Placate The Gods: The Bootleg That's a True Love Letter to Cinema

Every industry has a culture that supports it, shaped by the people involved and the fans who cherish its fruits. Given their oft-intense enthusiasm, the term “fanbase” barely does justice to those who form its foundation, particularly apparent in music and film. In the case of movies, studios frequently offer official merchandise, with A24 consistently selling out their products to a passionate audience. This fanbase might be considered niche, but beneath the surface lies a bootleg underbelly: merchandise produced by brands not officially approved by the studios on which their work is based.

It’s an art form, walking the fine line between being a parody and an actual work of art. These brands are part of a subculture. It’s ironic, given that they represent a small subset of a massive industry worth billions. However, these entities are fueled solely by passion, unfiltered. They can be found all around the world. The films may have originated in the West, but there are individuals 14,000 kilometers away who cherish them enough to establish their brand in the most unexpected locations—like Singapore. Enter: Placate The Gods.

ZQ: the one-man cast and crew of Placate The Gods

The brainchild of ZQ, he was easy to distinguish from other patrons during our interview. He proudly wore his merch—the “Nathan” tee. Of course, it’s easy to guess that he’s a cinephile. People will always find ways to return to what they love, though many don’t. It takes chutzpah, audacity, and proactivity to make that journey. Not everyone who loves music becomes a musician, but those genuinely passionate often find themselves in related roles as a DJ, a teacher, or something else. For films, many may not become part of the cast, the crew, or even an executive. Still, while not professionally involved in the industry, some people are definitely part of it—like bootleggers.

During the interview, ZQ sheds light on an industry often thought to function in secrecy. The term “bootleg” originates from the Prohibition era, when people would hide contraband in their boots. A fascinating area that infiltrates the permeable nature of large industries, ultimately becoming interconnected with the source they’re “stealing” from, for want of a better word.

“Dreams and Internet” Tee, an homage to Satoshi Kon's “Paprika”—in collaboration with film content creator/critic Mark Peregrino [Photo: Jamie Sage]

Through the bootlegger's lens, duplication appears as an homage—a deeply personal gesture created from a potent mix of love, admiration, and perhaps obsession. By acquiring a bootleg, one embarks on an intimate journey of discovery, exploring the nuances of the original that are often unavailable through legitimate channels. Furthermore, in an era of fleeting digital ephemera, the bootlegger serves as a de facto archivist, preserving cinematic treasures for future generations and ensuring their continued existence beyond the whims of copyright holders.

More than anything, the brand is an homage to the films its founder loves. Thus, being a graphic designer by trade, it makes sense for him to fuse these things. Placate The Gods is ZQ’s ikigai—what he loves, what he’s good at, and, eventually, what will serve the market. Although truthfully, the last rarely supersedes the ethos of the brand.

Mr. White: a Reservoir Dog goes Breaking Bad

With PTG, he wears many hats. He’s the director, producer, and cast and crew. It’s mostly a small operation, with the occasional help from his girlfriend and friend. The project springs entirely from his vision, from the seed of the initial concept to the distinctive design DNA and, naturally, the chosen name.

Unsurprisingly, ZQ listens to a lot of film podcasts. One is Show Me The Meaning! by Wisecrack, where he enjoys their film analysis. He vaguely remembers one of Cabin In The Woods where they related something to “placating the gods.” And just like that, the name was settled on. It’s further complemented by the logo he relates to being “Blair Witchy” and “black metal logo-ish, but not really.” As dark as the name sounds, a visual representation is demanded. The “clairvoyant” and tepee Native American symbols in the logo represent the theme of séance and folklore, which ZQ relates to resembling the ebon branding of independent film companies and arthouse cinemas.

Round up the usual suspects: ZQ and his heist crew, his two biggest supporters

He acknowledges the allure of capitalizing on popular trends, with friends often suggesting, “If a certain movie is trending, why not hijack that?” However, ZQ insists, “Placate The Gods is highly subjective to what I want to do. Very willful. I do what I want. The whole reason for doing something outside my full-time job is to escape the need to take notes from anyone.”

His approach to merchandise design diverges significantly from that of his contemporaries. Others typically solicit audience input, seeking to translate popular demand into tangible products, but ZQ's MO is profoundly personal and idiosyncratic. He rejects the notion of a popularity contest, viewing it as antithetical to his creative vision. This inherent irony—desiring commercial success while simultaneously eschewing trends—is not lost on him. He cites the oversaturation of merchandise for films like Heat and The Sopranos as examples, expressing a preference for celebrating lesser-known cinematic gems.

The “Nathan” t-shirt

PTG is a conduit for his creative impulses, an extension of himself that allows him to feel through the crowd and find his audience. He notes that approximately 75 percent of his clientele hails from the United States, suggesting a transatlantic dialogue between artist and admirer.

From what is discernible from PTG, ZQ is a cerebral designer, his work clever and layered, rewarding those who recognize the subtle film references he weaves in. He shares satisfaction with them when they both understand the reference to a scene and the iconography. “It's kinda fun, you know? When someone gets it. Like, finds it funny, you know? That little ‘ha-ha’ under their breath. Yeah, esoteric stuff. And when someone gets it, you instantly feel a connection.”

While conventional merchandise often celebrates a single/pop culture film icon–Heisenberg from Breaking Bad, for example–PTG interweaves references and unifies the dichotomy of its sources. One result is a design juxtaposing Mr. White from Breaking Bad and Mr. White from Reservoir Dogs.

Duchamp’s Fountain meets Trainspotting: a mashup too good to go down the toilet

Another is the “Nathan” t-shirt mentioned earlier. This design centers on oversized suits and connects two seemingly unrelated figures: David Byrne, the legendary Talking Heads frontman, and Canadian comedian Nathan Fielder.

The shirt references Byrne's 1984 performance of “Girlfriend Is Better,” in which he famously wore an enormous suit—a design inspired partly by Japanese Noh theater costumes and partly by Byrne's desire to appear more prominent on stage. This is combined with Fielder's story about accidentally swapping suitcases at an airport, which led him to a friend's wedding in an ill-fitting, oversized suit.

“Choose Art” connects Marcel Duchamp's polarizing urinal sculpture, “Fountain,” with the iconic toilet scene from Danny Boyle's Trainspotting, where Ewan McGregor's character, Renton, dives headfirst into a filthy toilet.

PTG’s 2024 releases

ZQ has received requests to expand PTG’s product line to include items like tote bags and caps. However, he's more interested in exploring other avenues, stating, “I would love to make socks, actually.” Placate The Gods Socks, then. Willful, indeed.

Looking ahead, he envisions a future where he can “put out a design and know that [he doesn’t] have to worry about minimum order quantity...” He aims to expand beyond t-shirts “as much as possible, in the short term.” Ultimately, though, his priority is simply to “keep it running—to keep it going for as long as I am into it. And I think I will be for a long time. I'm still excited every time I put out something. Maybe it doesn't sell well. It doesn't matter.”

Except many in the catalog are sold out.

Connect with Placate The Gods on Instagram (@placatethegods) and explore their offerings at placatethegods.com.

Images via Placate The Gods; ZQ