Geedis
Geedis is a fictional character from a fantasy sticker set titled The Land of Ta, produced by Dennison Manufacturing Company in 1981. The character later achieved internet meme status, and its origins were traced to illustrator Sam Petrucci in 2019.
Description and origins
Geedis appears as a bear-like creature with a pig-like nose, small horns, and yellow eyes. It was part of the Land of Ta sticker sheet (No. 80‑218) designed by Dennison in 1981.[1]
Decline into obscurity
The Land of Ta was a short-lived Dennison sticker line, with two known character sheets produced in 1981–1982. Petrucci’s contributions went uncredited and were largely forgotten following Dennison’s eventual merger into Avery Dennison.[2]
Rediscovery and internet meme
In June 2017, comedian Nate Fernald tweeted an image of a vintage Geedis pin captioned "What the fuck is Geedis?" The tweet went viral and inspired the creation of the r/Geedis subreddit.[3] Soon after, Flickr users uploaded scans of the full Land of Ta sticker sheet, confirming Geedis’s origin.[4]
Investigation and attribution
In 2019, the WBUR podcast Endless Thread investigated Geedis’s origin and traced the illustrations to Sam Petrucci. Family members confirmed his authorship through original sketches and Dennison materials in his personal archive.[1]
Legacy and cultural impact
The rediscovery of Geedis inspired memes, Reddit fan art, and conspiracy speculation. As of 2019, the r/Geedis subreddit had over 16,000 members.[2] The character was later listed by media outlets like WatchMojo and Atlas Obscura as one of the "Top Solved Internet Mysteries."
Artist: Sam Petrucci
Sam Petrucci (1926–2013) was an American commercial illustrator known for packaging art including early G.I. Joe figure boxes and various 1970s lunchboxes. He designed the Land of Ta characters during a freelance period with Dennison in the early 1980s.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Who Made Geedis?", Endless Thread podcast, WBUR, Sept 13, 2019.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "The Bizarre Internet Mystery of Geedis and the Land of Ta", Atlas Obscura.
- ↑ Nate Fernald Twitter post, June 2017
- ↑ Flickr photo of Land of Ta sheet, 2017
External links
- Endless Thread: "Who Made Geedis?" (WBUR)
- Atlas Obscura on Geedis
- Full Land of Ta sticker sheet on Flickr
- Geedis Reddit community
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