initially camera-shy on purpose, Ben and Bobby posed for their first press photo with their backs turned and their skin tone desaturated.
As a result, people thought Ben Hundreds was black and that Bobby Hundreds was a "blonde white kid." via
This "VOTE OR DIE" shirt from 2004 is one of the rarest Hundreds tees ever.
When Diddy unvelied his campaign, they halted production at 36, and sold them quickly online. via
There was a Married to the MOB x The Hundreds shirt that never made it to production.
The word "bitch" was probably involved. via
The Hundreds printed a girls' T-shirt in two colorways.
It was "the first and last time." They did however, start The Tens as a womenswear line. via
The Hundreds ghost-designed and operated women's streetwear label Brown Babie$, centered around a crew of like-minded minority girls.
When the crew dissolved, so did the line. via
The Fall 2006 lookbook was shot in an unbuilt Hundreds store.
Five months later, this spot is where the register would be. via
This Crooks & Castles x The Hundreds collabo was based on the weasels from Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
This shirt was offered when The Hundreds opened their Los Angeles store. via
The tee originally had a back graphic that was nixed in the final version.
The one in the straitjacket is Bobby Hundreds' favorite character. The Crooks guys found this graphic too overwhelming. via
The "Invisible Crew" lookbook from Summer 2006 was conceived because The Hundreds couldn't afford models.
It was achieved using tripods, staged items, and of course, Photoshop. via
Most of The Hundreds' denim is named after streets in Los Angeles.
Only three or four pairs don't share a name with a Los Angeles street. via
The "Johnson" sneaker is named after Magic Johnson.
via
There was almost a The Hundreds x MAD Magazine collaboration.
It would have featured Alfred E. Neumann in an Adam Bomb T-shirt. Legal issues kept it from happening. via
Only 200 of each T-shirt was made for The Hundreds x Disney collaboration.
The 2008 collaboration re-imagined the Lost Boys from Peter Pan as California youth. Coordinating caps representing Peter Pan and Captain Hook were also made. via
The Hundreds collaborated with Los Angeles restaurant Pizzanista on a T-shirt and a unique pizza.
The "Persian Pie" was created by Ben Hundreds and Pizzanista owner Salman Agah. It was served in a limited-edition box that shared a graphic with this exclusive Pizzanista T-shirt, which was only available at the restaurant. via
The POST and RSWD New Era caps were based off a vintage Polo hat.
It inspired the lettering and the fabric/leather combo. via
The "Valenzuela" shoe is named after Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela.
via
Technically, The Hundreds is not allowed to step foot on any of the University of California campuses.
Apparently this is due to a "propaganda" incident. Perhaps stickers were involved? via
The Hundreds and SE Bikes collaborated on the first 26" version of iconic BMX bike the PK Ripper.
Limited to 300 pieces worldwide, details included a 6061 aluminum tubing, looptail rear end, and retro dropouts. The Hundreds' JAGS pattern was incorporated throughout. via
The "Townstooth" tee actually features two tesselated skylines when you zoom in.
The front features the L.A. skyline, the back features NYC's. via
This limited edition poster, autographed by Kim Basinger, was given out to select people at The Hundreds stores when The Hundreds x Cool World collaboration dropped.
A few were also given away via Twitter and Instagram. via
This watch was made by the same factory that makes Swatch watches.
The interchangeable straps were also a nice touch. via
Jason Lee accidentally appears twice on the back of this "Thank You Skateboarding" T-shirt.
According to Bobby: "That's okay, he deserves it." via
In 2008 The Hundreds made a limited-edition shirt with Bun B.
Only 150 were made and Premium Goods in Houston was the place that stocked them. Coinciding with the launch, Bun B gave a tour of his favorite spots in Houston on The Hundreds' blog. via
The Hundreds x State Bicycle Co. fixie was available in an extremely limited all-black colorway.
It was available exclusively at The Hundreds flagship stores. via
Before they opened their NYC store, The Hundreds did a campaign centered around the idea of people hating them.
Other stickers included Adam Bomb and The Hundreds logo printed to look like they'd been peeled off. Some people were convinced the hate was real. via
"Adam Bomb" is the name of an existing Garbage Pail Kids character.
The 2011 collaboration is a pretty faithful reinterpretation of the original card, except The Hundreds' own Adam Bomb takes center stage and cracks beneath it spell out "The Hundreds." via
The Hundreds x Animaniacs collaboration was in the works for years, but never came into fruition.
Creative differences with Warner Brothers stopped this project at the 11th hour. via
For April Fool's Day in 2012, The Hundreds redesigned their site to parody certain "adult-oriented" sites.
They even got adult film stars Jayden James and Lisa Ann in on the joke. via
The "Graveyard" T-shirt from The Hundreds x Travis Millard collection is based on the installation outside The Hundreds' Rosewood store.
If you can't tell what's next to the skull, it's a spray can and a skateboard. via
The skull and bones in the outdoor installation are movie props.
These were used in such notable movies as Pirates of the Caribbean (1 and 2) and Snoop Dogg'sBones. via
These zines were given at random to people who purchased The Hundreds x Travis Millard collaboration.
Each was signed and numbered, and one even contained stories penned by Millard's mother when she was eight, juxtaposed with original drawings from the artist. via
Other brands have collaborated with The Grateful Dead, but The Hundreds is the only brand that was allowed to alter the logo.
The lightning bolt skull debuted on the cover of the Steal Your Face. It was designed by Owsley Stanley and Bob Thomas, and originally used to mark the band's equipment. The Hundreds infused their signature bomb logo into the iconic design.
The Hundreds crew were given a Simpsons-like treatment on banner for the label's website.
Here is the unblocked image. via
The Hundreds' business cards are modeled after Pantone chips.
Every employee gets to choose their own color. via
Bobby Hundreds hates it when people get Adam Bomb's name wrong.
In his words: "Our logo character's name is 'Adam Bomb,' not 'Bomberman' or 'That bomb guy' or even 'Atom Bomb.'" via
The Hundreds' signature grassy pattern is called "JAGS."
Don't get that wrong either. via
The Hundreds fought American Eagle over a pair of boxers featuring a character that looked like Adam Bomb. And won.
In the end, AE agreed to donate 20,000 pairs of unsold boxers to a charity in Africa. via
The numerals The Hundreds uses have a very specific meaning.
1980 was the year Ben and Bobby were born. 7909 is The Hundreds L.A.'s street address, 585 is San Francisco's. via
The number "100" has never been used to officially reference "The Hundreds." It's always been spelled out.
Learn to spell, people! via
The logo typeface is inspired by the Oakland Raiders.
They also dropped this tee where Adam Bomb got an appropriate makeover. via
Over 100 different names were considered before Ben and Bobby settled on "The Hundreds."
Rejected names included: "The Holiday Project," "Garden Variety," and "The Collection." Some of the other names that didn't make it are utilized in other ways, whether as computer passwords or branding. via
"Breadman" was the first mascot before "Adam Bomb" was created.
A shirt with his graphic was sampled, but never made it to production due to low interest from buyers. via
The only way to get the "Black Adam" T-shirt is as a gift from Ben or Bobby Hundreds.
It's never been sold in stores, but some were given away at the Santa Monica store opening to the first 50 customers. via