Even though he’s virtually just begun a 22-year federal prison sentence, Joe Exotic — real name Joseph Maldonado-Passage — is still making business decisions from inside his jail cell. After becoming an overnight celebrity thanks to Netflix’s Tiger King docuseries, Exotic has launched his first official apparel line, one that has since already sold out after a soft launch earlier this week. Launched on Tuesday by streetwear outfitter Odaingerous, the company reportedly (via MovieWeb) hauled in over $20,000 in a soft launch after selling upwards of 7,000 various apparel products from tees to hoodies, face masks, and more.
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According to the report, this week’s merchandise launch was just the beginning of a six-month partnership between the apparel company and Exotic, as he works to introduce future products and designs from within FMC Fort Worth, a prison operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
As of this writing, it appears Odaingerous has some products back online for premium prices, the tees start at $39.99 while the hoodies run $59.99. In addition to Exotic becoming an overnight viral sensation, the convicted animal abuser is set to be the subject of at least three additional television shows, from being played by Nic Cage in a scripted series to another docuseries from Investigation Discovery.
If you’re not caught up to the life and times of Exotic, Netflix’s synopsis for Tiger King can be seen below.
“Among the eccentrics and cult personalities in the stranger-than-fiction world of big cat owners, few stand out more than Joe Exotic, a mulleted, gun-toting polygamist and country western singer who presides over an Oklahoma roadside zoo. Charismatic but misguided, Joe and an unbelievable cast of characters including drug kingpins, conmen, and cult leaders all share a passion for big cats, and the status and attention their dangerous menageries garner. But things take a dark turn when Carole Baskin, an animal activist and owner of a big cat sanctuary, threatens to put them out of business, stoking a rivalry that eventually leads to Joe’s arrest for a murder-for-hire plot, and reveals a twisted tale where the only thing more dangerous than a big cat is its owner.”
Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem, and Madness is now streaming on Netflix.
