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The Mod Symbol (Blue White & Red As Bullseye)

FinderWolf

19:05 / 19.05.03

Anyone know a history of this symbol? Was it tied to any particular groups, bands, etc.? Who designed it? When exactly was it popular in Britain? I'd like to know more about this icon.

ONLY NICE THINGS

19:15 / 19.05.03

I don't mean to appear perverse, but the RAF, surely?

what's the RAF?

The royal air force - mods co-opted the symbol - though I must admit its quite amusing to think of all these mods flying their harrier jumpjets with these ridiculous wing mirrors - i can almost see them parked in front of the pub on a saturday night...

FinderWolf

22:08 / 19.05.03

Oh my god, of course!!! I hadn't even though of that, seriously (no sarcasm here).

But when did it get co-opted in the 70s to symbolize punk rebellion & that kinda mod stuff?

Mystery Gypt

02:54 / 20.05.03

when, and, more importantly... why? why was an airforce emblem the symbol of youth and rebellion? it's always (mildly) confused the hell out of me.

and what's up with the arrows?

Jack Denfeld

03:19 / 20.05.03

Cuz the mods were targets, man. Targets of the Rockers!

doctorbeck

09:37 / 20.05.03

don't think the symbol was ever used by original mods circa 1965, they were far too sharply dressed to wear a parka covered in patches like some scruffy herbert
it's something i associate more with late 70s mod revival and bands like sectret affair and the lambrettas (and the jam of course) and their more widespread & mass cultural take on the mod scene

and yes the joke in the late 70s was that it made it easier to hit them.

andrew

lord nuneaton savage

11:37 / 20.05.03

Mods in the 60's did'nt wear the target (no matter what you see in quadrophenia). The first people to start wearing the target we're The Who, particularly Keith Moon, but it was in their pop-art period, immediately after they had been Mods. Thats why it was picked up in the late 70's by scruffy 'erberts who would'nt know style if it stood on their bowling shoes.

—| x |—

19:56 / 22.05.03

"The first people to start wearing the target we're The Who, particularly Keith Moon, but it was in their pop-art period, immediately after they had been Mods."

Yeah, I knew there was some connection between that symbol and The Who, but it was one of those things that you are not sure if you merely dreamt it or if it really did come from this so-called "real world." Thanks for the confirmation lord nuneaton savage!

lord nuneaton savage

11:09 / 23.05.03

My pleasure my friend.

PatrickMM

21:30 / 25.05.03

Anybody know if somebody's selling shirts with this symbol on it? The ongoing quest to look like King Mob must continue.

ONLY NICE THINGS

23:32 / 25.05.03

Try Covent Garden Market, if you're in London - I got a T-shirt with the RAF rondel there when I was about 19. Rupert Street Market also, probably. In the US, I'm not at all sure, but there must be some mod shops that deliver.

Not Here Still

17:46 / 26.05.03

Top Man were selling them last year - this year, it's all Banksy-style stencil art and that...

Sax

07:04 / 27.05.03

Lambretta's clothing range does a whole shitload of gear with Mod targets on them, if that's your bag.

Jack Denfeld

06:48 / 28.05.03

Grant Morrison's probably got a few of them in his closet. You could always follow him home and steal them.

PatrickMM

18:23 / 29.05.03

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm in the US, so it could be a bit more difficult, but I'm sure something will turn up.

Not Here Still

17:53 / 01.06.03

Fabric paint, three plates of varying sizes and a white t-shirt?

Jack Denfeld

04:01 / 02.06.03

I didnt wanna say it, but I got a black one from Hot Topic a couple of yrs back.

at the scarwash

20:37 / 03.06.03

Now for part two of the question: Why did the RAF decide to paint big targets on their wings? Nazis had swastikas, iron, and maltese crosses. The US had that star in blue with the white and red wingy things. Soviets had a big red star. The last two are flag-derived, obviously. Crosses were big in German millitary iconography. I understand the red, white, and blue part being from the Union Jack. But why not a Union Jack in a circle? The stars and stripes and the red star are symbols that immediately call to mind their country of origin. Red, white, and blue are the colors of way too many flags to be specific. Was it just those plucky RAF lads saying, "Come on and try to hit me!"?

Rev. Orr

23:15 / 03.06.03

According to the history section of the RAF site:

A version of the Roundel has been painted on the wings of every RAF aircraft from the days of propeller-driven bi-planes to today's supersonic fast jets. It dates back to World War I when it replaced the Union Jack on British aircraft to avoid confusion with the German cross at high levels.

I hope they've tightened up the eye test for recruits since then...

at the scarwash

00:31 / 04.06.03

But didn't the French have a very similar device on their flying machines? Blue, white, and red bars say to me "france." Or "Holland."

Rev. Orr

02:03 / 04.06.03

Or, indeed, modern Russia. I think that at the time they were introduced, they only had to worry about differentiating between 'us' and 'them'. I'm not sure that there was a French Air Force to speak of during WWI.

BigD

05:06 / 06.06.03

The French Air Force had a similar logo at some point, but I think it was with the red circle on the outside and the blue disk in the center... But I'm really not sure (and I'm French.. but guess what, I never really cared about the Air Force)...

As for finding a T-Shirt, I have one that I bought in a T-Shirt store in Greenwich Village some 5 years ago. I went back to NYC last year and you still could find some...

But since then, I had a huge and indelible stain on it, and I'm desperately looking for a new one (and I don't plan to go back to NYC before a couple of years, so if anyone knows where to find some (like on the web), I'd be thankful.

Aimes

10:36 / 06.06.03

Couple of months back I managed to get a white one from Olympus Designs (Course, I had it a week then some idiot tipped curry down it. Grrr.)

BigD

14:28 / 06.06.03

Thanks Schyzo Again...

betty woo

00:39 / 07.06.03

If you want to go for the fetish King Mob theme, House of Whacks does one in latex... pretty much stain-proof if you go that route :P

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