[kj] 25th Anniv. Gig Artwork

[Alexander Smith]

This is, of course, a *SLIGHTLY* sensitive subject, given our 
friendship and allegiance to Mr.Coles, but I was just curious as to the 
wider opinion of the artwork that the `Joke are currently shilling. 
Let's review, shall we?  Incidentally, I have no earthly idea who *DID* 
handle the designs for the Anniversary gig...it very well may have been 
a band member or even a Gatherer for all I know (though I strenuously 
doubt the latter). In such instancea, I don't mean to slander anyone.

Black t-shirt: Same design as poster. Font that looks MYSTERIOUSLY 
similar to Colesy's HEADCOUNT font. Color-scheme of Red, Black and 
Green (I wonder who chose it? ::rimshot:::). Red, Black and Green? I 
thought this was a KJ gig, not a Public Enemy show. Har Har. Legend 
reads: "Twenty Five Years of Progress" in faux-Russian characters. 
Well, technically twenty-six, actually...and there *were* some dry 
patches wherein no progress was truly made. Let's be honest, shall we?  
Images depicted: a speeding train (ummmm.....why?) and two jesters, one 
brandishing a bomb-shell and wearing a gas mask. Design on back 
features new KJ logo as quasi-Soviet insignia (not at all unlike the 
Prong insignia circa RUDE AWAKENING). Coincidence?


Green t-shirt: Much more subdued. Same mystery font on front. Back 
appended with individual runes to signify each band member (Jaz: 
spider, Geordie: lizard, Raven: bird, Ben: bulldog) inna sort've Led 
Zep four stylee.


The only reason I brought this up was that on Saturday, Mike was cool 
enough to show Andy & myself images he'd been cooking up for the band 
prior to the unfortunate fallout with Big Life. Let me just say that I 
stunned how anyone could have passed these up. I'm not knocking the 
designs that eventually came to be, but folks.....if you could've only 
*SEEN* these pictures!!!! Suffice to say, they were something else. 
Hopefully they'll surface somewhere someday, as it's heartbreaking that 
Mike keeps them in cold storage on his computer.

Alex in NYC