Plastic Passion Custom Toys recently posted an action figure of Steve Ignorant, singer of the band Crass, to their Facebook page. As far as we can tell, this appears to be a one-off and not for sale to the general public. There’s also no word on whether or not Penny Rimbaud or Eve Libertine figures are forthcoming.
 

 
Crass, arguably the most important of the ‘80s UK “anarcho” or “peace punk” bands, excelled at “branding”—as evidenced by the ubiquitous “Crass symbol” which still adorns spray-stenciled leather jackets and squats almost four decades on. It’s unlikely, however, that the band would have ever chosen to brand themselves in this way, in action figure form, though they weren’t completely opposed to novelty.
 

 

 
Plastic Passion Custom Toys creates new figures by sculpting and painting over repurposed old figures. Check their page for more, including their terrifying Pope Ratzinger “Vintage Villain” figure.
 

 

 
The folks from Crass have settled in to quieter (though certainly not apolitical) lives, and understandably so. Dedicating so much of yourself to producing and living activist art definitely takes a toll, sometimes quite literally—the fees incurred in defending 1981’s Penis Envy from obscenity charges cost them a pretty penny. On top of money and legal troubles, their elaborate political hoaxes began to render them a more visible target for political enemies, and there were disagreements within the group that started to splinter them, politically (most notably, not every member was committed to pacifism). And of course, they’d always intended to split sometime in 1984, anyway.

At first glance, it appears singer Steve Ignorant retired to a quaint, seaside village. He’s kept busy with new projects, but why move to the country if you’re not going to relax? Apparently Steve’s not much for relaxing. He actually volunteers to drop everything at the sound of a beeper, drive to the shore, take a boat to wherever a potential emergency might be, and if need be, save people from drowning. Ignorant takes his responsibility incredibly seriously, openly admitting to the fear he feels every time he’s called up for duty, and though his colleagues seem to have an inkling of his radical punk rock past, it appears he’s appreciated as a valuable member of the team, first and foremost.
 

 
Via BBC News Magazine

 
For your weekend viewing pleasure…here’s an exciting find that has yet to materialize on YouTube: Crass: There Is No Authority But Yourself.  Director Alexander Oey‘s hour-long look at the relentlessly uncompromising anarchist punk band came out in ‘06, and features some great, talking head footage of Crass members Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.

While The Feeding of the 5000 came out way back in ‘78, Rimbaud and Vaucher still remain true to the “Crass ideal.”  They continue to practice a sustainable, anti-corporate lifestyle at Dial House, a “safe haven for those individuals of principle who still live by the old punk slogan ‘Do it yourself.’

I remember a time when the procuring of a new Crass single was a matter of great urgency.  Watch below to find out why.

 
Previously on Dangerous Minds: The Unexpected Crass-Beatles Nexus Point