So I've been trying all morning to think of how to approach this post and tell you how everything went, when a very nice reporter from the Wall Street Journal goes ahead and writes it for me:
Harry Potter PoliticsI'd link directly to the article but the Journal does that silly thing where they charge people to read their content. Newsday also had an article today that mentioned the shirts, but not us specifically. I also did interviews with the NY Post, Fuse Television (Who asked us if we had any 'special powers': "We have the power to change the world! Or drink beer. I'm not really sure."), and a few radio stations. If anyone sees or hears anything RFV-related, let us know by posting in the discussion attached to this article.
By Jessica Mintz, Wall Street Journal
August 30, 2004
As the anti-Bush march got under way in New York on Sunday, political freebies were changing hands on the city's Seventh Avenue, from "George W. Bush: Chicken-Hawk-in-Chief" T-shirts to vegan hummus sandwiches to a small group of men handing out red-white-and-blue "Republicans for Voldemort" bumper stickers. The group urged passers-by to "Vote for the Dark Lord!" That would be Voldemort, the villain of the popular Harry Potter book series.
"Some people think that political protest has to be humorless, but people are more likely to show [this sticker] to their friends if it's funny," said Jon Rosenberg. This vote-for-Voldemort campaign emerged from one episode of a comic strip Mr. Rosenberg and his friend Phillip Karlsson, both 30 years old, launched more than seven years ago. Though the comic strip began as a chronicle of life in their New York City apartment, it eventually spun off a fantastical cast of characters, including aliens and a talking rooster named Diablo.
In August 2003, the Web-based cartoon strip, which appears at www.goats.com, featured Diablo busy at work on the Voldemort's campaign for governor of California.
Now Voldemort is running for president. His platform? "We can do better. We can be more evil," says Mr. Rosenberg. The Voldemort episode's popularity spawned demand for a line of gear that includes T-shirts and messenger bags. While stickers were free during the march, they usually go for at $1 apiece on the Web.
We want to thank everyone (Meredith, Jeff, Ian and Josh) who came out and helped us yesterday; we handed out about 2,000 stickers in the space of two hours, which is pretty amazing. We'll probably be out at least one more time this week, stirring up trouble and such, so if you see us, come say hi.
Click through to the rest of the story for pictures and commentary.
There were hundreds of thousands of protesters, and many of them seemed not to like the current administration. Some of them seemed downright sad.
The RFV Street Team (left to right: Ian, Josh, Phillip) decides they will make the protesters happy by courageously handing out stickers.
Wow! Look at them go! Josh, Meredith and Ian work the crowd.
Phillip passes a sticker to an invisible protester.
This protester enjoyed our stickers enough to put one on her shirt.
RFV stickers bring joy to everyone.
A trend begins to emerge.
Amy is happy to help do her part to overthrow our imperial overlords.
Robert Smigel rudely makes a phone call during the protest, talking so loudly no one else can hear the shouts of "Fox News Sucks!" When his assistant asked who we were, I said "We're a bunch of dorks." It's true!
