Spooky is back

July 26th, 2007 by Brad Quartuccio

Spooky Cycles is coming back from the dead.

Roaring through the East Coast bike scene in the late nineties, Spooky was known for their punk rock ethos, straight-edge values and badass bikes. Their bicycle designs pushed the envelope of mountain biking - xc, downhill, freeriding before it was freeriding and even trialsin. Long front ends, short chainstays and high bottom brackets were all the rage from Spooky, made for the tight turns and downed trees of the east. Uktra-light, handmade aluminum bikes. Not exactly Blue Collar in price, but Blue Collar in ethic.

You can read some of the Spooky story and keep tabs on their site for their next move. In this day and age it is reassuring to see one of the big names of the 90’s jump back into the market on their own terms once again.

23 Responses to “Spooky is back”

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1 Marc Chimonas on Jul 26th, 2007 at 10:42 am

There’s something very disturbing about thier logo. At first glance I thought it was a dead nazi holding up a swaztika. Spooky indeed.
2 Guitar Ted on Jul 26th, 2007 at 5:07 pm

Heh heh! This is pretty cool, I think. The fact that Mr. Chimonas finds “something very disturbing about their logo.” would probably put a broad smile on the faces of whomever is behind Spooky this time ’round.

Classic!
3 Marc Chimonas on Jul 26th, 2007 at 5:17 pm

Especially if they are nazis.
4 Brad on Jul 26th, 2007 at 5:25 pm

I assure you that the Spooky folks of old, and likely the new breed, are not nazis. More like socially and politically conscious grown up punk rockers.

Their logo only looks like a swastika if… I don’t know, if you’re blind or have never seen a swastika before.
5 Marc Chimonas on Jul 26th, 2007 at 6:24 pm

Some folks are sensitive about this sort of thing. Had a mountain bike company, I’d make up a different shaped symbol for marketing purposes. The Nazi flag: red field, circle, then swaztika within. I am sure the parallels are accidental, but still, this 1/2 Jew isn’t buying a Spooky bike. Not after the stories my father told me about growing up in 1940s Europe. Spooky has a right to use any symbol they want, and I have a right not to buy thier product. I’m niether blind, and I have seen a swaztika. Too close for comfort for me.
6 Satan's Tractor on Jul 26th, 2007 at 6:34 pm

Whiny whiny…
That has been the symbol of the company since they originally rolled out in the 90’s. I have seen the swastika as well and I have seen the Spooky symbol, not quite the same, look a little longre before passing your biased statement. This company was never based or focused on the main stream, so to be honest if you are offended, you probably aren’t their target market. Get a thicker skin you Sally!
7 Marc Chimonas on Jul 26th, 2007 at 7:23 pm

You could probably could probably put together a solid argument without resorting to name calling. “Whiny,” “biased,” “Sally.” I’ve been called much worse. Sticks and stones… stick and stones…

As advised I looked at the picture again. I looked at other pictures of Spooky Bikes and prior logos as well. My opinion has only changed slighty. The symbol on the flag, when excluded from the rest of the picture, only sightly looks like a swastika (yes, I know it’s supposed to be a chain rink, that much is obvious). However, when you look at the picture in it’s entirety, with the skeleton wearing what appears to be an army helmet, with stars on his cuff (a rank of some sort?) waving a red flag with this odd symmtric cross circumscrbed in a circle, it doesn’t make me think of bicycling. It makes me think of militarism. To me, one could interpret the picture as a vanquished army (in this case the nazis because of the red flag and the symbol) coming back. I concede that it’s probably not what the artist intended. It’s an unintended consequence of the picture. Skeletons don’t give me the heebie jeebies (as an aside, I’ve seen plenty of real dead people both fresh and decayed), but the (probably) unintended connotations of this picture do. You are more then welcome to disagree with me. I probably won’t change my mind on the basis of name calling alone, however. If someone puts together a good argument as to how they picture is supposed to be interpreted, yes I could be one over and concede the argument. No one has done that yet. I admit I know very little about punk rock.

I agree that I am probably not part of their target demographic (I’m not going to pay $5000 for a bike–could get a used Toyota for that much).

I’ve never heard of the company before today. I don’t try to pass myself off as a “hard core rider.” Just some guy who likes to ride bikes, do his own maintenance, and braze his own frames. I’m curious to know why they “left” and in what capacity they are coming back. Are they still an indepent firm, or did they sell the name to a larger firm who is going to capitilize on the fact that they “weren’t in the main stream” and use this to sell the name to the “mainstream?”
8 Guitar Ted on Jul 26th, 2007 at 8:38 pm

Whoa Marc! Slow down! You are overthinking this whole thing.

First of all, it’s obvious that you have not much back round in punk, hardcore, or straight edge. I say that because of your overanalysis of the image, which I assure you, does not run as deep as you are making it out to be.

Keep it simple. It’s an image that means something, certainly, but your way off the mark with what you are saying here.

Now as to “how” it makes you feel, well…………that is valid and something you have to deal with. That’s the nature of art. The artists intentions sometimes are misinterpreted, misunderstood, and sometimes never realized.

Wait a minute! That sounds just like a punk rock manifesto! (that is a hint, by the way)

Maybe it’s just Spooky’s way of saying, “We’re back from the dead and comin’ on like an army!” Maybe it’s simple. Maybe they think it’s a cool hardcore way of saying that.

