Musical Graffiti | Swindle Magazine | Matthew Newton

Doodling saved my life in high school. The untold hours spent wasting away in algebra class, vacantly staring at my teacher, pretending to listen while struggling to keep my eyelids open—all an exercise in futility. Appearing alert was the most difficult challenge, as I tried to imagine how learning about quadratic equations or factoring might somehow help me later in life. Needless to say, I never found a connection between algebra and a happy adult life. So instead I spent much of my time scribbling in the margins of my notebook, fashioning crude reproductions of my favorite bands’ logos and typefaces while ignoring the bland but well-intended rants that my teacher spouted at a classroom full of near-catatonic teenagers. With the latest installment of Musical Graffiti, Swindle takes a look at the art and design that inspired a generation of daydream doodlers—paying homage to the visual vandals responsible for some of music’s most iconic logo designs, typefaces, and album art.

Artist: Black Flag
Album: Damaged (SST)
Released: 1981
Logo design: Raymond Pettibon

Black Flag, often regarded as the first American hardcore band, was plagued by lineup changes, litigation, and a reputation for violent live shows throughout its more than 10 year history. However, many critics also recognize the band’s diverse discography and prolific output as a testament to its superior musicianship and abilty to continuously evolve. The name “Black Flag,” suggested by Raymond Pettibon (guitarist and founding member Greg Ginn’s brother), was intended to conjure the idea of both the anarchist symbol and the insect spray. Pettibon, in addition to his short stint as bass player in the band, conceived the stylized flag logo—a design created from of a series of four black bars. As pioneers of a then burgeoning DIY aesthetic in the punk community, Black Flag understood the importance of spreading its message to the masses. Using spray paint, the band members canvassed Los Angeles with their iconic flag logo—an action that attracted the attention of potental listeners as well as local police. Damaged—featuring classic tracks like “TV Party,” “Six Pack,” and “Rise Above”—is considered by many to be the quintessential Black Flag album.

Artist: Slayer
Album: Reign in Blood (Def Jam)
Released: 1986
Logo designs: Steve Craig and Dean Fleming  
Album art: Larry W. Carroll

Slayer’s harshest critics have snubbed their noses at the band for years, dissecting each album with an almost fanatical zeal—even going as far as to claim that vocalist/bass player Tom Araya’s lyrics are Nazi-sympathetic. However, the comments of critics have long had little influence on the faithful throngs of Slayer fans who eagerly await each new album. Since the release of Show No Mercy, the band’s debut effort, Slayer has nurtured a dark visual prescence with its cover art. The paintings that adorn the majority of Slayer’s album covers—Americana-inspired artwork that conjures images of hell, murder, and the occult—are the work of artist Larry W. Carroll. In addition, Slayer’s iconic jagged typeface and variant logo designs—due to their ominous appeal—have been scribbled on high school lockers, notebook covers, and jean jackets by devoted metalheads for more than 20 years. Two main logo types have appeared on Slayer releases over the years: A pentagram and sword design with typeface overlay (shown above) that first appeared on the cover of Show No Mercy and was created by Steve Craig; and an eagle’s crest that incorporates the original Craig design, created by Dean Fleming. The latter design first appeared on the inside sleeve of Seasons In The Abyss.

Artist: Yes
Album: Fragile (Atlantic)
Released: 1972
Logo design/artwork: Roger Dean

Progressive rock was a musical juggernaut that reigned supreme throughout the 1970s and into the early 1980s. Artists like King Crimson, Rush, and most importantly, Yes, released concept albums, wrote epic 15-minute songs in unusual time signatures, waxed poetic about dragons and sorcerors in their lyrics, and upped the ante in terms of live theatrics. Yes, with their technical compositions, signature vocal harmonies (respectively handled by Jon Anderson and Chris Squire), and an abundance of musical virtuosos (namely guitarist Steve Howe and cape-wearing keyboardist Rick Wakeman) to their credit, ensured the group’s visual aesthetic was equally as complex and multi-dimensional as their music. Beginning with their 1972 release titled Fragile, Yes began their collaborative relationship with prolific album artist Roger Dean, who designed the band’s iconic logo as well as a long succession of fantasy and concept-based cover art. Dean, who also crafted logos and album art for the likes of Asia, Uriah Heep, and Steve Howe, took a leftfield approach with his work for Yes—pushing the boundaries of the album sleeve as an artistic medium.

