Pan's Pipe Bomb

Some new stuff.

2011-07-07T20:38:00.000-07:00

X-Day the 13th... The ultimate experience of Horror!

2010-02-22T21:26:00.000-08:00

So, I just completed two new Photoshop creations, both based to different degrees on the promotional art from the two movies called Friday the 13th.

Here is my original inspiration:

Here is Version 1:

Here is Version 2:

Startling Photo Evidence: The True Face of "Bob" Revealed?

2009-06-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

I recently came across this suspiciously familiar face while reading some old comic books. After careful examination, I have come to believe that this was the original source photo which was used as an inspration for the Original True Dobbshead! Is it the true face of J.R."Bob" Dobbs? I leave it you, True Believer, to decide...

Infinite Slack

2009-01-04T00:30:00.000-08:00

I have long held a theory that every dot in the Dobbshead is itself a Dobbshead, and now there is an elegant illustration of this idea, thanks to Frank @ Killed By A Pixel...

Tremble before the brilliance of Infinite Slack:

Finally, my X-Day-XI pictures...

2008-07-24T19:58:00.000-07:00

X-Day-XI came! And there are photos to prove it!

First, here are a couple of photos of me at Brushwood, taken by Rev. Scalpod:

Now, for the photos I took...
A lot of the pictures turned out blurry and unfocused. This is because I had the camera on the wrong setting for most of these shots.

As it turns out, the camera I used was a top-secret MIB device with the ability to capture images of extra-dimensional beings which are completely invisible to the human eye.
Having stated this, I present these pictures:

Superior Mutants Arise!

2008-06-26T14:13:00.000-07:00

X-Day XI is cumming!For details see the official website or Rev. Modemac's site.

Rival Cult Watch #2: The Church of Universal Love & Music

2008-05-05T22:00:00.000-07:00

Nestled in the Lauel Mountains of Western PA, the Church of Universal Love & Music is a controversial little congregation...

The CULM's origins go back some 20-odd years, but it really began to make an impact around the turn of the current decade.
According to published accounts, the church filed for nonprofit status with the state in 2002.
As the case began to draw notice in 2003, CULM was featured on The Daily Show.
In September 2004, the owner of the church property applied for a special exception for religious use permit from the Fayette County Zoning Hearing Board.
Hearings were held in February 2005, and the permit was denied two months later. The opposition said there was no evidence of religious use happening at the property.
The controversy came to a head in the summer of '06:

From the July 5, 2006 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:
William Pritts claims he founded his Church of Universal Love and Music in Bullskin, Fayette County, to "advance non-denominational religion through music."

County officials, however, refused to approve Mr. Pritts' application to use his 148-acre property for "religious gatherings." They believed he had no such purpose, and that his land was being used as a party site for daylong concerts and illicit drug use.

Mr. Pritts filed a federal lawsuit against the county, its zoning hearing board and individual members last week, claiming they violated his First and 14th Amendment rights to freedom of religion and association.

"A core belief of the Church of Universal Love and Music is that religious inspiration and community are advanced by the celebration of live music," the lawsuit says...

Neighbors didn't like the concerts that went on at the property, and that it had been established as a party site. The church's own minister testified that he observed illegal drug use there, Mr. Nurkiewicz said. And the county's zoning enforcement agent visited the site undercover and found several hundred people gathered there, paying $50 each, for a concert.

Officially, the board found that the church "failed to meet the burden of proof to establish approval of the request," and "did not meet the threshold for the proposed use in accordance with the definitions and words contained in the religious use statute 'in accordance with their customary meanings.' "

As for the Church's own website, the position is as follows:
"As its name implies, CULM's religious and spiritual focus is on universal love and music and is in large part mystical. It is the CULM's belief that no dogma is necessary to honor the Earth or our place in it..."

Of course, the controversy has led to a lot of otherwise-unobtainable publicity, including the hilarious bit on Comedy Central's The Daily Show.

Since the Church grounds are located just a few miles from my home, I have paid a few visits there, and I am currently seeking to work with CULM on some projects.

Some additional video on CULM can be found here at Google Video.

CULM's official MySpace page is here. The CULM MySpace Group is here.

PIPES

2008-04-25T01:42:00.000-07:00

My latest Logo Mutation for "Bob". Of course it's based on this 1973 Pepsi logo:

D'oh!verman

2008-04-14T15:27:00.000-07:00

It's my latest deviantART mutation: a hybrid of Homer Simpson & John Hagen's OverMan image from The Book of the Subgenius.

