G.I. Joe American Hero & Rambo Patch

The Joe Team standing in front of the American Flag

GI Joe and Rambo were more than just feeling in the 80s. If you were an American boy born in the mid 70s and allowed to watch TV cartoons, these shows had a role in the foundation of your sense of American Patriotism.

GI Joe was created in 1964, launched with worry as a doll for boys. But this was one risk well worth its gamble. Boys didn't mind playing with dolls so long as they came with guns, weapons, and gadgets.


Insignia of COBRA
GI Joe dolls did well and in 1982 the popular small action figure set and comic book was created with Marvel Comics. Also introduced in 1982 was GI Joe's enemy - Cobra - an international terrorist organization bent of destroying freedom (see the video below). Cobra's insignia was of course the outline of a Cobra in red.

Rambo Patch

Another patriotic go USA icon of the 80s was Rambo. Rambo was originally a book - First Blood 1972 - by David Morell. Ten years later the Hollywood movie adaptation was made - First Blood - and starred Silvester Stallone as Rambo in 1982. Rambo would spawn two sequels, but in 1986 an animated version of Rambo for kids was created - Rambo and the Forces of Freedom.

Kid friendly Rambo featured a patch. It had an American Bald Eagle in flight - with talons extended to the lower left. The Eagle was superimposed on disc that featured nine red and white stripes - like the original Son's of Liberty. On the lower side of the disc is written the motto ' THE FORCE OF FREEDOM.'

Rambo's Friends with Rambo Patch

Rambo and the Forces of Freedom is a Yin and Yang compliment to GI Joe: An American Hero. GI Joe worked as team against a power hungry army that used terrorism to destroy human freedom. But animated Rambo fought solo - with some technical help - against General War Hawk in order to protect the, "Peace Loving People of the World." (see video below)


Animated Intro of GI Joe & Rambo Animated Series

Insignia of the Transformers - Autobot & Decepticon

Insignia of the Autobot

who do not steal energy & cared about people

If you grew up in the 1980s then your introduction the word insignia may have come from a toy - the Transformers. Transformers were the it boy toy in the early 80s. They were basically vehicles that transformed into robots. So enchanting as these toys were that in the 2000s they would have a revival in Hollywood.

Like Yin and Yang there was division of powers between the 'good' robots and 'bad' robots. The good robots are the Autobots who are usually some kind of automobile, while the 'bad' robots are the Decepticons who are flying machines, except for the leader who is a gun and his lieutenant which is a magnetic recording device and master of other animal like robotic slaves.


Insignia of the Decepticons
who were Deceptive, stole energy & saw humans as worthless

The original toys came with a heat sensitive sticker. At room temperature or below the sticker would be black but once pressed, and then heated the insignia of the transformer would glow. This added another element to an already complex toy. Often times younger kids would be mystified when older kids would transform a complex robot, when it was beyond their capability. However there were many adults and too cool older children you couldn't master the transformation of some complex robots.

The Transfomers were part model toy car-airplane, part puzzle, part robot-doll, and their space in American-Japanese kid culture was cemented with well television show oriented for kids but spiced with adult topics.

This was a ground breaking toy at the right time and the right place. The joy of the toy planted a seed that bloomed nearly 20 years later. Who knows what will come in 20 more years - a live action Pokemon-CGI/5-D Movie like Avatar?

Solubury Township, Buck County PA

under construction

Township Logo of Solebury in 2011

The Hearaldry of Harry Potter

Hogwarts United Coat of Arms

When a new student arrives at Hogwarts, they are assigned to one of four houses. This is done by the Sorting Hat - that talks. The Sorting Hat seems to read the intentions and feelings of the wearer and assigns the student via a magical dynamic and sense of proper destiny.

The four teaching teams at Hogwarts are Gryffindor the Lion, Hufflepuff the Badger, Ravenclaw the Eagle, and Slytherin the Snake.

Each house has its own livery of colours. Subsequently the Harry Potter Fan Base has created heralds for these houses at Hogwarts. J.K. Rowling tapped a nerve in English Folklore that has begotten a life of its own.

The House of Hufflepuff

Their emblem is the badger and the colours are black and yellow. The badger proverbially lives in the underworld, unseen by most muggles.





House of Slytherin

Their emblem is the snake and their colours are green and white. This animal is actually very nice. Muggles have an insatiable appetite to dominate the universe but the snake refuses, instead Muggles must learn to respect the snake.





House of Ravenclaw

Ravenclaw's emblem is not synonymous with its name - it is rather the Eagle. But in the final movie - Deathly Hallows 2 - there is a raven on the flag. There is also an eagle head on the crest of the helmet.







House of Gryffindor

The is house of Harry Potter. Its totem is the most famous of all - the Lion. The Lion is beloved by the Muggles and it is also the emblem for several nations - Scotland, Denmark, and England. Muggles and persons of magic are both enchanted by the power of Lions.








