Back to the Future Flags - Part I, the Pennant Streamers

Rainbow Pennant Streamers

Back to the Future - 1985

It was 56 years ago today that history was torn asunder when Dr. Emmit Brown was inspired to create the flux capacitor which allows for the possibility of time travel - on Saturday November 5, 1955. Coincidentally today's date is Saturday November 5, 2011.

Dr. Brown would have to wait another 30 years until the other fields of technology caught up with him. And in 1985 he constructed a time machine out of a DeLorean.

This is the premise of Back to the Future - which became a glorious gem in Hollywood. It was one of those experimental untested plots that marketing departments were afraid to touch - since it didn't fit into their profit plan margins. But Universal Studios took a leap of faith and the results were extraordinary.

Flags or rather vexilloids also play an important role in this film. The key 'flags' that save the day are Pennant Strings or Pennant Streamers. The Pennant Strings make an appearance in all three movies. In Back to the Future 1985 - we see them as attention getting decorations for the developers of Lyon Estates, where Marty McFly lives in 1985. They are a rainbow of colours that includes red, orange, yellow, green, sea green, sky blue, dark blue and white.

Marty McFly's Dream Automobile
a custom 4x4 Toyota Pickup

The Pennant Streamers make a second appearance in Part I on a Black Toyota Truck that Marty wishes for while standing in center of town. The amazing coincidence is that the Pennant Streamers on the 'Custom 4x4 for Statler Toyota' are the similar to the ones used for Lyon Estates in 1955. It makes sense since an R&D budget for Pennant Streamers is low or non-existent, for flag manufactures.

Back to the Future, Part II - 1989

Happy Marty McFly
with Yellow Pennant Streamer

In Back to the Future Part II 1989, the Pennant Streamers play a more star studded role. The pimped out DeLorean may have gotten Marty and Doc into a temporal pretzel knot, but unconventional help from these small triangular flags, pushes the plot forward. It is an echo of the axiom, you never know where help will come from.

Sad Marty McFly
with Red Pennant Streamer Flag

The Pennant Streamers run the gambit of high and low for Marty McFly, sort of like the time machine. It can bring on positive and sometimes negative results.

On close inspection of the Pennant Streamers one may notice that they are different between Part I and Part II. The Pennant Streamers in Back the Future - Part II 1989 do not have the colour blue and seem out of order. This is easily explained by the temporal ripple effect that alters reality a wee bit, with each time jump.

This also explains the two physical forms of Jennifer Parker. With all this time jumping, it causes two variants of Jennifer Parker to appear - or rather two realities. However neither Marty nor Doc are aware of Ms. Parker's physical chrono-shift.

The time ripple effect explains the slight physical
change with Jennifer Parker

This also means that Doc and Marty's perception of the original Jennifer Parker 'has, is, or was' wiped away from existence in their mind or rather, replaced. Marty may not have noticed, since his life force is so intimately linked with Jennifer's on a sub-cosmic level.

Nonetheless it is the same Jennifer Parker in all realities. Thus the difference of Pennant Streamers between to Part I and Part II is due to the "Time Ripple." This also explains the discrepancy between some the predictions of 2015 that seem way off their mark. But we are allowed to see the shift - or alternate time line-reality.*

In the time line where George McFly stands up to the bullies and becomes a successful writer it also changes his future world. George McFly's successful work as a science fiction writer inspires others into the field of science. Consequently his inspirational writing advances technology, by the year 2015 the world has cold fusion, hover boards, flying cars, and the cascade of events see that Princess Diana of 1985-A does not die in a car crash in 1997 via the butterfly effect. Rather Princess Diana lives on to visit Washington in 2015. Gene Roddenberry had a similar effect when he wrote about his 'imaginary' or rather visionary universe of Star Trek.


Back to the Future Part III - 1990

In the final chapter the Pennant Streamers make a small cameo in the last scene. Once again they serve as decorations for selling new homes. But the colours are limited to yellow and sky blue.

The Pennants are barely visible in the background right before the drag race.


