Category: Articles

Anthrax has the most unique mascot in heavy metal. Instead of a demonic beast or undead specter, the band adopted a grinning, balding, goofball as their official representative. Meet the Not Man! The Not Man first appeared on t-shirts while touring behind Spreading the Disease. Vinyl copies of Among the Living immortalized the newly minted mascot with an insert. By consciously shunning the skull-centric imagery that haunted the heavy metal landscape, Anthrax used art as an extension of their legendary sense of humor.  By 1988’s State of Euphoria, the Not…

The eighties were the golden age of heavy metal! Even if you weren’t able to attend concerts, ample opportunities existed to collect metal shirts. From kiosks in the mall to adverts in magazines, affordable t-shirts were widely available. Album covers always translated into a killer t-shirt. Exclusive artwork created for merchandise were even cooler. These rare designs are the t-shirts that we will revisit. IRON MAIDEN Iron Maiden were the undisputed kings of the metal shirt. Eddie was a merchandizers dream. Each album brought a new permutation to the mascot…

Allister Fiend is an under-represented mascot. Unlike Dio, Quiet Riot, and Iron Maiden, Motley Crue did not feature their alter ego on album covers. Instead, the cartoonish mascot found life in an endless succession of t-shirts. Whether supporting Theatre of Pain or Girls, Girls, Girls, Allister Fiend ensured the band was always shouting at the devil. Pentagrams remained a consistent theme in Motley Crue artwork. Allister Fiend was the star of other merchandise. The sleezy rocker adorned countless bedroom walls in a series of poster designs. Denim jackets were a…