Arkiva Tropika initially operated under different management and served as a repository for a plethora of tiki-related imagery. The site showcased everything from vintage menu art to matchbook illustrations, all available for free. Given the vast collection of images and the likely frequent downloads by many users, I surmise their hosting expenses were considerable. After some time, the site was taken down and the domain was listed for sale. That’s when we stepped in.

This domain and its associated brand have experienced several identity transformations over the years. The focus of publishing, both in the realms of comics and cocktails, shifted somewhat. While new content took a backseat, my primary objective was to ensure that bestsellers remained available in print. Nevertheless, my passion for vintage graphics inspired the inception of a clothing line showcasing reproductions of retro advertising art.

Let me introduce myself: I’m Dan Vado. Some of you might recognize me as the original publisher of the Beach Bum Berry cocktail series, including titles like “The Grog Log”, “Intoxica”, “Taboo Table”, “Sippin Safari”, and “Remixed”. These books were released through my comic book publishing venture, SLG Publishing. If you ever followed “Johnny the Homicidal Maniac” by Jhonen Vasquez, you might be familiar with us. This year, 2023, we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of the first release of “The Grog Log”.

In any event, I had aspirations of producing more tiki-themed books and products, but finding the right identity for these ventures proved challenging. When the ArkivaTropika domain went up for sale, I placed a bid, never truly expecting it to be accepted. My vision was to reestablish the domain as the epicenter for additional tiki resources. While our publishing plans were scaled back we did relaunch this site as a place to buy t-shirts that feature reproductions of vintage art. Using our own direct-to-garment printer we have restored and redrawn all of the artwork presented on this site, which I fell puts our efforts a cut above some of the places that are simply using images they found on the internet that are pixilated and poorly upscaled.

So, I hope you will find this website filled with things you might like.