The Black Lives Matter movement has reignited calls to take down Confederate statues, many of which were built long after the Civil War during the Jim Crow era of segregation. Some fans from Virginia, where many of these statues are being taken down, have made a petition on change.org to take down a statue of Robert E. Lee, the president of the Confederacy, and erect a statue of GWAR’s Oderus Urungus.
Oderus Urungus was the alter ego of the late Dave Brockie, who formed GWAR in Richmond, Virginia back in 1984. The petition lovingly recalls the band’s lore, referencing the home planet of Oderus Urungus known as Scumdogia, while also referencing Richmond, Brockie’s home city.
“We, the scumdogs of the universe, call on the city of Richmond to erect a statue of great local leader Oderus Urungus in its place,” the petition reads. “While Oderus comes from the planet Scumdogia, he called Richmond his home, working with the local art community and employing local artists and ladies of the night.”
Some fans have even taken this idea a step further, an image has gone viral on Facebook showing the planned erected statue in the site where Lee’s statue currently stands.
Brockie’s pre-GWAR outfit Death Piggy will have a special release on this upcoming Record Store Day September 26. GWAR will be releasing a special 30th anniversary edition of their classic 1990 album Scumdogs of the Universe. The band’s Pustulus Maximus recently covered Motorhead’s “Built for Speed” alongside Kyng, Silvertomb and Repulsion for a special live stream event.
Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat