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Abstract
This paper explores the history and evolution of fan-made t-shirts for the American rock band, The Grateful Dead. Fan-made Grateful Dead t-shirts represent a wide swath of design influences and production techniques that were often highly innovative. Taken as a whole, fan-made Grateful Dead t-shirts serve as an archival record of not only the band and scene, but a modern form of pop art where symbols and images are repurposed in a new context. Grateful Dead t-shirt producers benefited from a deep understanding of their scene and a community-based affinity space where knowledge, art and ideals were shared. The influence of the Grateful Dead t-shirt scene continues to this day in the modern worlds of fashion, art and design.