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Randolph graphic artist wins San Antonio USO T-shirt design contest

  • Published
  • By Sean Bowlin
  • 502nd Air Base Wing Public Affairs
RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  An entry from a Randolph Air Force Base graphic artist recently won the second annual United Services Organization's (USO) San Antonio T-shirt Design Contest.

"It was quite a surprise when I found out that I won," said Tony Ervin, 502nd ABW Public Affairs graphic artist. "I forgot all about entering it."

Mr. Ervin entered the contest Nov. 30 after getting an e-mail about it and chatting with workmates. 

He started jotting down thoughts and worked on his computer using an illustrating program for four nights, after duty hours. His two entries each featured the San Antonio skyline and the Alamo, and American flag with the silhouette of a uniformed serviceman in the background.

One entry featured a cabaret dancer complementing the Alamo-flag-serviceman silhouette design. The design with the dancer, Mr. Ervin said, was made to evoke memories of the cabaret USO shows during World War II, when Bob Hope entertained servicemen.

The other had no dancer but all of the other elements and won the contest, netting Mr. Ervin a T-shirt with his design on it and a $100 cash prize.

For that, he was congratulated by Annette Hernandez, San Antonio USO program manager, who told him, "We appreciate your participation and design entries. We felt your design was original, creative and expressed what the USO is to San Antonio."

Ms. Hernandez said in addition to the $100 and the T-shirt, the USO will be printing Mr. Ervin's contest-winning design on its USO San Antonio T-shirts and other related materials.

Mr. Ervin's supervisor, Lino Espinoza, 502nd ABW Public Affairs graphics department chief, said it was a pleasure and a privilege to participate in the contest.

"This year, four illustrators from our graphics department submitted entries," Mr. Espinoza said. "Although all entries were extremely creative, one stood out above the rest."

He called Mr. Ervin a highly motivated and extremely talented artist.

"He continually provides outstanding work," Mr. Espinoza said, "and recently participated in the creative team providing artwork for the AETC's 2010 Symposium."

Mr. Ervin, a retired Air Force Master Sergeant who retrained from air traffic control into graphic design in 1989 and spent almost his entire active-duty career in graphic design, said he's on his fourth year of civil service at Randolph.

The Cibolo resident has yet to tell his wife of his win.

"That's because I know she'll want a cut of the $100," Mr. Ervin joked.