Panic was formed in south Los Angeles in 1976. After changing their name in 1978, founding member Greg Ginn recruited his brother Raymond (under the pseudonym Raymond Pettibon) to create the visuals for the band, as well as coming up with the name Black Flag. Pettibon’s logo consists of the bands name, as well as four vertical black squares representing a waving black flag (the opposite of a white flag, a symbol for surrender).
As the band became more popular, the logo began to take on a life of its own. The simple parameters of the logo allowed for ease of reproduction both true to the original, as well as pop culture mashups. At this point, it could be argued that the band’s logo has become more iconic than the band’s music.
Photocopy medium
