"What happens when all our favorite villains get locked up in a 1920’s penitentiary with an optional intramural football league?" Ya know, I ask myself that all the time — get busy villain-ing or get busy dying.
OK, don't read the line below if you want to guess at all the characters. I knew 13 immediately, figured out another four and then artist Sean Kernick filled me in on the missing two.
Clockwise from bottom left: Boris, Montgomery Burns, Skeletor, Dick Dastardly, Mumm-Ra, The Peculiar Purple Pieman, Megatron, Green Goblin, Gargamel, Bluto, Joker, Dr. Claw, Murky Dismal, Beastly, Dr. Doom, Destro, Cobra Commander, Shredder, Muttly. (The Villainous from Sean Kernick)
Far more than a mere quencher of thirst, the Kool-Aid man has infiltrated deep into our collective pop culture consciousness. In the battle of Western pop culture versus Islamic extremism (and, apparently Cobra) the Kool-Aid man was a loyal (if confused) foot soldier, alongside the Steve Erwin, Waldo, The Fonz, Mr. T, Robocop and Rodney Dangerfield. This, according to pop artist Joseph Griffith's painting The Surrender, commemorating the 225th anniversary of the Battle of Yorktown. (Link via culture kills)
Of course the Iranians my see things differently, as they too enjoy a cold glass of sugar water, as judged from this package. Though the Kool-Aid man's smile admittedly a little creepy. (Link via BoingBoing)
The Kool-Aid man also has a surprisingly long history. The Great Wall of China kept the Mongols out for over 1000 years... until one fateful day when some parched Chinese soldier disastrously called out "Hey Kool-Aid!" Spiked Punch from Threadless designer Andy Gonsalves. (Link via Super Punch)
While I am loathe to spread Dane Cook any further on the interweb, he does capture the oddity of the Kool-Aid man's home destroying ways. And really, why would you want to drink out of an anthropomorphic jug's head?
Oh, no! I would never drink that man's Kool-Aid. Or maybe Kool-Aid ever again. (Link via LOL Factory)
Yep, the Kool-Aid man had his own comic book — in the 80s, naturally. His superpower appears to be the ability to break through walls (naturally) and quench thirst. Still, it beats Aquaman. (Link via Forces of Good)
Even more bizarre, there was also an origin story, "The Hasty Smear of My Smile...", purportedly written by Alan Moore that talks about his birth, his beginnings as a spokespitcher and his eventual meetings with Ken Kesey (The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test) and Jonestown death cult leader Jim Jones. "I wish to Christ I could stop grinning."
I don't know if this was really done by Moore, but the the full four panels posted at Again With The Comics are hilarious. (Link via Super Punch)
Sure, he denies being present when the phrase "Drink the Kool-Aid" took on it's deadly meaning, but with those glasses the Kool-Aid man does bear a striking resemblance to Jim Jones. Get Kult-Aid at Loiter.
In TV ads, kids all love it when the Kool-Aid man comes bursting through the wall, but in reality it's kind of annoying.
Of course if you keep smashing down people's walls, at some point someone is going to make you fix it back up. Community Service available at AntiClothes. (Link via Adventures of Accordion Guy)
You'd figure being made of glass and hanging around kids, this sort of thing would happen more often.
The Cobra forces march on. I suspect this poster will be better than the G.I. Joe film, but whatever. I just like pop culture propaganda posters. (Link via Super Punch)
