I can’t tell you exactly when I decided that I wanted to build an entire bag around being obnoxiously Texan, but I’ve been slowly accumulating both real anime merch featuring anime characters dressed as cowboys and fan made merch depicting various Texas staples for a while. Only recently did I find a bag worthing of displaying my collection. So before we keep going I guess I should start with explaining what they heck an itabag is.
What is an Itabag anyway?
Itabags originated in Japan within anime and gaming culture. People would collect merchandise, typically keychains, can badges or other small accessories, of their favorite series or character and attach them to bags. Now you can get bags specifically made for this purpose with clear windows and protective elements so you don’t have to worry about losing your items.
The word “Ita” in Japan literally means “painful” and the name is a reference to both the weight of the bags as well as the painful cost of collecting merchandise.
You can learn more here.
Version 1.0
For my first iteration I used an existing heart window bag I already owned and made a TX flag colored display grid. It was fine, but I knew that I wanted a bag featuring a Texas shaped window.
Version 2.0
Enter Texasitabags.com! I thought that to get a Texas shaped bag I was going to have to make one myself. Lucky for me, one day this post came across my feed. Amazing! I wasn’t the only one who wanted a Texas shaped window. This bag is quite nice, it’s a good size for attending an event and it can be used as a cross body or backpack.
While some of my collection is official merchandise from both anime and Texas institutions (hello Whataburger and Bucc-ees) I want to highlight all of the amazing original artists that have really made this bag shine.
Bobbychu/BobbyMoon: Minty Mix
Mermaid Cowgirl: Sugarbones
KonichiiY’all: Shojo Monsta
What-a-Waifu: Spicy Panda Stickers
Kawaii Bucc-ee’s: rinnekanzaki
Sonic Bucc-ee’s: Sabasse Studios
Kawaii Texas: Luxcups
Magical Girl Boot: KaiyoClubhouse