Somerville man peddling propaganda - the Sox kind

Fascinating, sure - and eerily reminiscent of the rhetoric surrounding Red Sox Nation, which he loves.

"With Red Sox Nation, people are so passionate about it, it almost becomes like a war," he said. "It gets so crazy rooting for your team, and I thought, 'What if I could actively recruit people to join our side?' "

Speakman started making Sox prints about three years ago, but he's expanded the inventory to include other teams, parks, and stars around the league.

"At first, some customers who are pretty loyal said, 'I can't believe you're doing stuff for other teams," he said.

Yes, even that team - his first Evil Empire print was a commemorative etching of the old Yankee Stadium. Now he also sells player prints, but he figured the local customer base would have an easier time stomaching the old park at first.

"I didn't want to pick a player that may be kind of polarizing [in Boston]," he said.

What, someone like A-Rod is polarizing around here?

"Exactly," he said.

Speakman has entered into licensing agreements with Major League Baseball and the Players Association - meaning both groups have to approve every print that goes on the market.

While baseball and the union have clashed memorably since the dawn of free agency, Speakman gave no indication that one side was more cooperative than the other in their dealings with him.

"I have to be very careful here," he quipped, adding that both sides immediately approve designs, as long as they don't give offense. Alas, that means no print of Sox catcher Jason Varitek planting his catcher's mitt onto the mug of a certain pinstriped third baseman in 2004.

"There were a lot of requests for prints of the A-Rod and Varitek fight, but there's no way Major League Baseball's ever going to approve that," Speakman said.

While he doesn't usually hear from the players themselves, he said Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon gave a Propaganda print high marks about a year and a half ago, at a press conference announcing a promotion between Speakman's company and Dunkin' Donuts.

Speakman not only has buyers from across the country and a new partnership with the Topps card company - he also has a theory for the buzz.

"It's handmade stuff," he said. "I'm not pressing print on my computer."

Sadly for Sox fans, he can't press rewind on the recent American League Division Series loss to the Anaheim Angels, either. But despite the sweep, Speakman says a David Ortiz print remains popular, as well as last year's design for the Philadelphia Phillies, who won the World Series.

And while business requires Speakman to devote his creative energy to virtually all the teams, he'd never, ever betray the Nation as a fan.

"I have to make a living, so I can't just depend on one team," he said. "But at night when the game's on, I take my business hat off and put my [Sox] fan hat on."