Retro Todd's California Republic Flag - Photo from 1890

The flag for the State of California is the kind of flag an artist can have fun with.  On this blog numerous bears from pop-culture have replaced the bear on the official state flag.  Most of the time, it was done here first, and later, other blogs would follow in the wake to catch up and copy.  The flags done with Q*Bert were the original sun-mods that were later followed.  Likewise, this blog was first to put up Science Bear for the Element of Californium.

However this California flag is a Retro-Trutro type of flag that takes the original bear from the Bear Flag Revolt and uses it as the bear.

Likewise, you have to take the other side into account so we have Retro-Redo of the original flag with a the modern official bear.  Enjoy!

Medusa - Clash of the Titans 1981: Dont Tread on Me Flag

One of the grandest effects of movie making was stop animation.  Perhaps the King of Stop Animation was Ray Harryhausen, a true Golden State Warrior from Los Angeles California, who was born about 100 years ago, on June 29, 1920.  Harryhausen added that American charm in cinema and became of Key Note of the classic 1950s sci-fi.  His last major project as the lead imagineer in Hollywood was in 1981 with Clash of the Titans.  His animated Medusa was from another world and would haunt the imaginations of Generation-X.

In honor of this masterful sculptor, we have the Medusa Gadsden flag.  There is also a Greeklish translation that which you can find here reads Όχι Πάτημα Επί Μου which you can find here.

The Mark of the Beast - A Rainbow from the 1980s?

The rainbow is a powerful and naturally awe inspiring natural phenomenon.  But depending on the context they can have several connotations.  In the world of video games it became of polarizing symbol during the 1980s.  Two software (app makers) companies used the rainbow in the 1980s and created a full spectrum of emotions that can be associated with this natural icon as it was in the 1980s video games: from boredom, anger, revulsion, frustration, mild amusement, nostalgia, joy, and love. 

First with the Atari entertainment system, ACTIVISION used the rainbow in their original logo.  It was a straight rainbow of red, orange, yellow, green, and blue fimbrated with white lines between the colours. Whenever one saw the ACTIVISION rainbow, it was sign of trust, and chances were you were getting a quality game worth every dime.  However in the latter 1980s another company chose this lovely symbol — Ljn.  Within the context of Ljn, the rainbow became a repugnant symbol and laughing stock of the 1980s.  Chances are you were getting a second rate, disconnected, low quality experience.  The Ljn rainbow was curved, but it was a backwards, the upper rainbow—the top band was violet and the lower was red—without the fimbration.

The quality of work between Ljn and ACTIVISION is tied to their origin stories.  ACTIVISION was formed by maverick Atari programmers who were sick and tired of corporate bean counters running the show, who knew little of game design or tapped into the core joy of the product and treated the staff like disposable pieces of trash.  Rather these talented code writers, took the big risk of running their own company.  The result was a slew of game changers that rocked the market. The foremost example being Pitfall!  that generated the most original and iconic hero of the Atari Age, Pitfall Harry.  Pitfall Harry was the literal forerunner to Mario and Luigi.   Nine times out of ten, when you unpacked an ACTIVISION game that straight rainbow became a testament of these justly righteous souls.

After the Atari Age ended, the Nintendo Age took over.  The idea of adapting popular movies to videogames was still something Hollywood suits still couldn't wrap their head around.  A video game based upon Jim Henson's 1986 Labyrith?  Who would want such a thing?   There were so many action movies that missed out on a video game tie through the 1980s and 1990s.  However one snarky salesman from Ljn. was able to gobble up all the movie rights and turn a quick profit of the short sighted design.  His motto seemed to be Kids are Stupid and will buy anything with the "subject logo."  

Ljn. was able to snap up the rights for video games and make a quick profit.  Instead of employing talented game designers to make awesome games, Ljn created less than inspiring games that ran on name recognition.   Subsequently Nintedo's Back to the Future, the X-Men, and Bill and Ted were destined to have way, not cool, mis-adventures into waste-o-timeland.  Back then, there was no internet to rate games, and the magazines that did were all shill five 'n dime outfits that had to give good reviews to maintain insider access.  However, Hollywood could not yet see the big picture and saw video games as.... kids stuff.  But today, any suit will recognize that video games haul in more cold hard cash that most movies, nowadays.   Back then, the studios sold out to Ljn just because of the Ljn's short sighted businessen plan.

Imagine if Hollywood would have sold the rights to Back to Future to Konami or Capcom?  The extra schwag and rights generated from those games today could still be turning a profit. No doubt a Bill and Ted 1980s Nintedo Game by Konami would have been beyond awesome, and not to mention very profitable.

