When choosing the perfect phone case, why not go for one that’s already survived the wear and tear of the industrial age?

My current phone case is a super cute Pokémon affair, but even now I’m itching to give it an upgrade. You can dress your smartphone in all manner of adorable or inane outfits these days, and if the list of corporate cases isn’t enough you can print your own.

Buzz is gathering around one custom line in particular. Twitter user @trainchicken shared a photo of this specimen:

▼ “This custom case I had made is so cute it’s making my hair fall out.“

While suddenly going bald as an intense reaction to something cute, sexy, funny or frightening is a comedic turn of phrase in Japan (think of the popular AAVE expression “wig”) here it might have an extra layer of meaning. It’s easy enough to imagine radiation emanating off of a rusted, scraped up phone case like that; the vintage print and various wear-and-tear calls to mind post-apocalyptic wastelands like those seen in the Fallout games.

The text on the case reads “Apple Computer” and “X iPhone”, but emblazoned in chunky katakana and primary colors as they are, they look more like vintage posters from the Showa era. @trainchicken quickly revealed that the cases are custom pieces ordered from Instagram user @Kanata13‘s store (commissions for cases are currently closed, but you can enjoy their gallery of work for free!)

▼ Another example, this one branded with lyrics from the band apart’s indie hit Eric. W

▼ A cool, rusty shark!

If you don’t want to commit to a full sculpted case, this commenter has another method:

▼ “Wow, looks so cool! Amazing! Now I’m starting to want a protective cover.
I like the retro aesthetic too so I made my own with printed paper and a clear plastic case! Love using it!”

▼ Here’s a similar phone from a different producer, proving there’s quite the market for these cases.

Some users were less fond of the case, saying “I wouldn’t want to touch it…that rust looks too real…” or “you’ll get tetanus from it!” but in general the comments were full of praise:

“They made Apple look like a Japanese company.”
“As soon as I looked at the photo I felt like I’d fallen back in time!”
“Looks just like something out of Fallout. I want one so bad.”
“I want it badly enough that MY hair’s falling out, now.”

Feel like you need a bit of sprucing up after all that rust exposure? Check out how shiny you can get an actual, for-real rusted knife over here (custom phone cases probably can’t stand up to this treatment.)

Source, featured image: Twitter/@trainchicken
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