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Occupy movement

Activism

Download Alan Moore’s First Single, “The Decline of English Murder”

By Caroline Stanley on

When you read Alan Moore’s name, a lot of things probably come to mind, but “recording artist” is probably not one of them. Today — which, as our UK readers and V for Vendetta fans know, just so happens to be Guy Fawkes Day — that changes forever. The reclusive comic book god/Rasputin impersonator has recorded “The Decline of English Murder,” a protest song to benefit the British arm of the Occupy movement. The release is well-timed, given that over 5,000 people are currently marching on the Houses of Parliament as part of the Anonymous-orchestrated Operation Vendetta. Click through to listen to Moore sing-speak his lyrics about the greed of the banks and incompetence of the state, set to music by Joe Brown, and then download the track here, if you’re so inclined! … Read More

Art

Amusing Drawings of America’s Founding Fathers Duking It Out

By Alison Nastasi on

Negative space, expressive gestures, and historical icons make up New York City-based artist Jason A. Maas‘ Founding Fathers A-Team series — a playful take on America’s early political leaders and statesmen. The graphite and mineral spirits drawings depict George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and other United States trailblazers in fighting stance, fists curled and ready for action. All they need is a black GMC van to complete the look — which John Adams may be hiding somewhere in his hair.

Maas also focuses on other (serious) political themes in his work — particularly the Occupy movement — “[confronting] the current understanding of how we view journalistic images of social unrest that proliferate the media… ” See it all past the break and in an upcoming exhibit (July 11-August 11) co-curated by the artist at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York City. … Read More

Pop Culture

Flavorpill’s Cultural Resolutions for 2012

By Judy Berman on

Enjoy Saturday’s night of revelry, readers, because when you wake up the next morning (or afternoon, we don’t judge), it’ll be time to reassess your life and commit yourself to unreasonable goals in hopes of self-improvement in 2012. Resolutions come in all shapes and sizes, and while many are deeply personal, Flavorpill’s are very public. We’ve created a list of our cultural resolutions for the new year — changes we’d like to see in the arts and entertainment landscape over the next 12 months, from trends that need to die to movements from 2011 that should make a bigger impact in 2012. Read our resolutions after the jump, and leave your own in the comments. … Read More

Comics

Is Your Favorite Cartoonist Part of Occupy Comics?

By Judy Berman on

The Occupy movement has garnered plenty of support from the arts community over the past few months, with musicians ranging from Jeff Mangum to Third Eye Blind serenading protesters and petition sites like Occupy Writers and Occupy Musicians popping up. Now, cartoonists are also declaring themselves, via Occupy Comics. The… Read More

Politics

‘Sin City’ Author Frank Miller Calls Occupy Protesters “Pond Scum”

By Judy Berman on

Rapists. Thieves. Louts. Clowns. An unruly mob. Pond scum. Losers. Schmucks. That pretty much sums up the stream of insults Sin City author/artist Frank Miller has hurled at Occupy protesters around the country. In a blog post that enraged Richard Metzger at Dangerous Minds, Miller writes, “‘Occupy’ is nothing short of… Read More

Art

Pic of the Day: Banksy Plays Monopoly at Occupy London

By Judy Berman on

Rich Uncle Pennybags — yes, that is the Monopoly guy’s real name — doesn’t seem so happy in the photo above, perhaps because his bank is floundering and he needs some bailout money to fill his top hat. The sculpture, which has been attributed to Banksy (who apparently won’t even show his face to radicals),… Read More

Activism

Watch ‘The Big Lebowski’s’ Dude Visit Occupy LA

By Judy Berman on

So far, Occupy Wall Street has been getting all the celebrity visits. (You heard, didn’t you, that Russell Brand and his wife, what’s-her-name, visited Zuccotti Park with Russell Simmons over the weekend?) But did you know that, over a week ago, the guy who inspired The Dude from The Big Lebowski made a trip to Occupy Los Angeles over a week ago? As Slate reports, Jeff Dowd seemed to be enjoying himself there, and had a lot to say about America’s shift from a “production-based” to a “financially based” economy. He also found time to praise the late Steve Jobs, because “what the guy stood for was making things.” (Never mind that many of these things ended up being made in China.) Watch the dude preach for a solid 11 minutes after the jump. … Read More