Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Okay so it's pretty common place that since the 80s people have been printing and selling straight edge tshirts. Hell I have quite a few myself (most of which don't fit anymore but that's neither here nor there) and to be quite honest, there have been some bad but also some good. Some of these may look dated now but they were pretty hot items back then. Let's take a look back at some of the good and bad from the 90s. Please not, I have not included Cabal in this as we've covered them pretty extensively. If you'd like to go back and see what we said, click here: Cabal Clothing.

No post on straight edge tshirts would be complete without the famous "Sesame Street" straight edge shirt. I was told who printed this but I can't for the life of me remember who though Jav did tell me that it printed in Buffalo. This was printed in 1995 though as the shirt shows.
One of my personal favorites was the Andrew Thomas Company. I've done a few posts on them in the past, two of which you can see by clicking on the 1995 catalog and the 1997 catalog. Being that I've already covered them in past, Ill just post a few images of theirs.
Devil's Head was another company/label that printed shirts...some good, some...well not so good. You be the judge
The Attitude Shop began under a different name which escapes me now but they printed up some great designs as well as a bunch of ARA (Anti-Racist Action) designs. I think they were based out of Pennsylvania. I have a few more of their shirts but for some reason I can't find the photos.

While some people ran "clothing lines", labels and distros that also considered themselves straight edge and printed up shirts.
Victory Records sold this design throughout the 90s and into the early 2000s before finally retiring it. If you went to shows in the 90s, there was always at least 1 person at the show with this shirt.


I remember seeing Ray from Tension (FL) wearing this on the insert of the full length "Agent of the People". I scooped this up in a lot I bought. Not sure who printed it though.


This one was also sold by Victory. I really don't think we need to go anymore into this. There are also Pepsi and Coke designs


This one was sold through Very Distro in the late 90s.


The notorious "Kill Your Local Drug Dealer" shirt. This is the original before it was changed and reprinted by Seventh Dagger. I don't know who printed these but they came out of North Carolina if memory serves.


Finally, what post on straight edge shirts would be complete without something New Age related. Probably the most well known design they did. Id love to get my hands on the circular "Proud to be Drug Free" design so if you get at me if you have it and want to unload it.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

yeah, attitude shop was in greencastle, pa (and often seen in hagerstown, md...). that's the only name i remember them having, but i didn't meet them until 96 or so.

Sergeant D said...

attitude shop lololololololololol that kid

chad said...

andrew thomas company catalog #7 scans.. circa 1997 as well.

http://www.mediafire.com/?5yqe3e2tmue7qww

Anonymous said...

The original Kill Your Local Drug Dealer shirt was by the singer from Prayer for Cleansing. Seventh Dagger started reprinting them with Dave's approval after he stopped making them.

Unknown said...

Awesome post. Dave Quigle made a couple really amazing straight edge shirts too.

AWC said...

I have a t-shirt by 24 Clothing that has the same backprint as that VERY t-shirt you have there. I guess that VERY t-shirt was first?

daniel said...

yeah i've got the kill yr local drug dealer shirt with an ak on the front and someone kissing the curb on the back. bought it from mick from eighteen visions lulz. any idea who made that one?

xCHIPxSEM said...

@Kimmo: Im not sure to be honest. I just remember seeing it in the Very catalog.

@Daniel: That one was made by Seventh Dagger. Its the newer, updated version of the original

ERIC SXE said...

The Andrew Thomas Company was the shit! I bought so many SXE shirts from them. I should have never sold my Drug Free Stormtrooper shirt. Somebody bootleg that one please!!

Evan D said...

Seeing that strength and resistance shirt is bringing back a lot of memories. I got that from ATC if I remember right, so I guess a few different distros must have used that design.

Anonymous said...

i loved the cancer cures smoking shirt. I believe it was by TrustKill.
Was Andrew Thomas Company the same one who made the fleece pullovers out of old Star Wars blankets?

jav said...

what about Timm Macintosh's Poison Free shirts? those were probably the first i ever bought. my first encounter in person with him was him standing outside of an Unbroken show in 1994 selling them for $10

Anonymous said...

I have the cancer cures smoking by I believe Mr Quiqqle(That is what I think it said when I bought it off ebay years ago). It's for Sa Mob, not Trustkill. Would LOVE another version of this because it is a white t and pits are stained.

roofus said...

i have the victory records hoodie that says drinking sucks on the back. i was researching where it came from when i found this article. thanks.