My first Threadless T-Shirt concept is online

2008-04-10T13:21:00.000-07:00

I recently decided to join the Threadless.com community and see how my designs fare on their website. I started by taking some of the older designs out of my deviantART gallery, which I felt needed some freshening-up anyway. I removed all of the pieces that had been created prior to July 2007 from dA, and will now be presenting a selection of them on Threadless.
Here is my first shirt design, Skelli Kokopelli:

This design will be voted on for a week by the community, and then I will find out if I made the cut...
Update to follow.

Toppling Theocracy:

2008-03-23T20:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since I first saw the image of The Statue of Liberation Through Christ, it has stood out to me as an almost impossibly 'on-the-nose' symbol of the Religious Right in this country.

It captures both the galling inappropriateness and the blatant arrogance of trying to impose a Christian spin on all aspects of American life. It is a direct analogy of the cognitive dissonance that leads to theories like Intelligent Design and causes millions of Americans to vote against their own best interests time and again.

And the worst part is, the palpable irony is completely lost on these Evangelical Conservatives. I mean, the Statue of Liberty Enlightening the World in NY is the Most Liberal Icon of Americana Ever:
She's French. She's a chick. She's a New Yorker. She welcomes immigrants. She is NeoClassical Goddess image, a homage to the pagans of antiquity. She has nothing to do with Christianity...

There is no appropriate reason that this image should be remade as a Christian icon. I mean, where in the Bible does it mention anything about a female spirit of liberty, or about America for that matter? This image has nothing to do with anything described in either Testament, yet that doesn't stop today's breed of Born Again NeoCons from committing the sin of Idolatry in it's presence.

These people don't even understand their own theology, so they can't be trusted to control any aspects of Public life.

Image created with Adobe PhotoShop.

[This post was included in the
Blog Against Theocracy Easter Weekend Blogswarm]

Pan-ifesto: Jesus for sale!

2008-03-19T16:25:00.000-07:00

Even before I started creating logo parodies as Pan Demonium, I noticed that they were becoming increasingly popular as t-shirt designs. And I also noticed that they were particularly popular as Christian t-shirts! This trend has continued, and there are scores of different designs available. Here are samples of some of the best ones I found online:
Now, I didn't read much into this phenomenon until recently. I tend to see these designs as slightly humorous, and actually appreciate them on an aesthetic level, although their message is lost on me. But as I continue to see more of them, I must wonder, why?

Instead of making a simple joke or a comment on the product being parodied, this a more conscious use of the format. Here, the logo is actually being subverted, and used for a completely different purpose. The artist is, in effect, stealing the power inherent in the brand identity and repurposing it for their own ends.
This works in a couple of ways: first, it presents the message (i.e. "Jesus") in a form that has proven to be a successful visual style that is readily accepted by the general public; also it normalizes the message, conveying it in a way that is consistent with the aesthetic of the dominant consumer culture. Thus, the message becomes a product which can then compete in the 'marketplace of ideas' as well as in a real, retail sense.

This realization has been very influential on the way I approach my own work, and is a key component of my current direction.

Rival Cult Watch #1: The Church of Reality

2008-03-11T16:08:00.000-07:00

This one of the new breed of upstart religions which I have found on the Web. The Church of Reality is one such religion whose doctrine I totally support. Though I am a fully ordained SubGenius, I consider myself a de facto member of the Reality Church as well.
The tenets of this faith basically fall in line with scientific, atheist, or secular humanist philosophy, but with one important distinction: they are expressed in the form of real religious doctrine.
From the website, Church of Reality.org:

The Church of Reality is a religion based on the practice of Realism, which means believing in everything that is real. Our motto is, "If it's real, we believe in it." Since no one knows all of reality, the Church of Reality is a religious commitment to the pursuit of reality the way it really is.

The Church of Reality is a new breed of religion that is based on reality rather than mythology. We answer the great questions that other religions address, like what is right and wrong, how do people live together in a community, and what are our responsibilities to ourselves and to each other. We address these concerns in the context of our evolutionary history, our present reality, and our future evolution.

We do not focus on fiction. We focus on what is real. We do the hard work of answering the big questions as best we can. We are a people who want to learn. We want to make life work. We want to create solutions in the real world. So I say to all Atheists reading this, why waste your life focusing on what isn't real when you can focus on what is real? Christians and Atheists are alike in that they both focus on a fictional God. One asserts that God does exist, the other asserts that God doesn't. Realists don't focus on God. God is a waste of time. God is irrelevant. Reality is relevant. That's why being a Realist is better than being an Atheist. Being a Realist is about something. Being an Atheist is about nothing. I choose to make my life about something.

