Hardcore's rich artistic heritage and visual language speaks to who we are and what it is that we're doing at least as much as the music does. We don't acknowledge that nearly enough.
I still can't wrap my brain around Mobb Deep using that dragon logo. It was mind bending to see it posted up in random dorm rooms and kids wearing the t-shirts and hats. I'm not really sure what good I thought dirty looks and side eye would do, but I felt I had to do something about it, and that was all I had.
I TOTALLY remember that wave and the same amount of confusion. The dragon got co-opted down here in Miami and was associated regionally thanks to a crew of local “ninjas” visiting other locales as well, since a good chunk of them had it tattooed - the statute of limitations has clearly run out on those events but, still not naming names. Hahaha
This is so interesting because who did actually draw the dragon? I remember reading somewhere that Mobb Deep had the dragon tattoos because they found it on a wall at a tattoo parlor when they got tatted as young teens. Then they wanted to use it as their logo and had no idea about SOIA. Strange considering I’m pretty sure they were from Queens. Haha, ninjas!
From my understanding and the way it was shared through oral tradition, it goes back to someone in the Alleyway Crew or a friend of someone in the crew, and they were tattooing it already. I stand by that logo transcending time and space, though.
It was the art, illustrations and photographs that drew me closer to punk and hardcore cassettes and vinyl. Once my attention was peaked, the riffs and lyrics sealed the deal.
All the artists and designers mentioned (as well as other folks like Art Chantry, Jake Bannon and Tim Singer) were headlights for my own dark and rocky road as a designer.
One of my favorite record covers has always been the first Minor Threat 7". It's as clean and direct as the music itself, and something about eschewing the messy/chaotic aesthetic for something almost utilitarian really spoke to me. As much as I love some punk bands, crazy hair and bondage trousers were never my thing. But the first time I saw the video for Kraut's "All Twisted" and saw guys in jeans and t-shirts and close-cropped hair, I immediately felt like "that's my thing," and that EP cover is just an extension of that.
One of my favorite interviews of all time is when nardwuar interviewed Ian mackaye. Ian was talking about how punk was also associated with fashion and the members of minor threat didn’t adhere to the punk style of dress. (Lyle preslar tried out for Samhain wearing a polo shirt) and Ian made this interesting analogy involving “hard shell Baptists” a hard shell baptists relationship with god is so intense that they don’t have to adhere to the rules of Christianity that others have to abide to. Hard shells baptists can drink, smoke and “whore around” it doesn’t matter.
Love this, these logos bring back so many memories. I spend hours and hours in school drawing these logos. Funny to know the history behind the DRI logo.
The art and design of hardcore/punk has always been a huge part of this world for me. Any of the bands that I was in that put out more than a couple of releases had our own Raymond Pettibons (Dave Manganaro for The Spark and Jeff Beckman for Pulling Teeth). Having that continuity of visual approach was always important to me thanks to bands like Black Flag, Descendents/ALL, The Hard-Ons, etc.
It was also thanks to the art and design of hardcore/punk that I ended up with my career. It started with making flyers for the shows I was booking and doing the layouts for my bands' releases, which led to designing and building websites to promote those shows and bands and my record labels, which led to a BA with an emphasis in graphic design, which led to an internship at an ad agency, which led to a shift into full-time web development.
I'll second James's request for some full interviews with hardcore/punk designers and artists.
Lucky for us all that so much of the punk and hardcore scenes were made up of artists who gave so much of themselves to the community. Luckily because of the DIY nature of these scenes we got to see the art as they imagined it and not watered down by corporate label people. Considering doing interviews with scene artists musicians or not. Wonderful article as always!!!
If you're on Instagram, check out the Merch Report account (https://www.instagram.com/merch_report) run by Count Me Out and Cloak/Dagger frontman Jason Mazzola. He's posted a couple short interviews with some t-shirt designers recently (Jeremy Dean and Chris Shary).
Reading this piece reminded me of something Beck said at his Carnegie hall performance with an 80 piece orchestra about two weeks ago. His was talking about how musicians in orchestras don’t play as he put it “for the glory”. Most orchestral musicians are pretty much nameless and unsung.(like some many punk/hardcore artists) they are just happy being part of something bigger then themselves. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for answering my questions. I apologize for being pedantic but a friend from college once told my a chain of strength story that seems plausible. Supposedly the photos taken for the chain of strength seven inch for revelation are “staged”. The pictures aren’t taken from a show but where taken in someone’s basement. At the time it seemed believable being the photos of the band are just close ups. (Kind of a silly question I know but ever time I look at that record I still wonder)
Boiling point ! Thanks for reminding me. I just have a question did Tim singer have his own record label? Because I recall that there was a chain of strength 7 inch on revelation and another chain of strength 7 inch on an another record label. Was that one put out by singer? My memory isn’t what it used to be.
Have you ever seen the documentary about deadguy called “killing music”? I found it really fascinating that Tim singer not only is an amazing singer put was also a college educated graphic designer. I think I could be wrong that when he was in “no escape” he also put out a fanzine that he did the graphic work for. But at the moment I seem to forget the name of the fanzine.
Some logos simply transcend time and space.
