Eddie (Iron Maiden)

Eddie
Eddie during the Somewhere Back in Time World Tour
First appearance8 February 1980
Created byDerek Riggs
In-universe information
AliasEddie the Head
GenderMale
OccupationBand mascot
NationalityBritish

Eddie (also known as Eddie the Head) is the mascot for the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. He is a perennial fixture of the group's artwork, appearing in all of their album covers (as well as most of their singles) and in their merchandise, which includes T-shirts, posters and action figures. On top of this, Eddie features in all of the band's concerts, as well as in the first-person shooter video game, Ed Hunter, the mobile game, Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast and a pinball game with the same name in 2018.[1]

Originally a papier-mâché mask used in Iron Maiden's stage backdrop, the band transferred the name "Eddie" from the mask to an illustration by Derek Riggs, which was used as the band's debut album cover. Although he is occasionally described as "zombie-like" in the press,[2][3][4][5] Eddie assumes a different guise relating to the themes of individual albums and their corresponding world tours, and has appeared as a cyborg, an Egyptian mummy and a lobotomised mental patient, and a samurai warrior amongst others.

  1. ^ "Take a Look at Iron Maiden's Legacy of the Beast Pinball Machine". Ultimate Classic Rock. Retrieved 7 October 2019.
  2. ^ Portor, Tom (22 July 2010). "Iron Maiden: a gruesome history of graphic artwork". MusicRadar. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  3. ^ Bezer, Terry (21 April 2009). "Iron Maiden Flight 666 Review". Metal Hammer. Archived from the original on 23 July 2013. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  4. ^ Pickard, Anna (21 June 2010). "Iron Maiden breach the Final Frontier". The Guardian. Retrieved 9 May 2012.
  5. ^ Barnes, Anthony (21 November 2004). "Iron Maiden's Eddie heads the all-time classic T-shirt chart". The Independent. Retrieved 9 May 2012.