Can anyone tell me the history with the flying eyeball? I love it but not sure of the history. Does it represent anythin or have a meaning?
The politically incorrect history, that may or may not be accurate, is that it was a crazy acid trip that Von Dutch put a brush to and it became popular. Thats what I've always thought it was, but to be honest I have no idea where I got that from..... I would be interested in knowing any facts about it as well.
According to Von Dutch, the flying eyeball originated with the Macedonian and Egyptian cultures about 5000 years ago. It was a symbol meaning "the eye in the sky knows all and sees all", or something like that. Dutch got a hold of this symbol and modified it into the flyin'eyeball we know of today. He always believed in reincarnation, and the eyeball, somehow, was tied to that.There have been numerous "incarnations" of this design over the years. It still remains an icon of the '50s and '60s street rod crowd. Now ya know! If you want to know more about Von Dutch, go here. http://letterville.com/articles/bob_burns/vondutch/
Thanks for the help. You guys have all the answers! Love the H.A.M.B it's a bunch of help for newbie like myself.
It used to be a cool image, like skulls, cobwebs and iron (Maltese) crosses. They all had a place in the earlier years of rodding, but all have been so overdone and abused that they are now "hot rod" cartoons. Once the masses get ahold of anything, its history and meaning is lost in the total saturation of itself. Too bad.
When I saw Von Dutch T-shirts at Wal Mart I thought, next they will be getting their tattos at Wal Mart.
Me too! I used to ask kids wearing the shirts and hats if they knew who Von Dutch was. I never got an answer even remotely close! I read years ago that Mr. Howard explained his flying eyeball as "the mind's eye". In other words, with his eyes closed he could better envision the work ahead of him, and that's what it meant to him. I'll have to dig out the article and see what all it says.
My understanding is that the "Von Dutch" logo was sold to the clothiers by the Kenneth Howard estate. I often wonder how that deal was structured and if the estate owners/relatives are sitting on a mountain of cash now and increasing daily OR they took a minimal sum 'cause they didn't know what might happen. One thing is sure, more money has been made by that name on clothing and stuff than ever would have been made if some automotive guy had bought it and put it on stuff for sale to the likes of us.
I saw a tattoo shop in the local mall a few weeks ago, nearly made me not want to put another drop of ink in my skin!
I overheard 2 non car guys talking about the one painted on the firewall of my coupe: 1st guy: "The guy that owns this car must be an optomitrist" 2nd guy: "Why" 1st guy: "Because he has an eyeball painted on his car"
The local walmart has a vision center! I done got my eyes fixed at Walmart hur, hur... BTW, it's tattoO, and look at http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=6006627&sourceid=20720281321147691071
Truthfully, I doubt that it really means anything. It was just something weird he came up with, no different than most of the airbrushed monster sweatshirts we all cherished back then. As somewhat of an artist myself, I used to show my oil paintings. One was a self portrait of my head exploding and a kind of vortex of clouds and stars inside with an eagle emerging from it. All the so called critics would stare at it then explain to their obviously less enlightened friend what it all meant. It was hilarious! Whatever meaning it did have was really pretty cloudy in my mind, but I know that none of their explanations rang a bell, actually, it probably didn't mean anything except that I was obviously on something back then! My advice, is accept it as what it is and don't try to find some deeper meaning, even if he was here today to explain it in his own words, he'd probably just be fuckin' with ya!
It's all getting a bit out of hand! Like many others I grew up with these "kultural icons", using them as a kind of underground language of kool, to communicate with others of like mind. The history and source of these symbols/icons being of the utmost interest and importance. It shits me that they've gone mainstream, but I inherited them ligitimately and ain't givin' 'em up just because they're trendy. My 2c.
Thats ok, to the average folk on the street Fatlucky, McPhail,Imperial Customs or VonFranco means nothing...............the needle has shifted. What the civilians think is "it", insn't.
Isn't it great how subculture gets marketed to the mainstream, eventually becoming the exact opposite of what it started out as. Ooo.. Ooo... Can I be punk rock too?? Please, Pleeeease! Shawn
THAT is the only constant,as the Mindless Minions(tm) seek to purchase profound meaning for their miserable lives. "Instant Cool" always sells. Dr Seuss was right,in the story of "The Star Bellied Sneeches".
Kant spell tatto rite......went right over your head, you know way too much about Walmart tatoos. By they way, how are their prescription drugs?
A few years back, I hated seeing prius driving celebrities wearing VonDutch trucker hats. Remember when Ed Hardy was known for tattoos and not douchebag clothes? Everything cool gets ruined.
Ha ha ! Well unlike most of you sinics on here, I enjoy seeing these remnants of the past resurface and embraced by a new generation. It may not have the same meaning to them as it did me or those of my time but who cares ! I dont own it and neither do any of you. I cant subscribe to this sort of idealism and quite frankly think its stupid. Ill tell you that Von Dutch would get a charge outta seeing kids diggin his stuff. I understand the objections to those that are profitting from his creations but you know what, if they legally own the right to it now, which they do, then more power to em. Dutch didnt care about money anyhow. Sorry about the rant but I would much rather choose to enlighten those who are unaware than ridicule them.
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