Delete-Man: A Psychological Thriller (26 page)

“There were six images to start
with, five or six. Sam [Harvey] sent me a few more after a week or
so. Usually ideas were thrown to three or four of the younger guys
like me to see what we could do but these designs were given just
to me. I didn’t think much of that. A lot of things were pretty
different that last year.

“They were photos, mostly; one
was a sketch by Sam himself. The photos showed objects that had the
logos on them. That one [indicating the Sex-Man] I remember being a
segment of a larger painting. This [indicating Flame-Man] I think
was painted on a kind of rock. The long one [indicating Family-Man]
was carved out of wood. Maybe on the side of a tree.

“Sam didn’t say much about them;
only a brief criteria. ‘Retain the integrity and form of the
insignias, but use colour, depth, filters, line variations and
stuff like that to try and come up with something more immediate.’
Something along those lines. He sent me home to work on them,
rather than at the agency.”

Although it is still unclear how
Harvey discovered and collated the symbols, Packard’s elaboration
on Harvey himself indicates it was likely he knew of their
histories.

“[Harvey]...was a big collector
of art and antiques. He always referenced history as a source of
inspiration to the younger guys. He’d say ‘whatever you want to do
has been done before, and done better—so do that instead’. The last
year he really began pushing for us to use some weird references in
the work. He was really big on magic back then, witches and spells
and all that. I don’t think he believed it. He might have, I don’t
know. I think really it was about finding things that had resonated
with people in the past, and reapplying them now in a modern way
for another purpose.”

Packard also gives an
interesting account of Harvey’s mentality during the time before
his death.

“It was a tough time. Tense. Not
a good atmosphere to work in. We’d come in to work and there would
be trashed desks, or they would be in the middle of arguing
[referring to Harvey and his wife: Caroline King]. Sam was drinking
a lot too, and only turned up for work, like, thirty percent of the
time. But I think it was the divorce, mostly, that got to him.”

Following Harvey’s suicide
Caroline King, having not yet finalised divorce settlements, took
full control of the business, renaming it Mixed Sources and
continuing Harvey’s work. Packard, having finished several concepts
originating from the symbols, submitted the designs to her and
continued working on the remaining.

Having taken on many of Harvey’s
unfulfilled project contracts, and financial problems caused by
tumultuous legal and divorce proceedings, King promptly
commissioned two of Packard’s designs to a Chinese manufacturer for
use in several products. The products which bore the logos included
a low-end mp3 player, headphones, two models of hi-fi system and
various computer peripherals.

After several months of
abnormally high (but fluctuating) sales of the products, the
manufacturer, along with others who had noticed the success,
approached King for further designs.

Recognising the quality of the
insignias Harvey had entrusted to Packard, he was assigned the task
of completing concepts for the seven remaining logos which had not
yet been introduced to the public.

Towards the end of 2008, the
now-trademarked logos began appearing in various forms and with
increasing veracity. Rather than commission the use of these logos
for use by third-parties, King approached manufacturers in China
and other parts of Asia with whom she initiated various
partnerships. Through these partnerships, King began contracting
products (which manufacturers were already producing) and branded
them with the logos under her own product names.

The products included:

[Insert updated list of products
here, perhaps with associated logo annotation]

During the past year (2009)
these products have outsold the vast majority of their competitors,
despite possessing higher price points and minimal advertising
investment. The success of these brands is still increasing at an
atypically rapid rate. In July of 2009, King even chose to change
the Mixed Sources company logo to an approximation of the Joke-Man
symbol.

Although I was unable to gain
access to King, Packard is vocal in his concerns regarding this
recent success, despite his significant contribution.

“[All’s fair]...in advertising,
for sure. I’m the first guy to say ‘let’s play with taboos’ or ‘if
we’re not allowed to do this, then that’s exactly what we need be
doing’, but with those particular designs I’m not sure. I’m a bit
conflicted. A few people have come to me now with worries; John
(Dr. Hughton), Danny (Daniel Callahan, member of the Advertising
Free Association), and now you.

