"When you think of gangs, you don't really think of compliment cards and sweaters, but here you have these Richie Cunningham Happy Day sweaters existing in Chicago, and they were printed all over the city. It was a way, not unlike what you saw in the eighties and nineties of showing your particular gang color," writes Alec Banks, one of the authors of Compliments of: Chicago Gang Culture, BEYOND THE STREETS newest book. This is one of the many gems in this collection, a "deep dive into the history of gangs in the city of Chicago, spanning the 1960s to the 1990s, and highlighting over 40 years of history with critical essays and a comprehensive documentation that deep dives into the artistic merits and fashion influences that were emitted from a cultural phenomenon that is now celebrated and emulated, but its origins and dark history are often overlooked."
The 208-page, softcover book, was compiled by Roger Gastman and Richard Warwick, with texts by Alec Banks and Vic Mensa. BUY IT HERE.
