A good head on your shoulders
June 28, 2020 6:21 PM Subscribe
The term "object head" refers to a specific type of character in which the individual has, as may be surmised, an object for a head.
Salvador Dalí's Woman with a Head of Roses represents an early example of the concept, while more modern versions include Silent Hill's Pyramid Head or the titular character in the platformer Cuphead. Object heads have appeared in various other video games, anime series, children's novels, comic books, and anti-piracy ads. They are particularly popular in web comics. The simply named Object Heads Tumblr showcases the many strange and wonderful ideas that artists have brought to life, including roses, pianos, candles, microwaves, bird cages, paint brushes, post-it notes, megaphones, popcorn, smoke, treasure chests, cake, plants, barcodes, and the moon. Televisions are a popular subject, making their way into the world of cosplay as well. The trend has also spawned its own tarot deck and zine, and recently made the news when a man wearing a TV monitor made unusual deliveries to Virginia residents.
Salvador Dalí's Woman with a Head of Roses represents an early example of the concept, while more modern versions include Silent Hill's Pyramid Head or the titular character in the platformer Cuphead. Object heads have appeared in various other video games, anime series, children's novels, comic books, and anti-piracy ads. They are particularly popular in web comics. The simply named Object Heads Tumblr showcases the many strange and wonderful ideas that artists have brought to life, including roses, pianos, candles, microwaves, bird cages, paint brushes, post-it notes, megaphones, popcorn, smoke, treasure chests, cake, plants, barcodes, and the moon. Televisions are a popular subject, making their way into the world of cosplay as well. The trend has also spawned its own tarot deck and zine, and recently made the news when a man wearing a TV monitor made unusual deliveries to Virginia residents.
My first thought was of Chairface Chippendale's attack on the Moon.
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:59 PM on June 28, 2020 [26 favorites]
posted by Wobbuffet at 6:59 PM on June 28, 2020 [26 favorites]
Me too, Wobbuffet!
posted by terrapin at 7:17 PM on June 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by terrapin at 7:17 PM on June 28, 2020 [2 favorites]
The Blockheads from Gumby!
posted by deadaluspark at 7:23 PM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by deadaluspark at 7:23 PM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Mr Canoehead! Canada's greatest aluminum crimefighter! Sorry for the poor video quality
posted by Zedcaster at 8:26 PM on June 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by Zedcaster at 8:26 PM on June 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
I see you have all fallen for my ploy to collect the best object head content on the web. Keep ‘em coming. ;)
posted by brook horse at 8:33 PM on June 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
posted by brook horse at 8:33 PM on June 28, 2020 [7 favorites]
Does Buckethead count?
If not, then certainly Turnip Head?
Or perhaps The Mighty Boosh's own Jaques Le Cube?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 8:35 PM on June 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
If not, then certainly Turnip Head?
Or perhaps The Mighty Boosh's own Jaques Le Cube?
posted by Insert Clever Name Here at 8:35 PM on June 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
The TV-headed people in Saga
posted by clew at 9:12 PM on June 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by clew at 9:12 PM on June 28, 2020 [3 favorites]
Object Heads are also about 30% of the aesthetic of Monte Cook's Invisible Sun.
posted by belarius at 9:38 PM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by belarius at 9:38 PM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
I just immediately thought of The Residents (better image in this reissue article).
What a great post! That Tumblr is pretty amazing.
Thank you, brook horse!
posted by kristi at 11:17 PM on June 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
What a great post! That Tumblr is pretty amazing.
Thank you, brook horse!
posted by kristi at 11:17 PM on June 28, 2020 [4 favorites]
Frank Sidebottom ! Special case; A human fake head for a head.
posted by Richard Upton Pickman at 11:20 PM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Richard Upton Pickman at 11:20 PM on June 28, 2020 [1 favorite]
Post title: A good goat head on your shoulders
*stands back*
*nods*
*dusts off hands*
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:37 AM on June 29, 2020
*stands back*
*nods*
*dusts off hands*
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:37 AM on June 29, 2020
Don't forget LemonHead candy and his formerly racist friends CherryHead and GrapeHead.
(If you forget him, he'll haunt your dreams.)
posted by mmoncur at 4:15 AM on June 29, 2020 [2 favorites]
(If you forget him, he'll haunt your dreams.)
posted by mmoncur at 4:15 AM on June 29, 2020 [2 favorites]
When I lived in Chicago a long time ago there was a sax player called World for a Head. He or she used a globe to achieve the effect. I don’t remember how they managed to play their instrument.
posted by Morpeth at 4:23 AM on June 29, 2020
posted by Morpeth at 4:23 AM on June 29, 2020
Even older are Giuseppe Arcimboldo's heads composed of fruits and vegetables.
posted by Botanizer at 4:35 AM on June 29, 2020
posted by Botanizer at 4:35 AM on June 29, 2020
The Cryptics or "symbolheads" from Brandon Sanderon's Stormlight Archive series.
posted by Foosnark at 5:09 AM on June 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by Foosnark at 5:09 AM on June 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
There's also the Ren And Stimpy classic, Powdered Toast Man!
posted by hippybear at 6:12 AM on June 29, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by hippybear at 6:12 AM on June 29, 2020 [3 favorites]
Crazy newspaper head has a newspaper for a head. Now give him some candy.
posted by migurski at 6:58 AM on June 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by migurski at 6:58 AM on June 29, 2020 [1 favorite]
Flashes me back to being about five years old at Grandma’s house. My cousin and I took two of his headless action figures and replaced their missing noggins with a seashell and a sneaker-shaped eraser, creating the epic adventures of Shellyhead and Sneakerhead.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:38 AM on June 29, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by The Underpants Monster at 9:38 AM on June 29, 2020 [3 favorites]
Post title: A good goat head on your shoulders
I have conferred with several reputable sources* and despite the implications on the TV Tropes page we agree that animal heads don't count. They're adjacent and also quite good but they're not object heads. Now, if the head were an entire goat, that would count.
Basically the easier it is to kiss, the less likely it is to be an object head.
*a buncha gays
posted by brook horse at 9:50 AM on June 29, 2020 [4 favorites]
I have conferred with several reputable sources* and despite the implications on the TV Tropes page we agree that animal heads don't count. They're adjacent and also quite good but they're not object heads. Now, if the head were an entire goat, that would count.
Basically the easier it is to kiss, the less likely it is to be an object head.
*a buncha gays
posted by brook horse at 9:50 AM on June 29, 2020 [4 favorites]
I accidentally did this in Sims 4 a month ago. I didn’t even know why it was possible, let alone that it was a thing.
posted by Selena777 at 11:08 AM on June 29, 2020
posted by Selena777 at 11:08 AM on June 29, 2020
Post title: A good goat head
*Sigh* Fixed
It's this process that produces people with rotating robotic goat heads, you know....
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:04 PM on June 29, 2020 [2 favorites]
*Sigh* Fixed
It's this process that produces people with rotating robotic goat heads, you know....
posted by GenjiandProust at 12:04 PM on June 29, 2020 [2 favorites]
To be fair, the Amazing Screw-On Head is more a human head with devices for bodies....
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:16 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by GenjiandProust at 3:16 AM on June 30, 2020 [2 favorites]
Soldiers in the Screwball Army -- bolts with rotating nuts
posted by Rash at 2:54 PM on June 30, 2020
posted by Rash at 2:54 PM on June 30, 2020
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posted by lazaruslong at 6:50 PM on June 28, 2020 [3 favorites]