Glenn Danzig and Hot Topic Merchandise
Despite his controversial image and satanic lyrics, Danzig merch is still a popular figure among metalheads. He has even become the subject of many memes. Memes are humorous images, videos or pieces of text that spread rapidly on the internet.
A Best Danzig Merch bearing the band’s classic skull logo is a great way to show your love for this iconic rock band. You can also get merch from the band’s official website.
Misfits
Outside of KISS and perhaps the Rolling Stones, no band’s logo is more recognizable than the one for the Misfits. And that’s why it was so disturbing when Glenn Danzig filed a lawsuit against his former Misfits bandmates over a Hot Topic merchandising deal.
In the suit, Danzig claims bassist Jerry Only (real name Gerrard Caiafa) secretly registered trademarks for Misfits merchandise behind his back in 2000, essentially cutting him out of any profit. The trademarks included the group’s famous Fiend Skull logo, and the singer claims Only’s actions violated a 1994 contract in which all band members agreed to share in the profits of merchandising deals.
Only denied the claims, calling them “a sour grapes tantrum based on outrageous allegations.” A judge seems to agree, as he has tossed out Danzig’s lawsuit. But the rift between the bandmates is far from over. Only recently released several albums of reissued and unreleased Misfits music on his Plan 9 Records label.
Samhain
Danzig formed Samhain after the Misfits disbanded and went on to produce a number of albums. His music is influenced by horror punk, thrash and death metal. He also has a deep appreciation for the Celtic New Year, Halloween (pronounced “sah-WIN”).
His lyrics are dark and often laced with references to paganism, the occult and the grotesque. Unlike the Misfits, Danzig didn’t air any social or political grievances; instead, his perverted fantasies became his musical themes.
Despite some high points, such as 1984’s Initium, most of the Samhain releases are pretty weak. One exception is the 1992 album Black Aria, which was hailed by critics for its mix of neoclassical music and themes inspired by Angelo Badalamenti. This is a must-listen for fans of Danzig’s work. In addition to his musical career, Glenn Danzig runs the Verotik comic book company and has written a number of novels. He also has a series of documentary films in the works.
Skull logo
One of the most iconic logos in punk rock history belongs to the band Danzig, whose horned skull has graced the cover of the group’s eponymous debut album and numerous other releases. It’s also a prominent feature on the band’s t-shirts. But the logo is not the work of the band’s frontman, Glenn Danzig, but rather comic book artist Michael Golden.
According to a lawsuit Danzig filed against his former Misfits bandmate Jerry Only in a California district court on 3 April, Caiafa has been defrauding him out of royalties from the logo’s sale. He claims that Since 2000, Caiafa has been selling the trademarked Fiend Skull mark under his own name, thereby violating a 1994 agreement wherein the two shared ownership of the marks.
The suit alleges that Caiafa has prevented retailers such as Hot Topic from entering into merchandising deals that include the logo by falsely instructing them that Only is the sole owner of the marks.
Merch Alerts
Danzig T-shirt is best known for his work with horror punk group the Misfits. He has also played with Samhain, his second band, and has a number of solo releases. His early music was influenced by horror movies and gothic theatrics. Later he would move in a more industrial direction with bands like Black Flag and Circle Jerks.
In the 1990s Danzig partnered with Rick Rubin to produce his albums. However, by the release of their fourth album Danzig began to take a more active role in the production of his band’s recordings.
Danzig has been in legal trouble recently, suing his former Misfits bandmate Jerry Only for trademark violations. He claimed that Only has been using the Misfits’ trademarks, including the iconic Fiend Skull logo, without permission. His lawsuit was thrown out of court, though. Only continues to use the trademarked Misfits logo in his merchandise, and has entered into agreements with stores such as Hot Topic.