But no, the suits went with what they knew and they all seemed to know Ljn because some joker of slick salesman made quick promises and had a safe established track record. Getting input from the fans is always wise idea, but history loves to repeat itself.  And big corporations often get a big ego and end up with expert group think, that thinks they know better.  Perhaps the middle road if the best.  Listen to the experts and listen to the people.

Thus today, if you lived through the Ljn and Atari periods those rainbows conjure up two different feelings.  The Ljn rainbow is the bane of Nintendo, that fills the soul of why!?  Why God? How do these turds of such missed potential rise to the surface.  On the other hand, Activision conjures up lovely sparkles of memory that carry on today.  Even deeper, it is a blessing that Ljn was able to create such crappy games, consequently this electrion manure became the fodder that allowed the AVGN to bloom and create content of wisdom.  Thus with any curse they is a silver lining, which is only visible years afterwards. 

Japanese Naval Signal Flag #9—Code "Kokono" 最初の9の日本の海軍艦隊信号-名前「ここの」

The Japanese Maritime Flag for the Number Nine composed of three colours: blue, white, and red.  A white diagonal tilted from the bottom to the top, near the hoist to fly is white.  This white bottom-top diagonal separates a blue triangular field on the hoist and red triangular field on the fly.

 This is page taken from a Japanese Signal flag book.  Japanese Auxiliary Number Flags were used in combination with International Maritime Flags.

The codes with Kokono are highlighted.

 Below is an image of the Signal Flag Cache from the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Forces.

Japanese Naval Signal Flag #8—Code "Hachi" 最初の8の日本の海軍艦隊信号-名前「はち」

The Japanese Maritime Flag for Eight is basically an inverse of Foxtrot.  The center square diamond is white instead of red, and the corners are red instead of white.

Many Americans will recognize the word 'Hachi' from Hachi a Dog's Tale 2009 that starred Richard Gere.  Hachi the dog is based upon a true story in Japan, but in this film it has been adapted for American Audiences.  Hachi means eight in Japanese.

In this story, a dog shows it unending devotion for its master who passes a away.  People were so inspired that it has generated a movie.  In weird way Hachi the dog is a Reverse Old Yeller story from Japan.  With the story of Hachi, it is the human that passes, and the orphaned dog becomes a beacon of love and loyalty.


Neat coincidence (or mark of Providence) is that Hachi (the number eight) is lucky-magic number in the East: that includes Japan, China, and Tibet.  The number 8 (HACHI) is associated with Buddhism due to 8 Fold Noble Path as decreed by the Original Buddha from India.  In the West there is the 10 Commandments, but in the East there is the 8 Fold Noble Path.

As was fated, Richard Gere is a Buddhist who was lucky enough to meet the Dali Lama and later make a film based in Japan, which is primarily Buddhist.

Eight is doubly important in Folk Mysticism of Ancient China, with the Legendary Eight Immortal Spirits who transcend time. 

No small wonder since 8 is the reflective of the Infinite Power of Consciousness-Universe, from a certain point of view; when you tilt your head.  Bottom line is, the Power of Love is Infinite....

Japanese Naval Signal Flag #7—Code "Nana" 最初の7の日本の海軍艦隊信号-名前「なな」

The Japanese Maritime Flag for Seven has two diagonals and two triangular ends and consists of three colours: red, yellow, and blue.  In the upper hoist corner is the red triangle and in the lower fly is a yellow triangle.  In between these corners are two stripes is a yellow then blue stripe.  All the divisions follow a dexter bend, with the blue bend separating the two yellow parts.

The Japanese do not have short or odd vowels, so when saying words in 'English-Latin' script the letters are pronounced phonetically.  Forexample, the word Nana なな both Na's are the same.  English has tendency to make each vowels sound different as in the word Banana (as the middle a has a different a sound, unless you area Minion from Dreamworks).

 Several days after scouring the internet  a real flag of the unique Japanese Auxiliary Naval signal number flag was found.  After going to Yahoo! instead of Google, was I able to find this artifact.  And it is for sale; apparently it was used in combat during WWII.

Here is a close up of the tag, that indicates it is indeed an Imperial Japanese Navy Signal flag. There is red ink that has Japanese Kanji upon it with other symbols that are hard to decipher.


Source of Image
http://www.wwiidaggers.com/33997.htm






    

Japanese Naval Signal Flag #6—Code "Roku" 最初の6の日本の海軍艦隊信号-名前「ろく」

The Roku or ろく is the Japanese Maritime Flag for the Number Six.  It has a white field with red dexter bend.

The Number 6 Auxiliary Japanese Naval flag is visible with the cover art of this model, Yamato model ship.  It is the flag in between Juliette and Golf.