The power of religious conviction, free from faith in fictions.
Amen to that.

Starfucker Connie

2008-03-09T22:47:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about the Starbuck's logo lately, what with all the recent news about this mega-corporation. The logo is actually derived from an old-time nautical illustration:
Over time, this image was sanitized, censored, streamlined and simplified, until it became the present-day design:
There is an interesting story about the evolution of this symbol, which is covered in greater detail here and here.
Anyway, this logo has just the right ubiquitous nature to make it ripe for my type of visual parody. In fact, I am not the first to do a humorous turn on the mermaid. I found this terrific bit of parody on the web:
And, of course the Christians have taken their own turn at interpreting this graphic:
So, I decided that I had to my own mutated version of the Starbucks logo. And here it is, Starfucker Connie:

It is, of course a tribute to Connie Dobbs, Sacred Wife,Virgin & Whore of the SubGenius religion.

La Glorieuse Pipe Gun

2008-03-04T20:38:00.000-08:00

The unique curiosa cartridge gun, with select briar root bowl marked:
LA Glorieuse/Patent 203/Select Briar Root.

.22 rimfire caliber, the cartridge inserted into front of stem,
then screwed onto pipe bowl.
A button on bottom of pipe acts as a trigger.

This little beauty first came to my attention on alt.slack.
I think one should be included in every Ordainment Kit.

It could be the perfect SubGenius weapon!
Actually, I envision a utility belt of sorts, containing a variety
of different pipe-shaped weapons:
A pipe-taser, a pipe-grenade, a Swiss-Army-style pipe...
The possibilities are endless!
From www.littlegun.be

Pan-Demonium by Rev. Scalpod

2008-03-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

The brilliant text artist and fellow SubG, Scalpod, has added me to the roster of names for which he has created an ambigram:

Friends of Ro-Man

2008-03-03T13:47:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite cheesy movie monsters has always been the lovably ridiculous Ro-Man from the psychotronic BadFilm classic Robot Monster.

Recently, I was doing a little research on Ro-Man for this new design:

Well, little did I suspect that Ro-Man has not one,
but three MySpace pages!!!
1.Ro-Man
2.Robot Monster
3.Ro-Man the Robot Monster

A Satyr of Satire!

2008-03-02T00:57:00.000-08:00

In this Zippy strip, that rascally pinhead has become a satyr of satire...

The first new logo for Pan's Pipe Bomb.

2008-03-01T23:24:00.000-08:00

Here it is, my new Blog Logo (or Blogo?):

As with most of my current work, it is a parody of a well-known corporate logo:

Creation Museum, Taxidermy Hall of Fame of North Carolina and Antique Tool Museum

2008-02-29T21:39:00.000-08:00

Yeah, that's right.
It's not "THE" Creation Museum in Petersburg, KY (which can be found here.). This is a different museum altogether.
THIS museum not only celebrates Creationism, but also Taxidermy of North Carolina and Antique Tools!
The rather bewildering website left me anxious to take a road trip to see this wonder of the modern world for myself. http://thecreationmuseum.org/

You can check out a slideshow of the exhibits here.

Yuk!

2008-01-29T21:47:00.000-08:00

In 1971, Mr. Yuk was created by the Pittsburgh Poison Center at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC. Since then, Mr. Yuk has been used to educate children and adults about poison prevention and to promote poison center awareness. In addition, Mr. Yuk has raised awareness that poison centers are available 24 hours-a-day, every day of the year to assist in the management of poisoning emergencies.

I grew up with Mr. Yuk's green face of warning, and it left a huge impression on me. I've always gotten a kick out of this little logo and his image continues to inspire me in strange ways.

Any American kid in the 1970's probably knew this guy, especially due to this unforgettably creepy commercial:

My fascination with Mr. Yuk continued into the early 90's, as with this 'Toxic Life' tattoo I got circa '94:

Then, in 2000, I created a Mr. Yuk stencil and used it on this cheap, round metal table I found at a thrift store:

And I couldn't leave Target a few years later without this awesome T-shirt:

Then when I started working in vector graphics, I found myself again inspired by the little green guy. My very first upload to my deviantART gallery was one of the first Illustrator drawings I ever made, combining Mr. Yuk with a smiley face in a union of opposites:
happysick
Then, I came up with the idea to combine Mr. Yuk with another childhood idol of the seventies, Gene Simmons of KISS:
KISSter Yuk
And most recently, I combined Mr. Yuk with another icon to make this mutation of the deviantART mascot:
ToxicFella
For more about the stickers and other Mr. Yuk merchandise,
visit the offical website, www.MrYuk1.com

Rare photo of the back of "Bob"'s head!

