The left arm extends in an inviting fashion, while the right bends threateningly.

The not-subtle message: Bring it on.

Santa Fe artist Jim Cruz wanted that provocative directive to resonate as he created the design for The Matrix-themed T-shirts that will sell on Friday, Sept. 2, at the annual burning of Zozobra. He chose the 1999 mind-bending sci-fi film to match the festival’s theme this year — the 1990s. His image, selected via a juried competition, was chosen in the adult T-shirt category; the other categories were adult poster, youth T-shirt, and youth poster.

Seventy-eight artists submitted works in the first two categories, and 431 children did the same in the latter two, says Ray Sandoval, Zozobra’s main organizer. Cruz says that although this was his first time submitting a potential design, the longtime illustrator was “pretty confident.”

The visual artist, muralist, and illustrator says he had a T-shirt-printing business in California decades ago.

“I’ve been an illustrator for many years, but, you know, I’ve always been impressed with the selections [at Zozobra] throughout the years,” Cruz says. “There’s been some pretty fine pieces. So I know that the competition was tough.”

Interspersed among the unfamiliar symbols that make up the computer code behind the main figure in Cruz’s design is Zozobra’s familiar slogan: “burn him.” Cruz settled on the Matrix concept after considering a Jurassic Park theme.

Because clothing sometimes is worn many years after it was created, Cruz says apparel is an unusually long-lasting style of artwork. He acknowledged it will be a thrill to see his design in constant movement at a festival he has been attending for years.

Cruz estimates it took him two to three days to create the image. Time passes differently when he’s creating, which he called his favorite state of existence.

“Oh, I’m in the zone,” Cruz says. “You know, the hours just go by, and it’s hard to stop.”

The festival featuring the burning of a towering marionette called Zozobra, also known as Old Man Gloom, was created in 1924 by Will Shuster.

The 98th burning of Zozobra, presented by the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe, runs from 4 to 10 p.m. at Fort Marcy Park, 490 Bishops Lodge Road. Tickets start at $20 (855-969-6272, burnmygloom.com). Numerous road closures are planned; for a list, visit burnzozobra.com/event-information. 

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