Power of Love by Huey Lewis and the News 1985


up next --- - - - - - -
THE VEXILLOLOGY OF BACK TO THE FUTURE PART II
The US and California State Flags

*Also when this movie was being made there was another time split of 1985-V that featured Eric Stolz as Marty McFly. This is where, from our point of view, the 'aborted part II back to the 1960s episode' resonates from. And in that timeline Michael J. Fox's career ends with Teen Wolf and Michael Dukakis is elected president in 1988.

SpongeBob with the official Bikini Bottom Flag

Here it is again the official flag of Bikini Atoll on the imagined isle next to SpongBob's place.

The 23 white stars in the blue canton represent the 23 islands of Bikini Atoll. The three black stars near the upper right represent the 3 isles that were terraformed in 1954 by US nuclear art deco techniques. The two black stars next to the Bikini Native words represent the two far away places where Bikini Natives had to move to - Kili Island and Majuro Atoll.

The language on the flag is Marshallese, which can be translated as 'the universe is perpetually molded by the divine.' Although Bikini Atoll is no longer officially a part of the USA, the imprint of left by the United States had an intense effect in more ways than one. Also note that Bob, Pat, Squiddy, and Mr. C are all, in theory, Marshallese Citizens.




Mr. Square-Pants holding the Bikini Atoll Flag. Note that he also has a 'Welcome Pineapple' flag in front of his pineapple house.

A forlorn alignment of Grenada and St. Kitts-Nevis pre-independence flags

Retired Flag of St. Kitts & Nevis
adopted in 1967

Before Grenada and St. Kitts-Nevis became independent nations from the UK, their flags had similar patterns and colours. However note that Anguilla would later leave the Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla threesome and remain a 'colony' of the UK unto this very day.

Coincidentally in 1967 both Grenada and St. Kitts & Nevis adopted the colours sky blue, yellow, and green with a plant in the central honor position. St. Kitts & Nevis used a vertical tri-panel, while Grenada used a horizontal tri-panel. Another difference is that Grenada had a centrally placed nutmeg fruit dangling from a branch, while St. Kitts and Nevis (Anguilla as well) used a black tropical palm tree.

Retired Flag of Grenada
adopted in 1967

Their pre-independence flags were temporal twins, since both were adopted in 1967. Likewise both nations are a part of the Caribbean and have similar yet distinct histories and cultures. Neither nation would hold on to their early designs or colours. However the essence of these flags would live on in another Caribbean nation - St. Vincent and the Grenadines.

The Gelfling Badge-Symbol

The three leafed Gelfling Symbol
on the far right

The main character in the Dark Crystal 1982 centered on Jen a young male Gelfling. The time comes when a rare celestial alignment occurs that heralds a cataclysmic change. But in order to restore a natural balance Jen must fulfill a certain prophecy.

Gelfling Symbol in triangle with shard of the Dark Crystal

On his cosmic earthly adventure Jen comes across the ruins of his ancestors. There he recognizes a few symbols and 'words that stay.' All throughout the forbidden Gelfling Ruins, a three leafed icon can be found. It seems to represent the Gelflings or Gelfling Royalty. Perhaps it is related to the 'three suns becoming one prophecy?'

Likewise, Jim Henson was prophetic in 1982 when he created this movie. The world of the Dark Crystal centered on planet with three suns. Back in the 1980s and 1990s many persons - even with pHDs - assumed that a trinary star system would not gravitationally allow for the formation of planets. But in 2005 Henson's imagination was proven correct with the discovery of planet in HD 188753 - which is a triple star system.

Kira Sitting on the Gelfling Throne?

Thus the view from a moon or other planet in the HD 188753 Star System would have a view similar to the one depicted in the Dark Crystal.

The Dark Crystal Scepter and Wands of Wisdom, or Palmer Vexilloid

Original Movie Poster

The Dark Crystal 1982

The Dark Crystal was a feature science-fiction fantasy film from 1982, heralded out of the fantastic imagination of Jim Henson. This film used ground breaking puppetry that transported audiences to a land far far away. The theme of the film weaves elements of mysticism, coincidence, destiny, astronomy, and the seemingly perpetual struggle between good light and bad dark forces.

