When it comes to not only punk rock but music in general, few bands have managed to solidify their legacy with an iconic emblem like the Misfits have done with their famous Fiend Skull.
However, what if I told you that the Misfits never really came up with their world-renowned mascot, that it actually dates back to before not only the birth of the band but before the birth of its own members?
Withstanding the iconic name Fiend Skull, the famed mascot was originally given a different title at its conception. Dubbed initially The Crimson Ghost, Film Directors Fred C. Bannon and Willam Witney gave the character his debut in the movie The Crimson Ghost all the way back in 1946.
Despite The Crimson Ghost’s horrifying willingness to go to murderous lengths to steal Cyclotrode X (an invention capable of repelling atomic bomb attacks and disabling electrical devices), leaving many unable to sleep out of fear he may appear, ultimately The Crimson Ghost was no box office smash hit.
It was set to become another addition in the ever-growing pile of box office flops until a few musicians/horror fanatics from New Jersey discovered the flick, thus giving the soon-to-be-forgotten icon his second chance at stardom.
In 1979, 33 years after the initial release of The Crimson Ghost movie, the horror-punk band Misfits revived the famous ghost for their poster to advertise their show at Max’s nightclub in Kansas City.
Not much is known as to why the group decided to use the Crimson Ghost specifically; however, one quick Google search of what the band looks like will lead any reader to infer that they were probably inspired by the striking black rings around his eyes.
As the band’s discography developed, so did their love for the famed mascot as on the 26th of June 1979, the group released their single Horror Business with the famed Crimson Ghost on the cover, thus solidifying the icon as the group’s unofficial mascot.
When the band grew from New Jersey punks to international (and eventually worldwide) punk stars, the band decided to kickstart their own Fanclub for their especially diehard fans.
As advertisements to join the Misfits Fiend Club began to circulate, the famed Crimson Ghost would appear on the cover to address the fans with the new fanbase title, “Fiends.” As popularity began to surge for the horror-punk quartet, fans took the famous fiend title and re-applied it to the group’s own mascot, thus marking the death of The Crimson Ghost and the beginning of the new “Fiend Skull” era.