CALGARY -- Jonathan Anderson and Garrett Crump are born and raised Calgarians and very proud of it.
They’ve known each other since junior high, when they both developed an interest in the history of Calgary sports teams.
But when they tried to order merchandise to wear they had no luck. There was apparently no market for clothing that celebrated western Canadian sports franchises that no longer existed - or was there?
That’s when, rather than give up the search, the duo came up with the idea of starting their own clothing line. That’s where C of Dead was born.
Anderson says C of Dead pays tribute to defunct sporting teams that used to call Calgary home.
“It’s all about remembering the kind of makeup that Calgary is and why these things should be celebrated even if they’re not here anymore,” he told CTV.
“It’s really important to pay homage and celebrate it.”
The C of Dead celebrates fallen sports teams like the Calgary Radz roller hockey team, the Calgary Boomers soccer club, the Calgary 88’s of the World Basketball League, the Triple “A” Calgary Cannons and the ever popular Stampede Wrestling.
They’ve also made T-shirts for fallen landmarks like the Cecil Hotel and the soon to be demolished Stampede Corral.
Crump says they have to make sure they follow all the rules.
“We have a pretty specific process and we invest in copyrights that have been expunged. We’ve looked at several and have secured a couple and are looking to finalize some deals on the rest and we continue to grow and look into new brands and see what’s out there.”
The C of Dead clothing line is really starting to catch on. Earlier this week, Philadelphia Eagles linebacker and former Stampeder Alex Singleton posted a picture of him on Twitter wearing a Stampede Wrestling T-shirt.
Anderson says wrestling great Brett Hart, Cavalry FC Head Coach Tommy Wheeldon Jr. and actor Andrew Phung from Kim’s Convenience have all gotten behind the product.
He says there’s one item everyone always seems to like.
“The Calgary Cannons are always the hottest stuff. It’s what kind of gets you in the door,” he said.
“But the most popular item right now is the Corral. With it leaving and the history that comes with it I think people are going to miss it.”
And that gives Anderson and Crump all the more reason to keep them alive.
Crump says it’s important that we don’t forget about our history.
“Man we had all these awesome sports teams. Such a diverse and eclectic form of sport in this city,” he said.
“These teams had great logos and great history that people just like to remember and hopefully will continue to remember.”
C of Dead is big on social media. Anderson says whenever they post something new they get feedback right away.
“Our followers say “When you know, you know”. If you’re a Calgarian you’ve probably recognized that brand or that wording.”
Crump says he didn’t ever know if C of Dead would would get big. But he’s starting to realize more people are getting interested in the brand.
“It was actually a surreal experience the first time you saw our product in the wild, from people not us wearing it or family or close friends,” he laughed.
“So that was kind of when it hit. (That's when we thought), oh this might be a real thing.”
Anderson and Crump are proud of the C of Dead and will continue to pump out product as long as people continue to ask for it.
If you’d like to order or check out their inventory you just have have to go to cofdead.ca or email cofdeadclothingco@gmail.com