2008-01-29T21:36:00.000-08:00

Taken by Man Ray, this photo is often mistaken as a picture of Marcel Duchamp.
Of course, this is incorrect. It is obviously a picture of J.R. "Bob" Dobbs.
The Tonsure of the title was not shaved into the hair, but was burned there as a by-product of his Divine Emaculation.

Pan-ifesto: Early Inspirations, Pt. 1

2008-01-17T11:42:00.000-08:00

My first exposure to the idea of advertising parody came from two main sources: Mad Magazine and Topps Wacky Packages stickers, both of which fascinated me as a child in the 1970's...

Mad Magazine was a huge influence my young mind, my sense of humor and my cynical outlook on American culture. Its probably safe to say that without the influence of Mad, I would not be a SubGenius today...
There are a lot of similarities between Mad and the SubGenius viewpoint. The graphic intensity and eye-popping visuals of SubG literature seems to be a direct descendant of Mad's aesthetic. Also, there is the love of silly wordplay, puns and invented lingo, the many shibboleths and inside jokes that make both the Mad reader and the SubGenius feel a shared understanding of a world beneath the surface. Definitely, there is a subversive, smartass attitude that is inseparable from both.
And then there is J.R. "Bob" Dobbs, who is like Alfred E. Neuman in many ways. Both characters started life out as clip art, cheap public domain graphics with enigmatic origins; both were consequently adopted as the official mascot, trademark, and embodiment of their respective organizations...

The images of "Bob" and Alfred are, for the most part just faces. True, they are often pictured with full bodies, but that tends to be just a means to some visual gag. The power of both characters resides in their own peculiar, grinning visages.
And of course, the magic of both "Bob" and Alfred is their ability to shapeshift, to take on a multitude of identities while retaining their own characteristics. As a Mad reader, I was always amazed at the endless variations on a theme that the "Usual Gang of Idiots" could come up with in the depiction of Alfred. When I first encountered Revelation X, my introduction to the Church, I was struck by the similar way the Dobbshead was treated. It seems there are limitless ways to express the image of "Bob" that are different yet recognizable. This has been a great source of inspriation to me, as I try to work the Dobbshead into my images in new and interesting ways.

Dobbshead Bulldada collage found on Fudge Tunnel CD art

2007-10-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

So, I was excavating my old CDs recently, and I noticed something interesting inside my disc of Fudge Tunnel's classic 1991 release hate songs in e minor...

The last page of the booklet features this great Bulldada collage that is full of little Dobbsheads and includes the phrase The sheer face of "Bob" with his classic grin of enlightenment and his mysterious pipe.:

I don't know what to make of it...
I haven't seen any indication that the band is in any way affiliated with "Bob", but you never know. In any case, this disc is a brilliant slab of grinding, droning, crushing metal sludge. Check it out.
For more about Fudge Tunnel, go here or here.

Retro ClipArt Fun #1

2007-08-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

I've been searching out some "retro" clip art on the web. I have mainly been looking for images of mid-century American advertising, the type of stuff found in the original SubGenius literature (such as the iconic face of "Bob" himself). Here is a good collection I found, with samples that seem to have that certain Bulldada essence:

http://www.retrographix.com

X Day X!

2007-07-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, that's right I am no longer a virgin to the X-Day celebration. I have been Born Again in "Bob".

Of course, the Conspiracy was working against me every step of the way. I didn't even make it to Brushwood until Saturday evening. The only Slack I could find on X-Day was to search the local Goodwill for some Bulldada. I spent $2.49 and came home with: a clear glass jar shaped like a Jack-O-Lantern, a large ceramic mug covered with the Frankenstein Monster's face, and a vintage plastic coffee mug emblazoned with the old Raid: Kills Bugs Dead ad...

Then on 07/07/07, the ultimate Lucky Day, I found a way to make the journey to Brushwood. That night, deep into the 'Frop pipe, I was blown away by the [anti] music, especially Bonobos Convergence [www.bonobosmusic.com] and The Amino Acids [www.theaminoacids.com]. I stared into the eyes of "Bob". I watched as an Icon burned against the night sky. I got a healthy dose of Slack...

Sunday was mostly a day of conversation, ranting, and strange video. I finally got a chance to meet some of those Subgenii whose names I have seen again and again. I look forward to attending my first Devival ASAP