I know Kenny Howard was a pinstriper with the tag name "Von Dutch" and I have seen tons of new products using the name and the flying eyeball, now 16 years after his death , does anyone in Kennys family get compensation? It all seems odd, and thats the nature of custom culture, but this takes the cake!
custom choppers? c'mon! they even got a guy pinstriping! the only mention of Kenny Howard is copied and pasted directly from Letterville profiles! pics and all...isnt that plagerism?
[ October 04, 2005, 10:26 AM: Message edited by: captain ken ]
Posted by Patrick Whatley (Member # 2008) on :
Nobody would be that blatant with copyright infringement (would they?). You sure they aren't licensed like the people making the shirts, and hats, and shoes, and toaster ovens, and anything else you can stick a logo on?
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
The family sold the rights to his name and, in the fashion of big business, was promoted to the point of nausea. It is an interesting, but sad, story of how all of it came about.
That bike site is just another chapter in this pathetic saga. You're right, Ken, that does take the cake. Sheesh... Posted by jack wills (Member # 521) on :
The Russians are trying to snag the ICON flash thru the Hollywood elite.
Common knowledge around here.
CrazyJack
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Cap'n,
I saw some Von Dutch boxed panel-wagons for sale . . .
in the toy department . . .
of Wal-Mart . . . . .
Most of the parents who buy those for the little rug rats who will play with them don't know and will never know who that guy is or the scope of his work . . .
[ October 04, 2005, 08:15 AM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by Ryan Long (Member # 5881) on :
It's a little sick how a great name became attached to the rise of the $100 "trucker hat" fad, but at least his family is (I assume) doing well as a result. It would be nice if anyone who wore the hat/shirt/toaster/whatever actually had any idea where the name on it came from, but what can ya do? Maybe some kids out there googling "Von Dutch" to see the newest hats will happen upon a pinstriping site and find a new passion...who knows? Posted by captain ken (Member # 742) on :
you gotta have alot of ballz to put his name on YOUR pinstriping though.... c'mon buddy, you aint Von Dutch!
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
That ain't balls, that's chutzpah... Plain and simple.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
On the other hand . . . .
(Darn this objectivity . . .)
If I leave this planet with some of the creativity that I never made a lot of money on myself, and people have appreciation for my work, and my kids & grandbabies can do something with it and make great money on it, namely, by sellin' the rights or collecting royalites??....
(And I include the hope of leaving behind a maternal influence which would cause them to spend money wisely).....
Then I would'nt care if they even printed up toilet tissue with my art . . . . Plaster the world with it. . .
If I'm dead, and did'nt leave any different directions, what do I care?? Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Sheila,
The point is from reading many of the articles about him out there, Von Dutch was very much against this amount of capitalism, excess and the corporate world.
There are some legal battles behind the scenes here, all centered around who has what rights to produce what. The daughters licensened one guy to make some clothing then I guess when he took on a partner for funding he was pushed out of the deal and now the company is on its 2nd or 3rd generation of ownership and it's all just screwed up.
I thought the whole Von Dutch clothing FAD had already fizzled out.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Paraphrasing:
_________________________________________________ "If I did'nt (feel strongly about my ideals) and did'nt leave any (legal) directions for my kids concerning my wishes . . . .what can I do about it after I'm dead?" ________________________________________________
I don't have clue as to whether Von Dutch did so or not, or who his kids are, or why they chose those particular venues.
I was only speaking for myself personally, which is inadvertantly the actual sitiuation for a great many dead people... Posted by Janette Balogh (Member # 192) on :
Call me crazy, but I'm thinking that just the fact that a pinstriper or anyone in our trade, could leave such fan fare behind them is pretty cool.
Dont' get me wrong, I don't in any way agree with someone claiming his name for their work ... but having someone in our trade be out there in the fashion world with Tommy Hilfiger and the like is, though kind of bizarre, ... well it's pretty neat in some ways.
Seems like our trade is always complaining about not getting recognized or even acknowledged. Then we complain about how it's done when it is. Granted, much of the youth aren't really "getting it" but it's interesting to see the exposure come about as it has.
I think the trick is to hit the limelight while we are still alive, where we can still have some control over it, and reap the rewards of it. Mike Lavallee seems to be on track with this.
There is a lesson in all this somewhere.
Nettie
Posted by William DeBekker (Member # 3848) on :
WOW And all this time I thought Von Dutch was a Type of German Oven. Oh Well Posted by Bobbie Rochow (Member # 3341) on :
Good thoughts, Nettie. Yep. Maybe there IS a lesson here to be learned somewhere.
And YOU, Sheila, Lol! I cannot help but picture a roll of designer toilet paper with a pattern of your taxi cabs you painted on it!!!
Let's see, yellow & black? What colors were they anyway? Oh yea, black checkered TP!!!
I don't know why, but your one post about those taxis have always stuck in my mind....
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
Hey dawg, wanna go in cahoots wi' me on them stands??
My printed tissue on your roll-stands??
Might as well get a peice of the action while I'm still alive . . . go ahead and spend my kids inheritance . . . ain't ever seen a hearse pullin' a U-Haul . . .
PS: There's a link about Von Dutch in this link on Von Dutch:
[ October 04, 2005, 11:32 PM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by Rovelle W. Gratz (Member # 4404) on :
I was watching a segment of 'Antiques Roadshow, and saw a poster with the famous "flying eyeball" that was around long before Von Dutch.
Posted by George Perkins (Member # 156) on :
The rights to the man's name/logo were sold. Whether or not I agree with all that has been done doesn't matter a whole bunch...it's been done.
I went through the linked website and found it kinda interesting. A number of famous and well respected folks are involved with this company.
As far as putting Dutch's name on the pinstriping, are they using his "bug"? Or are they using the company logo? They have a section entitled "VonDutch Pinstriping" but they also list "Below are the works of art from Alex Mardikian & Crew." The pinstriping, by the way looks first class. Some done in Dutch's style, some more contemporary.
On the subject of the flying eyeball, there is an explanation, from Dutch, of where that came from in the page pulled off Bob Burns site.
My question is does Burns know about this page and what are his views on it?
Posted by greg feil (Member # 4379) on :
Remember if you are part of the clueless masses wearing Von Dutch logos with out knowing who he was.
I know the SoCal Striper Skratch did striping work for VDO when they first started the company and I think they ripped him off.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Hey, I see a whole new fashion trend here...
Clothing with Von Dutch's real name on it, made for those "in the know."
I can see it now, walking down the street wearing that stuff and the never-ending question always at your back - "Hey! Who's Kenneth Howard??"
Posted by Rick Chavez (Member # 2146) on :
I just came from the market and they had Von Dutch energy drinks.....now I have no problem with it, but I think slapping a logo on a caffiene drink is a little funny......
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