Sorting Hat with Flags of the Four Houses at Hogwarts
integrative Harry Potter DVD game

Vexillology's Ultimate Game - Golf!

Caddy Shack Movie Poster
1980 - the underbelly of golf

No game more effectively uses flags than golf. The objective of the game is to aim for a flag! This game has vexillology written all over it.

Golf has gone though its own cultural revolution, but since Caddy Shack and when the Tiger was let loose - the snooty ceiling was forever shattered. Golf is a game for everyone.

Here is an idea...perhaps Disney could make a Disney World Show Case Course where course or particular hole is thematic of certain nations? It'd be kinda' like miniature golf meets regular 'gargantuan' golf.

Think about it...In 2015 Walt Disney opens an Asian Theme Golf Course - Hole Number One, aim for the Vietnam Flag on a jungle setting next to peaceful rice paddies. Hole Number two - aim for a Chinese Flag and the hazard is a Great Wall. Hole Number three - aim for a Korean flag...and so on!

Flag of the First Tee Organization
Youth Leadership via Golf!
Although many in the Golf Establishment would certainly view such an effort as tacky, think about it! There already is the First Tee Program, which teaches kids good golf values. Who knows maybe Golf is the answer to world peace? If people took something from proper Golf Etiquette, the world would certainly be a better place.

Golf can be good, it's all what you putt into it.

Futurama Flag - by Matt Groening

Flag of the Earth Nation 2999 AD?

Futurama is an animated sitcom born out of the imagination of Matt Groening - who was responsible for the Simpsons.

In Futurama the hero of the story is a pizza delivery born who accidentally gets cryogenically frozen on January 1, 2000 and awakens on December 31, 2999. Much has changed - aliens from distant planets live on earth, robots are sentient, and techonology rules everything. But some things never change - our hero Fry is assigned to be a delivery boy, as determined by a talent microchip that matches people to their best job.

Logo of Planet Express

The result is a satire on culture, gadgets, robots and all sorts of space age antics. If Star Trek were to have a baby with the Simpsons - Futurama is what you'd get. Although the show is supposed to take place in 1000 years in the future - the show often mocks the modern day with a twisted and witty humour. Essentially people in the future are not so different from today - although they have marvelous technologies and can travel to the moon in a jiffy - the people of earth in 2999 are rather cynical, greedy and prone to stupidity.

The three main characters
Leela (purple hair), Fry (red hair), Bender (the robot)

In one episode Futurama takes on the issue of burning the Flag of Earth, which looks remarkably like the flag of the United States. The primary difference is that there are no stars, instead a cloudless view of the American Hemisphere in its place - on navy blue background. The flag is also called 'Old Freebie' instead of 'Old Glory.'

In the episode we are privy to Mat Groening's view on the issue of burning the American Flag - although Groening never explicitly says so, you'd be a dim wit not to make the connection.

Short Video About Futurama

Comedy Central's Controversial Flags - South Park & the Daily Show

Flag of South Park

Imagination Land, USA

Two immensely popular shows on Comedy Central spawned two imaginary flags that lampoon and allude to the Confederate Flag Controversy, from a supposed 'comedic' point of view. These imaginary flags mirror the issues associated with Confederate Flag without mentioning it. The 'racist' South Park flag was created in 2000 while the anti-'whitey' flag was created in 2010.

School Debate on what to do about the Flag

In South Park's 4th season - July 5, 2000 - the town flag of South Park became the center of a controversy. South Park's most popular African American resident - Chef - claimed the original flag was racist. The original South Park flag showed a black figure being hanged and surrounded by four white figures.

Chef sees the flag as a blatant racist symbol, but many other residents are totally blind to Chef's point of view. Rather they cherish their flag as a cultural symbol of heritage and history.

Is the flag 'History' or 'Racism'?

In one scene the children debate whether or not to change the South Park flag. You can see the full episode by clicking the link below to South Park's Internet site.

Chef Goes Nanners (Warning Adult Content & Language - R)

Flag of Nat Turner Rebellion Catillion
Edited to say 'Like Mikey'

From the 'other' point of view the Daily Show did a comedic-commentary about an imaginary Nat Tuner Flag in an attempt to put the shoe on the other foot of persons who believe the rise of the Confederacy had nothing to do with slavery.

This fictitious flag was created in honor of the Nat Tuner Slave Rebellion in 1831. I have edited the Nat Tuner flag to read, "Like Mikey." However the flag that aired on Comedy Central used more incendiary language. You can see the more controversial flag in the video below.

Disclaimer - The purpose of the blog is to discuss and articulate the modern day points of view about certain flag issues. Please note, the following links and videos should be viewed with discretion or adult supervision.
Comedy Central's biting take about Confederate Flag Issues PG-13

The Daily Show - The South's Secession Commemoration
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

PC NAT TURNER FLAG -
without gore and racism

Although this flag effectively reflects back a certain kind of sentiment about the Confederate Flag, from a certain Northern Point of View, the Daily Show broadly categorizes all Southerners as a group.