“I mean, I’m in this industry
because I love it, and because I want to do great things. Not
everything that has an affect is great though. Design can be really
bad actually. Look at the Nazis, without strong advertising they’re
just a group of racists, and Germans are, in my experience, really
nice.

“...Like I said before, I’m
smart enough to know that I’m not smart enough. These things could
affect me just as much as some guy in the market for a new
dishwasher.”

Indeed, there is small but
growing concern towards advertising and its recently noticeable
affects. Although often the targets and assumptions for these
recent concerns are incorrect. In the following chapter I will show
evidence of the recent negative influences to which these symbols
are inextricably linked.

Soon after the introduction to
the market of the first consumer products bearing the symbols, they
were adopted under numerous guises by others. Several variations
(of the Sex-Man and Fear-Man in particular) became popular forms of
graffiti tag, and can now be seen in thousands of locations across
London alone. As an identifiable image for fly-posters, t-shirts,
internet sites and sub-culture magazines the symbols are also
becoming increasingly popular. Although much of this attention is
presented as ironic and light-hearted, there is a concerted
recognition for their social ubiquity.

Internet social groups have
sprung up and continue to grow in size around the logos.
Predominantly these groups are forums which cover a wide range of
topics and activities. In these cases the logos act as a sort of
‘meme’ with which the group members identify and which draws
members to the sites. A small sub-section of these sites, however,
display a degree of exclusivity, and are actively engaged with
discussing the logos themselves.

Although there is some knowledge
of the logos’ origins amongst these more exclusive sites, the
dominant perception is that their introduction to the public
signifies something. The most frequent contributors to these sites
advocate that the symbols do indeed possess a magical power, and
that their recent emergence is either the result of magical
manoeuvres, or a prelude to them. Most posters regularly post about
their own experiences surrounding the symbols, and indeed, these
anecdotes confirm previous suspicions arising from the histories of
these symbols.

“[Referring to an attached image
of the Anger-Man] This is what I painted on my bedroom wall last
month :D and I’m not being funny when I say I really do feel a lot
more confident and outgoing. B) It sounds funny but really can tell
it protects me somehow. It makes me wonder how anyone denies that
there is no proof of magic.

“...I even stood up to my boss
last week which ended with me losing my job but whatever I needed a
better job anyway...”

Aeris909, Ne05ign5.com; 12th
April, 2009

“I think you’re getting ahead of
yourself, dear boy. I never said I was ‘boss of this whole shit’ as
you so politely put it, merely that I know what I’m talking about.
I’ve been writing about Dervish [a term used in reference the
Flame-Man and Lazy-Man symbols] since before this site even began.
Who do you think scorched it into Elland Park? ;)”

TamperedMonkey,
intothecircle.co.uk; 20th August, 2009

“It’s done! Mookie,
ValeriaJuice, Jagstang and myself have just returned from a hit. We
used Number 6 for this one [The site’s reference code for the
Hunger-Man symbol] It went smooth as butter...

“Most of you already know the
feeling, but right now I really know something special is going on
here. We’re gonna change the world and I’m proud of my generation
for the first time in my life. Sounds corny but that’s how I feel.
Vive la revolucion!”

JonesyB, crashwave.com; 6th
October, 2009

[The day after this last post it
emerged a lorry carrying food goods was hijacked and driven across
Birmingham leaving trails and stockpiles of food behind it. The
vehicle was found crashed into a fast food restaurant with the
Hunger-Man image painted in multiple places over it.]

Accounts of various activities
induced, or done with regard to the symbols are written daily, many
posters reciting them with pride and reverence. To what purpose the
members of these sites perform these activities is still ambiguous.
Whilst the fervour and events around these more private sites
increases, theories and associations are still diverse and
conflicting among their members.

