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Messenger Archives - April 2004 Sloppin' the Hogs Karl Krogstad, Cult of VERONICA, Jim Hogshire by Alex R. Mayer V-shaped logos have been popping up in Seattle and elsewhere throughout Cascadia over the last few years. The cryptic symbol can be seen on posters, drawn crudely in chalk on the sides of buses, even tattooed on the forearms and astride the sacral dimples of otherwise normal-looking folk from Edmonds on down to Eugene. I first assumed it was some kind of guerrilla marketing stunt, and it turns out I was right, kind of. The V-symbol is the official trademark for a group calling itself VERONICA, which I've finally tracked down after 3 years of hunting. Or, more accurately, they tracked ME down: apparently my dogged interest in them was impressive enough that they’Äôve selected me to be their spokesperson. I'll do my very best, of course, but there's a problem: I still don't know what Veronica is or does. Remember when Seattle filmmaker Karl Krogstad put posters up all over town that said "KARL KROGSTAD MAKES FILMS?" Weird posters, but at least you knew what the hell it was that he made. Films. Veronica's posters are basically just that logo accompanied by phrases like "SHOES FOR INDUSTRY" and "SEX POT PHAD THAI." Not edifying. Even after informing me of my new role as their functionary, VERONICA refused to answer my questions, instead preferring to send me cryptic emails and an occasional package full of propaganda. But just recently, two breakthroughs: a new website, www.loveveronica.com, where people can buy their merchandise and even sign up for associate membership using Paypal; and, last week, a mystery late-night phone call from a VERONICA representative. Here’Äôs the transcript of our brief conversation before she hung up. Is VERONICA a cult?-V: We are the exact opposite of a cult. A cult tries to rob you of your individuality, using a supreme leader, usually a man. We're not like that: we encourage creativity and sexual expression and open-mindedness. We don't have a leader or a church. What does SEX POT PHAD THAI mean? -V: Some people enjoy going to their exploitative corporate jobs and doing their part to destroy the environment. And other people have sex, smoke quietly, and then eat delicious spicy rice noodles at four in the morning. 
You're right. Do you advocate violent overthrow of the government or anything like that?-V: We oppose violence. It would okay, though, to overthrow the government in a loving way, because we need more peace and l ove in the world. I don’Äôt see America generating too much love right now. VERONICA finally has a website. Is this your attempt to go global? -V: Right now, more than at any other time in history, the health of Mother Earth is in jeopardy. Going global is our way of acknowledging that we’Äôre all in this together. -- Very controversial local writer Jim Hogshire has been laying low since the turn of the century, and people always ask me about him, even though he and I haven't spoken since 1997. Turns out the author of narcophile works Pills A Go Go and Opium for the Masses is still living in Belltown, where he's quit drugs, works out regularly, and "feels great." He's got two new how-to dope books in the works, and he's optioned the rights to some of his work to Hollywood. Way to go, Jim! 
Sloppin' the Hogs #4 (pdf)
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