Working for the Military Industrial Complex
Rippy does his duty for Uncle Sam,
and the future of the U.S.A.F.

ACK in 1999, my cousin was in Flight Training School at Columbus A.F.B. in Mississippi.  Each training squadron had to design it’s own insignia patch.  My cousin told his wing-mates that he had an artist in the family; and so I was conscripted to design the patch for his Flying Training class.

Because the class graduated on March 17, 2000, St. Patrick’s Day, I was instructed to draw a shamrock shaped patch, depicting a winged leprechaun flying above the clouds.  My cousin tells that he came up with the idea after a night of heavy drinking.  Maybe, in his drunkenness, he actually saw one of the “little people”.

the patch		the sticker
the original design		the original color scheme
Click thumbnails above to view enlarged versions.

Once I had been briefed about my mission, I went to work.  I de­cided, for my own per­verse a­muse­ment, to give the little crea­ture the face of one of my own characters, good ol’ Cap’n Jack Canabawitz.  I get a wicked grin every time I see that drugged-out, delusional relic of a hippie among the other patches.

That’s some satisfaction, since I wasn’t paid a dime for the work.  All I got for my trouble was a one patch, and one sticker, each bearing the insignia I had so slaved over my drawing board to create.  All that money in the defense budget; you’d think they could have given me at least a dozen of each.  Then again, this was during the Clinton era military cutbacks, so maybe money was tight.  If there had been a hawk Republican in the White House back then, I probably would have gotten a couple of boxes full.

Unfortunately, I don’t have my original artwork in my possession, nor have I been able to find a photocopy. I’m still searching the ever cluttered vaults of the Riptania Sky‑Palace for the latter.  If and when I find it, I’ll put it up to this page. Until that time, you’ll have to take my word on the comparison between my design, and what was finally used. 

added 03/17/05

I found it!  Actually, I found a photocopy of original artwork; not the actual artwork itself.  But since it was black and white line art, it’s pretty much the same thing.

A few months ago, during another futile attempt to clean the Sky-Palace, I came across a folded photocopy of the original line art.  Stapled to it was another photocopy, colored in crayon.  This second crayoned copy was my original color scheme.  As you can see from the sticker and the patch, both the original art, and color was changed by the flight class and the patchmaker.

Both the black and white photocopy, and the colored photocopy have been posted up, and are linked to this page.  As for the actual original artwork, I still have no clue where it is.  Maybe I’ll find it before next St. Patty’s Day.

While Jack the Leprechaun himself was faithfully reproduced from my original line-art work, the squadron made several other changes to final design.  The slogan “Rub Me For Luck”, the three jets, and the windsock were all added by the squadron after they received my artwork.  Also added were the bronze wings in Jack’s left hand.  I don’t remember what I originally put there, however.  They also re-worked the clouds, though not exactly to my liking.

The most significant change made was the airstrip.  I originally had drew it as a rainbow, as per the leprechaun myth.  However, I was told by my cousin, that it was changed to a concrete runway, partly because the rainbow is a “gay symbol”.  Remember, this was during Clinton’s “Don’t ask. Don’t Tell.” watch.

“Hey, just ’cause little girls love rainbows,” I said, “don’t make ’em gay.”

“No,” my cousin replied, “I mean it’s a symbol of the gay community.”

Well, this was news to me...and I live in New York.  I guess that means that leprechauns are gay (they always are on Thursday, anyway, because they always wear green*).  Tell that to the Sons of Erin; and then break into chorus of “God Save The Queen”.  I suppose Noah was gay, too? (see Genesis IX:8-17)  While we’re at it, let’s have all the beasts on the ark paired-up as same-sex marriages.  Oy vey!

Actually, I must admit, the airstrip fits the design better than the original rainbow did; especially when you consider these guys were learning to be pilots.  The number,0006, marking the airstrip, indicates the number of the FT class - class number 06 of the classes graduating in 2000.  You can see all the patches from the 2000 classes here.

Well, that’s the story of my brief tour of duty in service to my country.  I received a stinging wound on my finger from an incoming X-acto blade, but I never was awarded the Purple Heart that was my due.  I make this record public in case I ever decide to run for President some day.

* My mother told me that when she was a kid growing up in the Bronx, if you wore green on Thursday, then it meant that you were gay.  I have since heard that this “rule” existed in other parts of the country as well.  I also seem to remember seeing an T.V. ad for The Buddy System, years ago, in which a boy explains to his mother that he can’t wear green to school for this very reason.
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