Iron Maiden’s mascot “Eddie The Head” is about as well known and in some cases more well known that the band themselves. Since his first appearance in the shadows of the band’s 1980 single “Running Free,” Eddie has taken on many identities such as WWII fighter pilot, Blade Runner-esque cowboy and even that of a might Egyptian God. To this 10 year old kid, the first time I saw “The Number of The Beast” I was absolutely floored. I could literally feel my body tense up looking at the artwork. It was grotesque, it was evil and it was 100% awesome. Eddie The Head’s name originates from an old English joke:
Eddie the head was born with no body, no arms, and no legs. All he had was a head. But despite this major birth defect, his parents still loved him very much. So on his sixteenth birthday, his parents found a doctor that could surgically give Eddie a body. When the parents got home, they couldn’t wait to tell him that he could finally have a body and be like other normal people. When Eddie got there, they were really excited and said, “Have we got a surprise for you. It’s the best present ever!” And Eddie said, “Oh no, not another fuckin’ hat!”
There was nothing cooler than an Iron Maiden album. I can remember picking up the “Powerslave” album and being floored. The album cover itself was textured to feel really cool in your hands and the artwork was like none other. The fun part was finding all of the little “hidden treasures” in the artwork. Artist Derek Riggs would always drop little hidden things like a black cat with a halo, a Mickey Mouse head or the always present Male/Female symbols. You know, the circle with the arrow and the other with the plus sign looking thing? Anyways, it was always so fun to sit on my bed listening to the latest Iron Maiden album and getting absolutely lost in the album artwork. I could literally look it it for the entire duration of the album and still not see it all.
Eddie The Head is a Heavy Metal Icon and just may be one of the most recognized band mascots of all time. Eddie has adorned shirts, posters and the backs of denim jackets for well over 25 years. Hell, he even has had a presence in the world of sports. Roman Turek, a former NHL goalie with the Calgary Flames who now plays in the Czech Republic, used Eddie as the main theme in all his masks from the different NHL teams he played with (Dallas Stars, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames). Even Jani Hurme, a former goaltender for the Ottawa Senators and Florida Panthers who now plays in Finland, also had Eddie in Trooper guise on his mask.
Eddie I guess you could say was a piece of us all. He was the monster within, he was the hero and he was evil incarnate all in one. Eddie was what we as Iron Maiden fans always looked forward to wondering what identity he would possess next. At an Iron Maiden concert, the appearance of Eddie during the song “Iron Maiden” was always anticipated and met with a thunderous roar of approval. Even though Eddie would never appear in the massive form as he did on the “World Slavery” and “Somewhere Back In Time” tours, even as a walk on he was was always welcomed with a roar and a sea of raised fists. There’s just nothing cooler than seeing Eddie come out on stage to harass the band as they fight him off with guitars, mic stands and Janick. Eddie was the connection to the band. He was what brought it all together and to this day is my all time favorite character.
These days Eddie seems to have lost his identity since long time artist Derek Riggs has left the fold. Eddie just doesn’t seem to embody the same spirit or attitude that he used to. Acrylics and oil have been traded for CGI and digital animation which, in my opinion has ripped the soul right out of Eddie. Even though the underlying music of Iron Maiden continues to be as amazing as it always has, Eddie just doesn’t seem to be the present force that he once was. I’m just thankful that we have such a huge body of work to look back on and nostalgically remember what Eddie once was and what he always will be… A bad mother fucker that’s what!
Eddie is like Ice Cream. So many different varieties yet everyone has their favorite. My favorite Eddie probably has to be “Live After Death” Eddie. Which Eddie is your favorite?
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