Hey look! It’s the Memories of the Futuremug!

It turns out that all this talk about getting excited and making things, uh, got me excited to make something.

I don't remember the precise moment this hit me, but I'm pretty sure it happened during one of those times I felt stuck on a story or something, and decided to get out of my office and take a walk. These walks are a fundamental part of my creative process, a time when I let my mind wander away, confident that it will come back with something cool.

During this particular walk, I was thinking about my plans for 2010, what I'll do with my podcasts, and getting excited to do more work on Memories of the Future Volume Two.

That's when my mind ran off like a dog chasing an idea through the forest, returning a few minutes later with something awesome. If I were to create a dialog to dramatically illustrate the way it all came together, it might go something like this:

My Mind: DUDE! OMG! This is going to be so cool!

Me: Okay, I'm listening.

My Mind: We're going to make a mug that goes with Memories of the Future.

Me: Tell me more…

My Mind: On one side, it will have those beautiful space jellyfish that Will designed for the cover.

Me: I love how those look.

My Mind: Everyone does. Will did a great job with them. Now listen, because this is what takes this mug from cool to awesome: On the opposite side of the mug, it says:

Tea,

Earl Grey.

Hot.

Me: Holy crap, My Mind! That's awesome!

My Mind: I know, right?!

Me: High five!

My Neighbor's Kid: Why did Mister Wheaton just slap himself in the head?

My Neighbor: He's a writer, honey. They do weird things like that.

And … scene.

When I got back to my house, I e-mailed the idea to my friend Will Hindmarch, who did the cover and interior design for Memories of the Future, Volume One. About 2 hours later, we'd built the mug and put it into a store at CafePress. I remember saying to Will, "I think this is awesome, and I don't know if anyone else will … but who cares? It's a 2 hour project that has great potential, and if I'm the only person who wants one of these mugs, so what? I'll have one, and I'll be happy."

I vaguely recall Will saying that he thought more than one person would want to have one, but I'm not entirely sure, so I'm not going to quote him. I'm sure he'll chime in here if he wants to add to the historical record. (Edit: Will says, That's pretty much how I remember it going, with the enthusiasm and the hope that people would like it and the glaven. Except that I remember gasping and saying, "That's magnificent!" when you said it should say "Tea, Earl Grey. Hot." on it.)

Now, I'm going to restate something I said on this week's Memories of the Futurecast: In just two hours, my friend who lives on the other side of the country and I created something that anyone in the world can get, if they want it. We didn't have to invest anything other than a little time (and, honestly, Will did all the hard work; I just came up with the idea and tweaked the final specs a couple of times.) I. Love. Living. In. The. Future.

Okay, enough backstory. Here's the 1000 words that matter:

Tea-mug-450px

If you'd like to purchase a Memories of the Futuremug for your very own (or as a gift for the luckiest person you know), you can head over to make it so at my Memories of the Futureshop at CafePress.

Please note that, in addition to Earl Grey, the Memories of the Futuremug is suitable for other types of tea, various kinds of coffee and other hot beverages, pencils, or pudding.

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105 thoughts on “Hey look! It’s the Memories of the Futuremug!”

  2. I can haz portable Memories of the Futuremug tumbler? For those of us who want to show off our geek-savvy without spilling all over the public transit during our morning commute…

  4. Your mug will make some great secret pal gifts! One for me first though:) And that bit about high fiving yourself in the head was too funny! I have to ask, with all this writing you do, have you ever thought about writing a script for a show, maybe one you have worked on, or a friends? You have so much humor in you that you should be on the writing team for the Simpsons or something of the like.
    You have so much talent. It is time to see your work on the screen!

  8. Best. Mug. Ever.
    I know you’re using Cafe Press because of the near-zero-risk to you, Wil, but I would seriously buy these on the spot if you ever decide to order some of your own for a con appearance (Cafe Press’ shipping time to cost ratio is a wee bit of a turn off). Speaking of Cons… there’s a new convention going on in NorCal called QuatreCon this coming April at the California Exposition Center. We’d totally love to have you back up here!!!!
    P.S. maybe offer a bumper sticker or something for people who want to slap it on tumblers? although this is even further off concept…

  9. I just bought this for the nerdy brother who has everything. He’s the only person in my life that will appreciate such an amazing Picard quote mug.
    I’d get one for me, but my boyfriend would not understand why I would giggle and laugh every time I’d use it…or better yet, if he used it.

  10. I ordered one immediately, and one for my dad.
    When I was a tween-teenager and we had NOTHING in common, we watched TNG together. It’s still our go-to topic for difficult or awkward conversations.

  12. I bought one as a gift…(from me to me) 🙂 Great idea Wil. And on the subject of getting excited and making things I finally got down to writing a story after years of saying I would, thanks.

  13. I’ve dropped a not so subtle hint to my partner that I would really really really like a memories of the futuremug for christmas. (Like some others, I also appreciate the left handedness of it’s design, nice!). If she doesn’t pick up on my hint I will buy one in January. Either way, I must obtain one! It shall be mine!!

