Llamas become the holidays' new face

He's a 34-year-old artist who used to do street graffiti under the tag "llamaphish" using llamas or a goldfish in an Army helmet, depending on his mood. Now, he's selling a T-shirt of his own design in - count 'em - 40 different colors with a goofy, bug-eyed llama as a Christmas tree itself, a topper star on his head, lights and garland wrapped around him, wishing all: "Fa lla lla lla llama."

Why, Barry, why?

"To be honest I have no idea. I've always drawn llamas," he says by phone Tuesday. "I think it's their facial expression. They've got a really funny face, almost condescending, like they're laughing at you."

He's selling through the DIY site Teepublic at the moment, where designers upload their images for use on all sorts of stuff, including shirts, mugs, baby onesies and phone cases. He's got plenty of company from others doing llamas.

"They're just a funny animal," Sellers says. "Even the name. It's one of those words that's just nice to say. It makes you laugh."

Yasmeen Eldahan, 29, is a schoolteacher by day, a New Yorker living in Cairo, and a seller of all things llama at Zazzle on her own time. Why? Because they sell, she says via email.

"I suppose it has something to do with the quirky nature of llamas themselves," Eldahan says. "They're not traditionally cute, nor are they particularly cool. They're unusual and humorous. And I think that appeals to people."

She says she hasn't branched out into Llamakkah items yet, "but I might consider it for future llamas!"

Andrew Sutton, head of operations for the site TipsyElves, where the sidelocked-llama sweater is sold, says one characteristic sets the animals apart: indifference.

"People absolutely love llamas because they live a carefree lifestyle," he says. "They don't desire any love in the first place."