Episode 23: The Dead Kennedys, The Ramones and Punk Rock Logos
Today’s episode is loud, fast and very DIY. We jump in to talk about two of our favorite logos, one simple and one ornate, from two iconic bands, The Dead Kennedys and The Ramones. We also talk about the artists Winston K. Smith and Arturo Vega, their relationships with the bands, and the sources of inspiration for their artwork.
E X T R A S :
Still from The Museum of Contemporary Art documentary
Still from The Museum of Contemporary Art documentary
(Top to bottom): T-shirt with the Dead Kennedys logo, Winston Smith in his studio, sketching the famous ‘DK” logo, The Dead Kennedys themselves with the famous wardrobe choice from their “Pull My Strings” performance
The Dead Kennedys Logo
The Dead Kennedys (Wikipedia article)
Winston K. Smith’s personal website
“The Art of Punk” Museum of Contemporary Art documentary (YouTube video)
“The Man Behind the Dead Kennedys Logo” Vice documentary (YouTube video)
“Fresh Fruit for Rotting Eyeballs” Dead Kennedys documentary (YouTube video)
Photo by Tommy Hearns
Photo by Curt Hoppe
(Top to bottom): The Ramones logo; Arturo Vega self-portrait; Joey Ramone, Arturo Vega and Legs McNeil in 1978; Vega painting a concert backdrop; Arturo Vega’s Ramones logo tattoo; The New York Times front page on August 10, 1974
The Ramones Logo
“What Does The Ramones Logo Mean?” (Rare article)
“10 Facts About The Ramones' Official Seal Logo” (Merchbar article)
Arturo Vega Obit (The Guardian article)
“Happy, Happy, Happy! - A Memory of Arturo Vega” (Vice article)
The Ramones Play CBGB on September 15, 1974 (YouTube Video)
The Ramones Museum
CBGB History by Hilly Kristal
Bonus Content:
The Story Behind the Run DMC logo (KernDownForWhat article)