The Answers’ busy gigging schedule (at the Headquarters and other venues) between 1981 and 1984 generated myriad flyers by a variety of artists, many of them masterworks of psychedelic imagery. Much of the art was created by two towering figures: Jerry Cornelius and Answers guitarist/vocalist Dave Fleminger.
Of Jerry, Tom Ward writes, “Sooner or later, one way or another, we’ll have all of Jeremiah’s flyer illustrations. My junk is in storage on the other side of the country, but I made a point at the time of saving all the Cornelius flyers. You could see that each was an effort to top the previous one, and it was good work. I had the feeling a day would come when they’d be needed in an archival sense. … To me they were, after awhile, like the expressions of a local Aubrey Beardsley. … [T]hey added a real measure of class to the events they heralded, and were a distinct part of the flowering of our particular underground.
“When Mr. Cornelius moved, it was a drag to no longer have his flyer designs appearing ‘out of nowhere’ as they’d been doing for a good two years. They were very vivid drawings, even in mere black-and-white.”
Meanwhile, the identities of some other worthy entrants (like the creators of the two pieces above) will require a Che Underground memory boost. “Jerry definitely did the big eye with the Taj Mahal, but the other flyers are complete mysteries,” Fleminger writes.
Can you help us ID the other artists? (The one on the right left seems to be “RIK.”) And do you have memories of these gigs or other Headquarters events to share?
Answers MP3s:
Actually, I’d like someone graphics-savvy to explain how the unknown artist on the left created that “vibrating” effect. I know how I’d do it in Photoshop, but this was years before the dawn of the Digital Age.
hm… in small writing on the Pop Art, Biff Bang Pow one, it says “Pop Goes Art Studio”- name that artist!
And here’s another clue for you all… what does it say in the lower left?
“Your Friends Are All Running Amok”
The Who flyer is pretty classic Jerry Cornelius--the lettering style is a dead giveaway. As for the flyer on the left, I’m almost positive it was done by Rick Wilson. The spiderweb and lettering is very similar to several TTH flyers he did, as well as Dave Klowden’s bass drum head.
>>The spiderweb and lettering is very similar to several TTH flyers he did, as well as Dave Klowden’s bass drum head.
Yes! That’s where I saw the style before. It’s very distinctive and actually convinced me to make that optometrist appointment I’ve been postponing. 🙂
Do we know if Mr. Wilson continued in the visual arts? Seriously, this is hella cool.
Rick was working for a sign company for a while, doing old fashioned hand painted signs.
This flyer’s another fun example of how flyers were used as lobbying tools by individual bands on a bill. This piece makes no bones about its Answers advocacy … “NOTICE: If you came to see The Answers please let the club know when you purchase your ticket. Your support and mention of our name helps us and is greatly appreciated — The Boys in the Band”
The Headquarters headcount was a big deal for a while, the guy who ran the place paid close attention to those numbers…we would work the system and enlist friends to ask everyone to say they came to see us… a couple times we got more votes than the headliners. Don’t remember if that led to us getting paid more (as in more games of Asteroids and xtra Sheldons food) but it definitely led to us booking more gigs there.
The backround design of Rick’s flyer looks like it might be marbled paper. The bookbinder’s version of the psychedelic lightshow, made by passing paper under swirled viscous inks floating on top of water.
Behind the curve on this one, but early flyers were usually great, I’ve certainly kept large boxes of them. Also a huge thanks to Jerry for his artwork on the first Manual Scan EP (and the later “Lost Sessions” EP)
It was included in the book “The Album Cover Art of Punk” (three different versions of the book out there, all of them include it). I also have to mention that David Anderson made a lot of great flyers…
Bart
Dave,
I remember those counts at Headquarters and Club Zu. I can also picture Jerry Cornelius hanging out by the ticket window telling everyone to say they came to see the Answers (or whoever he was managing that week).
Paul
Hi Paul!! Great to see you here!!!
Someday we’ll know precisely how many bands Jerry managed during the years, as manager he wasn’t above going person to person to help us get a higher headcount, along with designing the flyers, introducing the band…and making the scene..
What was the name of the guy who ran Headquarters? Did he go on to promote any other shows or clubs?
What an amazing time for underage clubs..
Dave Fleminger: In our Headquarters thread, Dave Ellison identifies Steve Gallaway as the Headquarters booker — a name that has evaporated entirely from my memory.
Welcome, Paul! What this place needs is some more Pauls and a couple of Daves.
Oh, and to answer your question -- None of us ever heard from Golloway again. Very strange.
Is Jim Soules the real name of the celebrated Hypnotist Dr Dean?
No, but apparently Jim is still out there in SD producing musicals of some sort for the San Diego Seniors Theatre or something of the kind. Maybe we could send Medico’s band up there to lend a hand. We’ll all be getting our AARP cards pretty soon anyway.
Paul: Yes, in junior high I was definitely obsessed with the concept of forming a band called “Do It”….preparing for albums such as “Do It in the Dirt”, “Do It With a Donut”, “Do It Again”…ad infinitum. I do have a couple cassettes of Do It, my first ever “band”, consisting of two electric guitars, a guy on one of those little electric organs (electric but basically is a blow-dryer going thru reeds, all made out of plastic with button chords on the left, and you couldn’t hear it over the guitars anyway), and another classmate on his Xmas gift drumset….and over and over we attempt to play “Takin’ Care of Business”…
Basically I was trying to emulate Paul’s junior high band Forum, who seriously became my total heroes when they rocked that BTO song at the 1977 Standley Junior High talent show and forever changed my life.
Inspired..I got my first guitar the following Summer..
Forum even had an electric violinist (Mr. Fish)….cool!!
Over the next couple years (and neighborhood parties..always great to hear the band down the street as you were walking towards the party house) Forum went through name and personnel changes, ultimately becoming The Ex-Offenders. In the 1982 Clairemont High talent show Manual Scan and The Ex-Offenders both played and did our part to destabilize the status quo. Scan caused a near riot by inviting some mods to dance in the aisles (oh, the humanity! didn’t take a lot to freak people out back then I guess) and then the show’s closing act The Ex-Offenders kicked off their set by publicly telling off the school security guard before an appreciative audience!!
Jim Soules was the Dean of Palomar College, so maybe he was also Dr. Michael Dean…
I love the thought of Medico’s band playing the Senior Theatre!!! Awesome!
Dave, great post. I was laughing my head off in a meeting reading this & everyone was looking at me like I was out of my mind. Your talent was always in there waiting to come out & I am glad that rocking the Silvertone Jazzmaster at the Jr High talent show helped that along. You’re right though, that band started the thread that became the X-Offenders (which will probably get me kicked out of the Che Underground site).
Paul
Better late then never, no Matt? There used to be wrapping paper that had that swirly effect, which it looks like Rick just pasted the lettering onto…
the real name of hypnotist dr. michael dean is dr. sanford i. berman, he also happens to be my father.