*cough*SickOfItAllDragon*cough*
😬
I still can't wrap my brain around Mobb Deep using that dragon logo. It was mind bending to see it posted up in random dorm rooms and kids wearing the t-shirts and hats. I'm not really sure what good I thought dirty looks and side eye would do, but I felt I had to do something about it, and that was all I had.
I TOTALLY remember that wave and the same amount of confusion. The dragon got co-opted down here in Miami and was associated regionally thanks to a crew of local “ninjas” visiting other locales as well, since a good chunk of them had it tattooed - the statute of limitations has clearly run out on those events but, still not naming names. Hahaha
This is so interesting because who did actually draw the dragon? I remember reading somewhere that Mobb Deep had the dragon tattoos because they found it on a wall at a tattoo parlor when they got tatted as young teens. Then they wanted to use it as their logo and had no idea about SOIA. Strange considering I’m pretty sure they were from Queens. Haha, ninjas!
From my understanding and the way it was shared through oral tradition, it goes back to someone in the Alleyway Crew or a friend of someone in the crew, and they were tattooing it already. I stand by that logo transcending time and space, though.
It was the art, illustrations and photographs that drew me closer to punk and hardcore cassettes and vinyl. Once my attention was peaked, the riffs and lyrics sealed the deal.
All the artists and designers mentioned (as well as other folks like Art Chantry, Jake Bannon and Tim Singer) were headlights for my own dark and rocky road as a designer.
One of my favorite record covers has always been the first Minor Threat 7". It's as clean and direct as the music itself, and something about eschewing the messy/chaotic aesthetic for something almost utilitarian really spoke to me. As much as I love some punk bands, crazy hair and bondage trousers were never my thing. But the first time I saw the video for Kraut's "All Twisted" and saw guys in jeans and t-shirts and close-cropped hair, I immediately felt like "that's my thing," and that EP cover is just an extension of that.
One of my favorite interviews of all time is when nardwuar interviewed Ian mackaye. Ian was talking about how punk was also associated with fashion and the members of minor threat didn’t adhere to the punk style of dress. (Lyle preslar tried out for Samhain wearing a polo shirt) and Ian made this interesting analogy involving “hard shell Baptists” a hard shell baptists relationship with god is so intense that they don’t have to adhere to the rules of Christianity that others have to abide to. Hard shells baptists can drink, smoke and “whore around” it doesn’t matter.
Love this, these logos bring back so many memories. I spend hours and hours in school drawing these logos. Funny to know the history behind the DRI logo.
The art and design of hardcore/punk has always been a huge part of this world for me. Any of the bands that I was in that put out more than a couple of releases had our own Raymond Pettibons (Dave Manganaro for The Spark and Jeff Beckman for Pulling Teeth). Having that continuity of visual approach was always important to me thanks to bands like Black Flag, Descendents/ALL, The Hard-Ons, etc.
It was also thanks to the art and design of hardcore/punk that I ended up with my career. It started with making flyers for the shows I was booking and doing the layouts for my bands' releases, which led to designing and building websites to promote those shows and bands and my record labels, which led to a BA with an emphasis in graphic design, which led to an internship at an ad agency, which led to a shift into full-time web development.
I'll second James's request for some full interviews with hardcore/punk designers and artists.
Lucky for us all that so much of the punk and hardcore scenes were made up of artists who gave so much of themselves to the community. Luckily because of the DIY nature of these scenes we got to see the art as they imagined it and not watered down by corporate label people. Considering doing interviews with scene artists musicians or not. Wonderful article as always!!!
If you're on Instagram, check out the Merch Report account (https://www.instagram.com/merch_report) run by Count Me Out and Cloak/Dagger frontman Jason Mazzola. He's posted a couple short interviews with some t-shirt designers recently (Jeremy Dean and Chris Shary).
Reading this piece reminded me of something Beck said at his Carnegie hall performance with an 80 piece orchestra about two weeks ago. His was talking about how musicians in orchestras don’t play as he put it “for the glory”. Most orchestral musicians are pretty much nameless and unsung.(like some many punk/hardcore artists) they are just happy being part of something bigger then themselves. I hope that makes sense.
Thanks for answering my questions. I apologize for being pedantic but a friend from college once told my a chain of strength story that seems plausible. Supposedly the photos taken for the chain of strength seven inch for revelation are “staged”. The pictures aren’t taken from a show but where taken in someone’s basement. At the time it seemed believable being the photos of the band are just close ups. (Kind of a silly question I know but ever time I look at that record I still wonder)
Boiling point ! Thanks for reminding me. I just have a question did Tim singer have his own record label? Because I recall that there was a chain of strength 7 inch on revelation and another chain of strength 7 inch on an another record label. Was that one put out by singer? My memory isn’t what it used to be.
That was Foundation Records, which was Ryan from Chain Of Strength's label.
Have you ever seen the documentary about deadguy called “killing music”? I found it really fascinating that Tim singer not only is an amazing singer put was also a college educated graphic designer. I think I could be wrong that when he was in “no escape” he also put out a fanzine that he did the graphic work for. But at the moment I seem to forget the name of the fanzine.
Boiling Point. One of the best fanzines ever, and definitely a formative influence for me!