Plastikman: Logo #330

Designed by California artist Ron Cameron in 1991 and appropriated by Dominic Ayre for Plastikman in 1993. There's been a considerable amount of debate as to the provenance of this logo over the past twenty (!) years - Ayre was accused of filching it from some mysterious skateboard artist until Cameron himself helpfully cleared everything up here: "I did this for my own skateboard company called Strike (through Acme Skateboards), for the “Street Worker” model in 1991. Someone re-scanned it and sold it to Richie Hawtin in 1992 and claimed ownership. Richie found me around 1997, and everything was settled all cool-like. I’ve been friends with Richie since, and Plastikman is re-issuing the 1st LP in 2010, with actual plastic toys of this character - one for each song title, 12 total. "

Flogging Molly: Logo #329

Designed by Flogging Molly in 1998 with the assistance of graphic design artist Brian Peterson. Founded at Molly Malone's pub on Fairfax Avenue in Los Angeles - and named by virtue of the fact that they played there so often and so loudly - the band celebrates their 20th anniversary next year. Singer Dave King got his start with the metal band Fastway (alongside members of Motörhead and UFO) and is married to Bridget Regan, the band's fiddler and tin whistler. I hope she tells people at cocktail parties that she plays tin whistle for a living.

The Accüsed: Logo #328

Martha Splatterhead was drawn and created by The Accüsed's guitarist Tom Niemeyer in 1984. For several years, The Accüsed broke up, but Niemeyer? Not dead! The explosion of metal bands is, however, inversely proportionate to the mascots they bring with them. If you wanted to point fingers at "false" metal, you could do worse to accuse - so to speak - those who are more obsessed with letters than with monsters. This is a fairly interesting hometown read in the Pacific Northwest Inlander (there's a mouthful for you) on The Accüsed from last year. Niemeyer: "(Martha) recently made her on-screen debut in our latest video, 'Hemline.' Now she’s got the acting bug, so anything’s possible…and anything you can imagine is nothing compared to what we have planned for Martha's fans!" Which would be ominous if it weren't so cheerful. The various incarnations of Martha over almost 30 years can be seen here, with early nods to the crossing-over of punk and metal that was such a big deal in the '80s. Remember getting all mad about that? Me, either.

Blues Traveler: Logo #327

Blues Traveler's smoking cat was drawn by Tim Vega for the cover of their 1990 debut album. Joan Osborne sang back-up on that album; the peripatetic Osborne was an unknown and worked with New York avant merchants If, Bwana (!) at the same time. Blues Traveler arcana states that sometime around 1987, a black cat showed up at one of their jam sessions and became their de facto mascot. I wonder whatever happened to that cat. I can't say that I've paid attention to Blues Traveler in the slightest, but they do seem to make a whole lot of people happy - just like Peter Frampton did once; you can see them in all those amazingly massive concerts he used to do - and I can still hear John Popper's harmonica from "Run-Around" rattling around at the back of my head. So that, as they say, is something.

Queen: Logo #326

It bores me not to do this blog.

I had no idea there were so many followers of what I've written. I sincerely appreciate your interest and enthusiasm, one and all. Thank you.

Queen's suitably regal regalia was designed by Freddie Mercury in 1973, before the release of their debut album. Brian May: "That QUEEN logo, and the crest, were both entirely Freddie's design. He had been a student at Ealing Tech, of course...and those designs stayed with us, through various modifications, for many years. Freddie had a great eye for design." Like the fairies and the Phoenix, Queen had a flair for summoning up the great Britain of yore - a place of romance and hard-scrabble mystique that lives on within the folk tradition. It's a tradition that was revitalized by Queen through an eclectically electric vein of sonic sorcery that no one seemed to notice at the time. Magic has a tendency to hide itself.

Brian May once said, "You have to get away from the idea that playing music is a competition. You should just keep on doing what you think is an interesting thing to do." Wise words for any artist, really.

Interstitial #9: Number Nine...Number Nine...

Yes, now getting it ready and so on and so on. Some people, like American porn actress Viper, take three months to have their December deaths announced - I am nothing if not incredibly thorough.

Meanwhile - also in December - the passing of Judge Trev from Inner City Unit, who graciously provided the origin story of the band's logo way back in 2008. Meet your heroes at least once in your life - free of expectation and adulation, of course, let disappointment be your lifeblood forever after.

Interstitial #8: The Passings of the Past

One of my great manias is the making of lists. In the next couple days I'll do a round-up of who we lost in interesting culture in 2010. Occasionally it takes concerned relatives a few days to realize that they haven't heard from this recluse or that, like Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton's solitary demise in 2009. No one knows what day he died, precisely. Sad, true, etc. I suspect the coroner could have guessed, but he'd probably have had to ask the bugs.

Have a happy 2011. If you live, of course.