It’s almost impossible to post work coming out the Swastika Freakshop without some readers getting up in arms about their use of swastika iconography, an argument that typically devolves into one side claiming that the symbol is offensive and should be abolished, with the other naming historical precedents of the swastika being used as a sign of peace, and that this current usage is indeed a means of reclaiming a valuable piece of history from the tyranny of the Nazis.
Truthfully, both sides have valid points. To some, regardless of the swastika’s pre-WWII history, it has been forever tarnished by its abuse at the hands of the Nazis, and it may be unrealistic to expect people to study and accept an image that, to them, has only ever symbolized a very particular and ugly moment in human history. At the same time, reclamation of the swastika is a valid and noble project, and one that, should it be successful, would have only positive results. Sometimes, though, it seems that some on the reclamation side are maybe not as patient as they should be with those people who oppose the swastika’s use, which is understandable to an extent; when one spends so much time working toward a specific goal, to have one’s work disparaged just by dint of its existence can be extremely demoralizing. But patience, in this instance, may be the difference between educating someone and turning them off for good.
We’re not going to reach any verdicts here today, but if there’s one thing we can all agree on, I think it’s that Marc’s Super Mario-themed tattoo on Rauschkind fucking rules. Two more shots, after the jump.