There are multiple 'linguistically' sentient species in the Dark Crystal World. The legend of the Dark Crystal centers on two seemingly oppositely charged races - the bold and selfish Skeksis and calm and selfless Mystics.

The Skeksis and Mystics both carry staffs or wands of rank. The Skeksis are rather dogmatic and are ruled by an emperor. The Emperor Skeksis' chief object of power denoting rule and stature is the Imperial Skeksi Scepter. This scepter is made of precious metals - perhaps gold, silver, and or other unknown jewels and metals. At the top of the scepter is a crescent shape that seems to mimic the shape of the Skeksis head.

A Mystic Carrying a Palmer like Staff
Each Staff of the Mystics is unique
note the tassel and rock finial

On the other hand the Mystics all carry their own staff that is unique for each Mystic. Every Mystic walks with a simple homemade staff of wisdom. The material of the Mystic's wands seems to be made of less than precious metal. They are rather simple easy to come by stones decorated with designs and tassels.

These Dark Crystal vexilloids are similar to a Palmer's staff in heraldry.

The Imperial Skeksis Scepter
on the pillow

To the right, the Emperor Skeksi passionately and greedily holds on to the Imperial Scepter on his deathbed. Note the crescent shape of the final with golden inlays. The crescent shape can be found throughout the Dark Crystal Palace, as a pattern and on their clothing.

In 1982 Jim Henson's imaginative planet in a triple star system seemed like a far fetched idea, some scientists though it was an absurd idea - a gravitational impossibility. But in 2005 a planet was found amongst a triple star system - HD 188753... or rather the J Henson 1982 Star Star System.

Missouri splits in two and joined the Confederacy 150 years ago today

The Show Me State

Flag of Deimos, the lesser moon of Mars

Flag of Deimos

Lesser moon of Mars

The flag of Deimos uses the colours scarlet, purple, white, and black. Centered is a red eyed demonic face. Above the head is a red crescent moon that represents Mars and simultaneously the moon. There are six purple triangles, within each triangle is a red six pointed star.

The Federation of South Arabia and Tanzania - Afroasian Flag Twins

Flag of South Arabia
1962-1967

The flags of Tanzania and South Arabia align by colours and design - sky blue, yellow, green, and black. The flag of South Arabia is no longer official. South Arabia would eventually evolve into Yemen after the cold war.

These lands lie or lied along the Indian Ocean at the cross roads between Asia and Africa. It was with union of Zanzibar with Tanganyika that Tanzania was created with a new flag. Thus from 1962 unto 1967 these flags were in active alignment.

Flag of Tanzania

Likewise the cultural roots of Zanzibar stem from Southern Arabia or modern day Yemen. With these two nations the cultures of Arabia and Africa come together. They are distant nations yet related.

Fraternal Partners
Tanzania & South Arabia

Flag for HD 188753 or rather the Jim Henson Star System

One of the many possible views
from in this triple Star System

In 1982 Jim Henson created the imaginative world of the Dark Crystal. In it we see a planet with three suns. There were many scientists who argued that planets could not exist in such a system. Well in 2005 a planet was found in a triple star system. Henson was right, thus a fitting name for this star system is the Jim Henson Star System.

Flag Proposal for Turks and Caicos Islands

Turks and Caicos Flag Proposal
if independence is ever chosen

It conserves the official badge of the Turks and Caicos. It follows the design of the former Republic of Anguilla. However both Turks & Caicos and Anguilla are still 'colonies' of the United Kingdom.

They both had opportunities to go independent - but held on the Mother Britannia when the time came.

Republic of Anguilla 1967-1969

Turks and Caicos were formerly a part of the the Bahamas but opted to remain an official part of Britain. Geographically Turks and Caicos are a part of the Bahamas but separated by politics.

Anguilla was also connected to its neighbors but chose to go its own way.

Independent Nations by 2023?

Hello Kitty and Moshi Moshi Neko

Moshi Moshi Neko Flag
with hiragana script

Hello Kitty is popular in America, Japan and around the world. This cat from Japan with an English name seems to be the epitome of cute.

To balance this cuteness there is Moshi Moshi Neko, which is literally Japanese for 'hello kitty.' Moshi Moshi Neko is black and always wears a scarf. But like Hello Kitty Moshi Moshi Neko wears a blue jacket but with red buttons.

