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"Eddie
the Head,"
the gruesome mascot
of Iron Maiden,
has been one of
the most instantly
recognizable icons
of rock and roll
imagery since his
creation by the
British illustrator
Derek Riggs. Riggs
is said to have
based Eddie's horrible
visage on the face
of a dead Japanese
soldier he saw in
a photograph taken
during World War
II.
Eddie has appeared
as a Pharaoh, as
the Grim Reaper
and as various soldiers
in the context of
historic battles.
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The
name Eddie the
Head is taken
from a twisted
joke in which
a boy named
Eddie is born
with no body,
no arms or legs.
When his parent
inform him that
they have a
special surprise
to give him
on his birthday,
he complains
"Please,
not another
hat!"
Though in early
images, Eddie
appears as an
undead zombie,
in later pictures
his transformation
is depicted
to have been
the result of
torturous subjugation
to sadistic
devices of disfigurement.
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