You are going to probably have a hard time with it because of a misunderstanding of the whole culture behind the message, which like anything in human nature can run the gamut from ugly to beautiful, sometimes all at once.
9 Marc Chimonas on Jul 26th, 2007 at 9:28 pm

Thank you Guitar Ted. I’d say you were able to put everything into perspective.
10 JerYang on Jul 27th, 2007 at 1:03 pm

I’d have to agree with Marc on his first impression of the Spooky graphic: swastika/nazi army. It was mine too. I’m sure that was not their intent but as they say, you never get a second chance at a first impression.
11 Marc Chimonas on Jul 27th, 2007 at 2:35 pm

Glad I’m not the only one. Thought I was loosing my head for a second there.
12 Ghost Rider on Jul 27th, 2007 at 6:38 pm

Wow, I got a totally different impression of the symbol — it harkens back to the heyday of punk rock from the early to mid 80s…haven’t you boys ever seen a 7 Seconds album? A circle with a plus sign (or cross) was a VERY popular image “back in the day” — no one really knew what it symbolized, but it WAS NOT and IS NOT intended to be viewed as a swastika.

I guess the real point is that this is art — certainly open to interpretation, possibly geared to shock viewers, but containing all of the elements of a free-thinking, non-mainstream attitude and all of the classic symbols of the punk rock ethos: stars, skeletons, bold colors, battle flags. That’s all! This art resonates with me because I went to high school during the heyday of punk in the vibrant and powerful D.C. scene. Good memories!
13 Guitar Ted on Jul 27th, 2007 at 6:39 pm

JerYang: The thing is, if you say “I’m sure that was not their intent…”, then why are you ending your comment with an air of condemnation?

Again, an artists intentions are often misinterpreted. As a history buff myself, I saw zero connection with anything having to do with Nazism or swastikas. Actually, their symbol looks more like a generalized cross to me, since technically a swastika cross has bent arms of equal length. (Something I learned in art school, by the way.)

I’m not trying to defend Nazis or their philosophies. I really just think that sometimes we see what we want to see, even though it isn’t really there, intended, or even done by mistake.
14 Ghost Rider on Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:03 pm

Don’t forget also that the swastika was not always the repugnant symbol we associate it with:

“The word swastika is derived from the Sanskrit svastika (in Devanagari, स्वस्तिक), meaning any lucky or auspicious object, and in particular a mark made on persons and things to denote good luck. It is composed of su- (cognate with Greek ευ-, eu-), meaning “good, well” and asti a verbal abstract to the root as “to be”; svasti thus means “well-being”. The suffix -ka forms a diminutive, and svastika might thus be translated literally as “little thing associated with well-being”, corresponding roughly to “lucky charm”, or “thing that is auspicious”.[3] The word first appears in the Classical Sanskrit (in the Ramayana and Mahabharata epics).

The Sanskrit term has been in use in English since 1871, replacing gammadion (from Greek γαμμάδιον).”

It used to be a good thing, and then the Nazis appropriated it for their own nefarious uses. Those bastards!
15 JerYang on Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:09 pm

No air of condemnation. Just calling it like I see it (as a non-history, non-punk rock guy. More of an Asian/finance guy… yes cliched).

Again, I don’t believe their intention was nazi/swastika (who would want to be associated with that), but the skull/military hat (”II”)/red, black colors gave me that impression and thats what stuck.
16 Marc Chimonas on Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:42 pm

One point: As used, this isn’t art you see in a gallery or at a museum where being controversial or thought provoking is part of the game. As used, this art is part of a marketing scheme for a company trying to make a comeback. In marketing, unintended consquences can get you in trouble. They may be trying to reach punk rockers as part of thier niche market but it would be unwise to alienate anyone. That’s just bad business, even if you pride yourself on being outside the mainstream.

(As an aside, the starbucks chick [on the logo], [before starbuck became a glutanous bahemoth] used to proudly display her bear boobs for all to view [you can still see them at the origninal store on Pike Street, Seattle--yes, not that exciting, I wouldn't recomend a trip to seattle just to see the starbuck chick's boobs]. Now her boobs are covered up, probably for marketing reasons–granted I know Starbucks isn’t the best example to give because they are the epitome of all that is mainstream. I suppose the point that I’m making has to do with the amount of thought that goes into marketing logos. In this case Starbucks probably didn’t want to alieniate, feminists or something).
17 Guitar Ted on Jul 27th, 2007 at 8:54 pm

Marc, you make my point in my first comment perfectly! Again, Spooky (whom ever they are) is probably smiling broadly knowing that the simple image has skewered mainstream ethos once again. (Punk rock loved doing that, and that is a rather large marketing group, by the way)

Mainstream it isn’t, and now you have figured it out. Good on ya!

As for alienating certain groups and still being successful, look no further than your local BMX brands for referances. Obviously, several other examples could be given.

I doubt seriously Spooky has any intentions of becoming “mainstream”, whatever that is. So, nothing lost for them if some folks don’t get it.
18 rc on Jul 28th, 2007 at 4:51 am

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19 dollabill on Jul 28th, 2007 at 11:35 pm

I met all these Spooky guys, Nazis, I say, NAZIS!!! the whole lot of them, gonna take over the sport, make us all join the reborn 3rd Reich and put roadies in concentration camps! Red and black, things that look like swastikas when piss-drunk, what is next, they show up at Interbike with little mustaches and armbands? I saw this coming when one of those little English princes dressed as a Nazi for a custume party a few years ago, he claimed it was a joke, but I knew better, I knew what was coming, and it is all coming to fruition, and we heard it here 1st…….
20 Lamar on Aug 6th, 2007 at 5:12 am

It’s a Celtic Cross. Nothing more; nothing less. All their logos incorporate Celtic symbols.
21 jgs007 on Aug 18th, 2007 at 3:15 pm

what symbol are you guys arguing over? i guess i’m not seeing anything but a sprocket and a celtic cross.
22 storm trooper elite on Sep 23rd, 2007 at 4:31 pm

wow this is foolish. no way is spooky connected with nazism. get over it.
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Spooky is back

23 Responses to “Spooky is back”

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