Hello Kitty Flag
with Japanese Katakana Script

Flags in the Goonies

American Flag Sticker on Data's Boom Box

Chunk's Orange Bicycle Pennant Flag

Flags at Astoria Beach ROV Race

Intro of GOONIES 1985 with flags

United Nations Day 2011

Happy United Nations Day,

It took two World Wars to get a world forum-community center on its feet. The League of Nations like World War I is a mostly forgotten war.

The UN is a world community center-forum.

Ghostbusters Insignia

Just in time for Halloween 2011 - the Ghostbusters icon. Unleashed upon the imagination of the world back in 1984, this was a ghost movie for the history books. This movie was an exquisite blend of humor, science fiction, horror, and paranormal studies.

Carried by a mad funny cast and unique story, this movie became a phenomena unto itself. Perhaps the best NYC movie of all time, after watching this movie, a part of you can't help but love New York City!

The logo of the Ghostbusters corporation featured a white ghost on the red circular banning censor.


Original Ray Parker Jr. Video with the Ghostbusters

A-ha Cheker Flag and Racing Numbers

The Checker Flag in A-ha Video

The most famous flag of racing makes an appearance in the music video Take on Me by A-ha. NASCAR, Go-cart, Indy Car, Motor Cross, Formula 1, Monster Trucking, and video game racing may all attract different types of people...but they are all united by the chase of a checker flag. It is a black and white weave that signals the end of the race. A race of man in complete union with machine.


Back in 1985 a Norwegian pop band that broke the visual music-arts barrier. Was it the song or video that rocketed them to the top? No matter it was a conjunction of sound and video and enchanted the world. The video blurred the line between reality and art. It was a perfect if odd match of music and image.



The numbers #13 and #77 feature as racing numbers in the video. The bad guys carry the #13 and it isn't clear if the hero is #77, but it seems so. Since #77 appears behind the band several times. In the video #77 sometimes appears backwards along with the backwards 'R'. They must have reversed it in order to get the over etching art effect. Here it is corrected to show #77 facing the 'proper' way.

Who is Number 77?

A humors yet eye opening take on the video

The Kabyle and Ogoni Flags - Sahara Twins on the Fringe

Flag of the Kabyle
An unrecognized 'Berber Nation' of North Africa

Here are two flags of Africa that wish to be their own nation someday the Kabyle of Algeria and the Ogoni of Nigeria.

The world is keenly aware of Tibet and Palestine but in Africa too, there are people who wish to a nation unto themselves.

The Ogoni People have long resisted the powers that be, starting in WWI they resisted British Occupation of their lands. In the 1990s the Ogoni resisted the Shell Corporation and other petroleum based corporations.

The Kabyle People are the Berber people who did not loose their Berber language and customs from the Orient. The Kabyle like the Ogoni people have been blessed with fossil fuels. It has brought on attention and put both their peoples on the stage of resource poor technologically advanced peoples from far away.

Flag of the Ogoni
An unrecognized 'nation' is Sub-Sahara Africa

Both flags use the colours blue, green, and yellow but of slightly different tints. The order of colours is also different. Both flags also use red icons. The Ogoni flag has six red stars while Kabyle flag has red six pointed figure.

Will these people ever gain an acceptable level of autonomy? Only time will tell, in the meantime they will be regarded as 'rebel' flags in their respective recognized nations of 'Al-geria' and 'Ni-geria.'

Midway and Navassa - American Isles in the middle

Flags of Midway and Navassa

The flags of Midway and Navassa are similar in design and are fraternal flag twins. They both use similar colours of different tints - white, green and blue. Midway has a seagull on it while Navassa has light house.

Both islands are midpoints between continents. Midway is in the Pacific in between Asia and America, while Navassa is in the Atlantic midway between North and South America.


Midway was witness to the greatest aircraft carrier battle between the Empire of Japan and the United States during WWII. But Navassa, was witness to its own mini war/rebellion, but on a much smaller scale - Guano War of 1889. The Navassa Guano Rebellion of 1889 was eventually settled in the US Supreme Court in 1890.

