Everything Went Black

Black Flag’s bars logo is easily one of the most iconic pieces of band-related art ever. It was created by Raymond Pettibon, older brother of Greg Ginn, who founded the band and SST Records, their label.

Pettibon, who pitched-in on bass early on in the band’s career, created the logo after suggesting the band change their name from Panic to Black Flag when they discovered another band shared the moniker. The logo was meant to look like a rippling black flag, and meant to symbolize anarchy by being the opposite of a white flag which stood for surrender. Also, it was easy to replicate, which led it’s mass reproduction, not just on high school notebooks but on walls, arms, t-shirts, etc., where it continues to be one of the most ripped-off logos in music. There’s even a coffee table book in the works called “Barred for Life,” with nothing but photos of Black Flag tattoos. Here's a few examples of it’s proliferation and inspiration.