Artist: Misfits
Album: Walk Among Us (Slash/Ruby)
Released: 1982
Logo design/artwork: Glenn Danzig

Fascinated with the content and imagery of science fiction and horror films, the Misfits’  inventive approach to album design—a style that embraced eerie color choices, gore-related themes, and a dose of 1950s-style kitsch—truly set them apart within the blossoming  New York City punk scene of the late 1970s. Early on, Glenn Danzig (vocals) and Jerry Only (guitar) began using a dominant skull graphic—borrowed from a poster for the 1946 television serial The Crimson Ghost—as the band’s logo for its fan club, known among the initiated as the “Fiend Club” (which was operated from the basement of Danzig’s mother’s house in Lodi, New Jersey). The Misfits’ “Crimson Ghost” skull soon after began appearing on flyers, album covers, buttons, stickers, and even silkscreened (usually by Danzig himself) on the backs of enthusiastic fans’ black leather jackets when the band was on tour. The typographic counterpart to this skull design was the Misfits’ ominous letter logo, which was created using a typeface from the vintage pulp magazine Famous Monsters of Filmland. By the time the band’s classic album Walk Among Us was released, the Misfits had assembled their best musical lineup, garnered a substantial following, and even started being labeled as a new strain of punk rock—horror punk.

Artist: L.L. Cool J
Album: Bigger And Deffer (Def Jam)
Released: 1987
Logo design: Haze

Ladies Love Cool J. At least that’s what the Queens-bred rapper-turned-sitcom-star-turned-actor likes to tell himself. However, all joking aside, the ladies do love him. Maybe it’s got something to do with his obsessive lip-licking habits or deep bank account. Whatever the case, the man born James Todd Smith has attained legendary status in the rap world. From his standout performance in the 1980s film Krush Groove, to his sharp lyrical wit—flawlessly showcased on albums like Radio, Bigger and Deffer, and Walking With a Panther—L.L. Cool J is the quintessential emcee, a true rap traditionalist. Aside from carving a distinctive niche with his unparalleled rhyme skills, Cool J indeliably influenced hip-hop’s burgeoning culture with his standard issue Adidas shoes and running suit, thick gold chains and knuckle rings, and signature Kangol cap—an outfit that quickly became standard issue in youth circles from the projects to the suburbs. Most notably, the iconic “L.L. Cool J” logo with the linked “O’s”, emblazoned on his early releases and designed by legendary NYC graffiti artist Haze, was the artists’ visual calling card during hip-hop’s pubescent years.

Artist: Pink Floyd
Album: Dark Side Of The Moon (Harvest)
Released: 1973
Album design: Hipgnosis

Classic album cover designs, like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon, transcend the need for clever, eye-catching logos. Crafted by British design group Hipgnosis—consisting of legendary designers Storm Thorgenson, Aubrey “Po” Powell, and Peter Christopherson (an original member of industrial band Throbbing Gristle)—the iconic prism that adorns the cover of the album achieves the same, if not a more profound effect, than any well-designed logo. The selection of this now well-known image was not a decision the band labored over. In a recollection of the design process, published in his online gallery, Thorgenson recalls the band’s snap decision: “Pink Floyd, in their infinite wisdom, perused our seven complex detailed rough [sketches] for this cover in a drab basement room at Abbey Road [studios]—submissions over which we at Hipgnosis had toiled for weeks—but [the band] managed to decide within three minutes which one they liked.” Hipgnosis, also known for specializing in creative album cover photography (see also: Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here) , also designed memorable covers for the likes of Genesis and Led Zeppelin.

Artist: Iron Maiden
Album: Killers (Capitol/EMI)
Released: 1981
Album art: Derek Riggs

If you like your metal peppered with mystical storytelling, galloping basslines, and a dual harmonic guitar assault, then Iron Maiden is undoubtedly your poison of choice. Whether Killers, Powerslave, or Somewhere In Time were the albums that fueled your bedroom bong hits as a teen, a shared sentiment among metalheads still remains: Maiden fucking rules. However, this British five piece owes much of its success to their zombie-like counterpart, “Eddie the Head”—more commonly referred to as “Eddie.” Appearing on almost every album cover along with the band’s iconic typeface, Iron Maiden and its horror-inspired mascot—predominantly illustrated by fantasy artist Derek Riggs—have become synonymous with the band’s distinct image. More importantly, Iron Maiden will be remembered for ushering in the era of the heavy metal mascot, a trend that would later be mimicked by acts like Megadeth (Vic Rattlehead), Anthrax (The Not Man), and Overkill (Chaley) to name only a few.