Despite these conflicts, and an
as yet unknown rationale, meetings have become commonplace with
members. The gatherings take place under widely varying
circumstances, from casual discussion meetings to violent and
dramatic attacks or vandalism. The more serious of these gatherings
take place with a sense of ritualistic purpose, many employing
bizarre techniques to ensure solidarity. One group (which has been
involved with several high-profile stunts) meets only at night in
complete darkness, and engages in meditative humming in order to
induce a state of sensory deprivation from all external influences
but the symbols themselves.

The evolution of these groups
from forum posters to gatherers, as well as the increasingly
violent scale of their actions, is hugely worrying and potentially
dangerous. So far I have covered only a few of the symbols (a full
history and analysis of each form the second part of this book). In
the final chapter of this part however, I will examine the most
potent and hazardous of them – the Delete-Man. [Should I? I know I
should. Shit. Don’t doubt. REMEMBER THE SYMBOLS MAKE YOU DOUBT.
KEEP THIS NOTE TO REMEMBER. YOU HAVE TO WRITE THIS.]

Contrary to the other symbols,
the Delete-Man has had a relatively large amount written about it.
Granted, the circulation of the symbol has always been extremely
isolated; the name ‘Delete-Man’ gaining far more recognition than
the symbol itself.

The first substantial reference
to the Delete-Man can be found in a thesis by a young Danish
student from the 20s called Frederic Jacobsen. Writing about the
proposed properties of magick and its insignias, Jacobsen examined
the possibility of an insignia bearing some kind of magical charge.
In reference to this effect he mentions the Delete-Man as a
negative proponent of this effect.

“In accordance with theories of
spatial areas of effect, Magick manipulates different symbols, in a
way that conjure a tax [sic] that resonate in the bodies present
among them longer periods…

“…Charges are able to induce
illness, mental impairment and even death. In the most severe
cases, the icon used is that Delete-Man.”

Magickal Influences On and
Within Physical Objects[Internet translation]; 1924

In his text, Jacobsen references
the Wica’s uses of the Delete-Man, and there are many indications
that certain Wica used the term to describe symbols designed for
extremely destructive goals. Despite their references, the symbol
itself varied within the practice. In only one case is the symbol
correctly depicted: A garment used to practice Wica that was found
and documented by a practitioner of modern magick.

The garment fell into my
possession during the autumn of 2004 via this practitioner. Shortly
prior to my accommodating of the garment I had been exposed to the
Family-Man symbol. My reaction to the Family-Man (which had been
almost immediate, and which I was unaware of at the time) had been
of a strong compulsion to reconcile with my previously distanced
mother, as well as a renewed hatred of certain family members. I
also developed an urge to become pregnant. (Previous cases
involving the Family-Man also detail contradictory events regarding
family. E.g.; Frank Hobhurst, a father of three who forbid his
daughters to leave the house for eight years, whilst evicting his
son and denying any relation with him throughout the 90s—events
which occurred after he had had a tattoo of the image upon seeing
it in a book.)

During this time I had been
suffering from mental health issues, the main of which manifested
as bulimia and manic depression. Upon my exposure to the Delete-Man
I began to relate the cause of my mental issues with the
over-dominating influence of my father. Although such feelings had
been residual throughout my life, I had made significant progress
thanks to the support of my boyfriend, the benefits of
independence, and the superb help of my psychiatrist (the
aforementioned Dr. Hughton).

Despite my development, I began
to rescind into severely negative emotions again, once I attained
the garment bearing the Delete-Man. These emotions resulted in
several episodes in which I put my own health, and that of others,
at risk. Accompanying my own actions, I also found myself
fascinated with violence and death where it concerned others.

In the December of 2005, my
father, Christopher Baird, was murdered as a result of my mental
disturbances, although it was recorded as accidental death. The
means by which I murdered him were calculated and indirect, yet of
my own initiative nonetheless.