  14. OMG, brilliant!!
    Also reminds me of a joke we had in middle school because one of our group of friends mis-heard it as “Tea, Old, Gray, and Hot”

  16. Does Cafepress offer black mugs? White mugs stain so easily.
    If not, I’ll most likely still get one because it’s an awesome idea and I drink Earl Grey if I don’t drink green tea.

  17. I thought of “Memories of the Future” while at the dentist getting a root canal today. After the nitrous starting taking effect, the famous Wesley line from The Naked Now (“I feel strange, but also good!”) popped into my head.

  19. Wil, maybe you need to start to roll even deeper? I’d ask Chris if you may roll 1d100 to escape acid pits? Also, it might be just me, but I think a mug with a picture of the the nonsense Picard got on the episode Contagion from season two where the computer goofs up with Wesley’s line “Didn’t you order tea, sir?” below it, would be AWESOME. I’m not sure whether or not I’d want it to say “TEA, EARL GREY. HOT.” on the other side yet.

  20. Excellent mug, Wil! Between reading about this and my copy of “Memories of the Future Vol. 1” arriving in the mail today, the rainy, shitty day I’ve had to deal with has been canceled out.

  21. Ordered!
    And yes, Picard is responsible for my addiction to Earl Grey. I have no idea how much tea I have consumed since the ’80s, but I would not watch an episode TNG without it, and now not a night goes by that I don’t have a cup. I have an instant hot water tap just for the Earl Grey.

  22. More of a sissy chamomile tea drinker, myself. But the mug is really fucking cool. Now all I need to do is drop a couple of hints about it to a certain person and I’m pretty sure I know what I’ll be getting for Christmas. CafePress is the shit, isn’t it?

  24. Ya know, f*ck it, I’m going to get one for me too. I just can’t deny the awesomeness. I don’t even drink any hot beverages, but maybe I’ll start…

  25. Wil!!
    Hey! How’s it going? I just wanted to tell you about a little KROQ Intern reunion we are having and we wanted to invite you. Send me a message. I’ll get you the link. Wouldn’t be a reunion with out you there. ;o) It is soon. It’s this Wednesday. Right before Thanksgiving so not a whole lot of notice, I know. You are so hard to get hold of. I emailed you at WilWheaton.net. FYI Hope you can make it!!

  26. Wil, tell Will he was right. It is magnificient, and my dear soon-to-be-ex-wife (semi-long, kinda boring story) told me to “make it so” when I asked her if I should order her one as well. Just FYI.

  27. I *love* it.
    Was jus’ wonderin’ though, if there is copyright infringe if the font would be TNG font? Or whatever font was on the ‘monitors’ on the set?
    The book and mug will be at the top of the ‘Santa Bring Please’ list.
    : )
    Karen in Pittsburgh

  29. You know I heard about this book while listening to your podcast on zune, I immediately got out my Kindle to order your book only to find it’s not available 🙁
    Any plans to release it there?

  31. I was so, so excited when I listened to Memories of the Futurecast this morning, because it gave me an idea of something really cool to write about for HowStuffWorks, which I am totally going to do as soon as I get my thoughts together. Then I got to the part about this mug, and I was ten times as excited as I previously had been.

  33. I don't think there's a copyright issue with the font, but we decided that we would use something unique and let the *words* do the talking, instead of the font, if that makes sense.

  34. Not at the moment, but you *can* get a pdf version from Lulu that you can read on your Kindle.
    I doubt I'll put it into the Kindle store for financial, DRM, and other business reasons, but I may create a .mobi version (that's the Kindle format, right?) to go with the future .epub version.

  38. At first I thought, “neat, a mug with those cool jellies,” but then you said “Tea, Earl Grey. Hot.” and I have never wanted a beverage holder so much in my life. I also appreciate the validation from other commenters for not feeling alone for wanting to talk to the microwave.

  40. Oops – wrong place earlier. I’m still learnin’ intricacies of this internets stuff.
    Ahhhhhh. Non-Trek font makes perfect sense. ‘Nuff said. : D

  43. Hey, that’s what I say when you say you love HowStuffWorks! And I also forgot entirely about TechStuff’s Chris and Jonathan, who are fans of yours, too.
    For serious, if you ever want to play with us, feel free to drop me a note at twilson at howstuffworksdotcom.

  45. hmm… i always typed it as: Tea. Earl Grey, Hot.
    is there a preferred, or correct way? I suppose you would be the expert. either way, this is the grooviest christmas gift for my trekkie parents!
    awesome idea, Wil’s brain!

  47. Me again: would it be possible to ship two books and two mugs together in one package to Germany? To two huge fans over here 🙂

  48. OMG! How about a pint mug with that Wesley “is this what drunk feels like?” quote on it?!
    I’m afraid I couldn’t find the exact quote – I don’t have my complete unabridged Wheaton library at work…

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