Today Navassa and Midway are peaceful, remote and tiny isles with little to do, but allow birds to rear their young. They are American soil beyond the 50 states.

Navassa and Midway are governed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

A Series of Unfortunate Events Flag or Eye Spy Pennant

The Baudelaire Children in the boat
with the special Eye Spy Pennant

The movie A Series of Unfortunate Events 2004 was a movie based upon the stories written by Mr. Handler, Dan or rather Lemony Snicket. The theme running though the movies deals with the mysterious paradox of misfortune that can with time and distance oddly become good fortune.

The story centers on the three talented orphans of the well to do Baudelaire family - Violet, Claus, and Sunny. Violet is the oldest with a mechanical penchant like MacGyver. Claus the middle son is like a walking encyclopedia like Eddie Morra from Limitless. And Sunny is an insightful little girl with a powerful bite like Jaws from the James Bond movie the Spy Who Loved Me.

The Snicket or Eye Spy Pennant

In the ending credits a flag is featured on the animated boat. Here is a reconstruction based upon the flag. The colours are black and white. It is a swallowtail pennant with another hidden double swallowtail at the ends of the bigger swallowtail.

Flag of the most western isle of Asia - Aspronisi

Flag of the most Western Isle of Asia
Aspronisi - the uninhabited island in the sky

This is the flag of the most Western Island of Asia - Aspronisi. Aspronisi is an island in the Mediterranean Sea in between Turkey and Greece. Officially it's a part of Greece, but closer to Turkey. And it is uninhabited.

The colours are red, yellow and white. The red disc near the fly represents the Sun and the East, while the white crescent represents the Moon and the West.

This flag has elements of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Turkey, and even Israel. But this flag reflects mostly the flags of Ottoman and Chinese Empires. They were the last of the 'Middle Age Empires' to fall under the influence of the modern Western nation state political world.




The yellow triangle, or pile, is pointing westward denoting that this is the most wholly western island completely and geographically closer to Asia.

The three six pointed stars represent the three great Asian faiths that have been adopted and made into their own by Europe, Africa and the Americas - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It is a reminder that the great 'Western' Religions originate from Asia, and that the majority of the Holy Lands are in Asia.

Aspronisi formed after the Minoan Eruption (also called the Thera Eruption or Santorini Eruption) that occurred sometime in the 2nd Millennium BC. It is thought that this cataclysmic volcanic episode was responsible for the legend of Atlantis. Such an explosion would have darkened the skies over the region and possibly Egypt.

In Session UK Parliament Flag, ICV 24 at the George Washington Masonic Memorial, Alexandria VA

UK in session Parliament Flag

The following flag was presented to vexillology at the 24 International Congress of Vexillology, that was held at the George Washington Masonic Memorial in Alexandria, Virginia.

Ever since Parliament changed its policy of permanently flying the UK Union flag over Parliament, it has lost its communicative purpose - to signal that British Law makers were in session.

The Parliament Flag would only
fly when law makers are in session

The purpose of this flag is to reestablish the signaling purpose of a flag over Parliament.

Its design is modeled after the typical design of a British Ensign. It has a white background and a badge. The badge is a union of the two symbols - the legendary knights of the round table and the coat of arms of Simon de Montfort who is responsible for England's first directly elected Parliament in 1265.

Not only does this flag restore the communicative aspect of the flag over Parliament but it serves as a reminder of history. We often take democracy for granted and democracies all across the world can appreciate these first of baby steps to the diverse democratic systems of government that rule most nations.

Finally this flag links the legendary era with authentic history unto the modern moment.

Flag of the Lord's Resistance Army and NPR

Flag of the Lord's Resistance Army

in Central Africa - Uganda

Founded in 1987 this rebel army based from Uganda has fought against the government along a fundamentalist mix of native religion and English protestantism. The goal of this Army is to establish a government based on the 10 commandments. Currently this group is listed as terrorist organization for human rights abuses and using children in the military.

NPR as a flag

Coincidentally the colours of n.p.r. or National Public Radio in the United States use a similar colours - red, black, and blue. However NPR espouses completely opposite values versus the Lord's Resistance Army.