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| CONTACT
You
can contact Don Bergland at:
redjello@shaw.ca
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In 1995, the RCMP made an interesting decision that offered
a spectacular satirical platform for all creative performance
artists. On June 28, the Canadian media announced that Disney
had purchased sole rights to the RCMP image. The reason for
this was a bid by the Mounties to control the marketing of their
look as well as an attempt to generate much-needed revenue.
The RCMP wanted to find a business partner who could ensure
that their image would not be used in a “crass”
manner. Disney became the sole licenser of any goods with the
RCMP image. Don Bergland and his colleague, Colin Yardley quickly
designed and implemented this particular “print-based”
performance project. This project consisted of the creation
of a draft performance publication that would be offered to
a series of publishers in order to elicit their reaction to
the politics of the situation. Disney and the RCMP had begun
a “crackdown” on unlicensed RCMP merchandise and
announced that products using unlicensed Mountie imagery would
be in copyright violation and subject to fines of up to six
months in jail. It was an interesting idea to create a book
that showcased Mountie imagery and see how Canadian publishers
would respond. The draft “performance” book made
the rounds of Canadian publishers who responded in the expected
way, i.e., the publication was skillful and humorous, but its
publication would be a very risky business given the current
political sensitivity. |
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Mountie |
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Yankee Doodle Mountie book consists of visual concepts
by Don Bergland and written concepts by Colin Yardley. |
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