CBFA Meeting 2013 - Philadelphia

The Chesapeake Bay Flag Association met yesterday in Philadelphia, starting at Washington Square.  The tour then stopped at the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall.  The highlight of the tour was a private viewing of the Brandywine Flag on generous courtesy.

 Afterwards we were given a private peek at the old Philadelphia US Marine museum where our host Keith Bassolino presented a charming collection of fine flags from his personal collection.  Then we stopped Carpenter's Hall.  Afterwards the group made an obligatory stop at the Betsy Ross House for a tour and group photo. 

Across the street from the Betsy Ross house we were given a behind the scenes tour of the Humphry's Flag Shop. 

Finally we dined on the hallowed grounds of the most enchanted of Colonial Era Restaurants - The City Tavern.  At the Historic Tavern a splendid discussion on flags and other such collectables took prime portion of discussion, as to be expected.  I was able give a short vexi-bit presenting my recently created Colonial Heritage City Flags that honor the nine cities that were at one time temporary capitals of the United States.  Additionally I presented a collection of unique flags created for the memorable lines latitude of longitude. 

The Bengali Badger Flag from Ice Age - Continental Drift 2012

More than 10,000 years ago the animals fight amongst themselves for survival, but a rag tag team made up of a carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores must learn to work together or perish.

This the running theme in the digitally animated series about animals that recently lived on Earth in the past  during the - Ice Age. 

In Ice Age: Continental Drift one of the 'bad guys' is a Bengali Badger with a strange pattern on its back that resembles a jolly roger.  Subsequently he becomes a living flag for his wolf pack of bad guys.


You can see Gupta the Bengali Badger hanging on a stick, becoming a living virtual vexilloid.  His merciless band of animal baddies are lead my a rather large and mean Gigantopithecus.

Nibiru Temple Flags from Star Trek into Darkness - 2013

 The opening scene in Star Trek into Darkness takes place on Nibiru.  The temple of Nibiruians has yellow vexilloid like flag at top, denoting that flag like items are of importance across the galaxy.

 You can see yellow vexilloids on the side.

Aircraft Insignia of Baron Boris von Frankenstein & Vampire Lady Bug Emblem from Mad Monster Party!

  
The leader of the world's monsters - Baron Boris von Frankenstein -  has a personal air force whose aircraft markings feature a human skull with one eye larges than the other.  Note that Baron Boris may be a man or machine, or part man-machine?  Who knows, we will just have to wait for Mad Monster Part II!! Rumor has it that Jason, Freddy, and the Gremlins will be in it?



The original funky bone jam band from the sixties makes an appearance in Mad Monster Party? The emblem of the band is a vampire lady bug with fangs - Little Tibia and the Fibias.

Shipping flag from Mad Monster Party? 1967

 Mad Monster Party? 1967 is a Halloween Classic that features a cavalcade of American Octoberfest Monsters.  With the magic of modern storytelling - it is the rare and hard to find form of art - animated sculpture art.

The monsters have gathered upon one of the few shipping lines - Caribbean Cruises - to sail by a mysterious island, that is home to a mad evil scientist.  During their boat trip the flag of the ship's carrier makes a fleeting cameo on the stern - back end of the ship. 

The flag of the Herring features a red anchor upon a black circle in a white background.  Within the lower half of the circle are blue waves.

Mad Monster Party? 1967 was created naturally unassisted with computers.  This gives it a unique charm that is impossible to appreciate in modern computer assisted kinesthetic-still animation sculpture. 

Vexilloids and Flags from the Munsters Television Show

In the heart of the mid-60s America was given a trick or treat with a surreal Halloween like family - The Munsters.  The was a mish mash Frankenstein Situation Comedy that combined the drama, humor, and horror. 

It was a surreal humorous take on the father knows best sit-coms, but in this case father was a reanimated zombie married to a family of vampires from Transylvania. 

Essentialy absurd and cartoonish, yet very serious and lighthearted.  It followed the standard pack of family situation comedies but it had something special. 

Here Lilly Munster is dressed as Little Bo Peep with a Shepard's cane.



 




 
Behind the shadow of Spot the Dragon is a family coat of arms - assuming they belong to the Munsters.

Oct 1

2013