For fans of music and edgy fashion, this is the story of punk, told by the people who lived it and the shirts on their back. The punk revolution wasn't just music--it also shaped fashion, especially the ripped, often handmade T-shirts emblazoned with provocative slogans. Punk Tees captures this youthful revolt through the people who lived it and the clothing they wore. It charts the evolution of punk, T-shirt by T-shirt, from the genre's roots in the 1960s through its zenith in the mid-1970s/early 1980s, to its legacy today. Moving from the Ramones in New York, to their British counterparts the Sex Pistols, to Metal Urbain in Paris, to bands in Germany, Australia, Scandinavia, and Japan, this book illuminates what punk culture really meant. Included are original interviews with fans discussing their own customized punk T-shirts, as well as with punk's key influencers.

Author Biography

Martin Popoff is the author of 50 rock books, including The Ramones at 40 and Fade to Black: Hard Rock Cover Art of the Vinyl Age (both Sterling) as well as a 20-year veteran writer for the likes of Goldmine, Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles, Guitar World, CMJ, and bravewords.com. Additionally, Martin served as consultant and researcher for Banger Films on feature films as well as the TV series Metal Evolution and Rock Icons, and is a regular speaker at conferences on the history of heavy metal. He lives in Toronto, Ontario.