Oderus Urungus
Encyclopedia
Oderus Urungus, played by Dave Brockie, is the lead vocalist
of the Metal
band Gwar
. He appears as an intergalactic humanoid barbarian with devil horns and a meaty looking face, and always carries around a long sword
named "Unt Lick". His only true companion is his Cuttle fish, though lost for a short period it has returned to its true resting place.
called Scumdogia in "Syntho Womb 5" after pieces of his moldy war frame were found scattered throughout the galaxy. According to interviews, Oderus' father was a supercomputer
, and his mother was a petri dish
. It is suggested in the lyrics of "Fire In The Loins" (from RagNaRok
) that Slymenstra Hymen
is his sister, but this is never fully explained.
Like all of the Gwar characters, Oderus underwent several design changes since his inception. He first started out as a relatively normal-looking character with a papier-mâché
helmet with spikes that appeared to be made out of aluminum foil. This eventually progressed into a rubber wig. In the late 1980s Brockie, along with Chuck Varga, created the now-famous original design mask. After Hell-O!, he would add large shoulder pads. These would remain relatively unchanged (except for materials used) until 1994, when Brockie experimented with a new style - the left arm resembled a very mutated tentacle. The change did not last, and by the year's end, the design returned to the World War I
-era German helmet-shaped shoulder pads. This version can be found in the "Saddam A Go-Go" video from the "Rendezvous With RagNaRok" movie. In 2001, after the filming of "It's Sleazy", Brockie redesigned the shoulder pads to their current design - two skulls with longer, more blade-shaped points. The disfigured face has remained relatively unchanged since 1988, with slight additions made in 2001 (the redesign of Oderus was in collaboration with the medieval violence-themed Violence Has Arrived
album, released in November of that year) - two horns, roughly six or seven inches (178 mm) in length.
For the Beyond Hell
album and tours both preceding and succeeding said album, Oderus' mask has once again been redesigned. It appears more decayed and distorted than the previous masks, and there is exposed flesh on the forehead and the mask has a lighter color to it. Another addition is that the beard is fuller, larger and has red and green highlights in it.
Currently, the Oderus mask has undergone another change with longer horns and cheek bones that stand out more.
As the front man for the band, Oderus is the most interviewed among the group (where he will often switch between himself and Dave Brockie). All of Gwar's major television appearances included Oderus as opposed to Dave.
Oderus now appears semi-regularly on the late-night Fox News talk show "Red Eye" as the Intergalactic Correspondent.
movie, Corporal Punishment of The Morality Squad ambushes and detaches his (Oderus') alleged penis, the Cuttlefish
of Cthulhu
. This is detailed in the song "Ham On The Bone" (although the song predates the event in question by more than a year, it fits the context of the story perfectly). Since that incident, which is based on a real incident in 1990 where Brockie was arrested by police for "obscenity" after a North Carolina
concert, which almost led to him being deported (Brockie was, at the time, a Canadian citizen and did not have a driver's license), reportedly taking the Cuttlefish into custody as "evidence," Oderus has made it a point to appear with the Cuttlefish whenever possible (though some tours downplayed the "fish", Gwar's more recent tours have utilized a re-designed Cuttlefish as a means to spray the audience with various fluids).
were removed.
As a bass player, however, Brockie fares much better. In the Live From Antarctica concert video, Oderus plays bass on "Cool Place To Park," while Michael Bishop (then Beefcake the Mighty
) sang - though Bishop was capable of singing and playing at the same time, his thrashing and jumping made that impossible. Brockie also plays bass on the tracks "Eat Steel" and "Fight", on Gwar's album This Toilet Earth
(both these tracks feature Bishop's Beefcake on vocals). Additionally, Brockie played bass for X-Cops
, as well as the Dave Brockie Experience
.
Lead vocalist
The lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
of the Metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Gwar
Gwar
Gwar is a satirical heavy metal band formed in Richmond, Virginia, United States, in 1984. The band is best known for its elaborate science fiction/horror film inspired costumes, obscene lyrics and graphic stage performances, which feature humorous enactments of politically and morally taboo...
. He appears as an intergalactic humanoid barbarian with devil horns and a meaty looking face, and always carries around a long sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
named "Unt Lick". His only true companion is his Cuttle fish, though lost for a short period it has returned to its true resting place.
Gwar lore
According to Gwar mythos, Oderus Urungus is 43 billion years old, and was assembled on a planetPlanet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
called Scumdogia in "Syntho Womb 5" after pieces of his moldy war frame were found scattered throughout the galaxy. According to interviews, Oderus' father was a supercomputer
Supercomputer
A supercomputer is a computer at the frontline of current processing capacity, particularly speed of calculation.Supercomputers are used for highly calculation-intensive tasks such as problems including quantum physics, weather forecasting, climate research, molecular modeling A supercomputer is a...
, and his mother was a petri dish
Petri dish
A Petri dish is a shallow glass or plastic cylindrical lidded dish that biologists use to culture cells or small moss plants. It was named after German bacteriologist Julius Richard Petri, who invented it when working as an assistant to Robert Koch...
. It is suggested in the lyrics of "Fire In The Loins" (from RagNaRok
RagNaRok
Ragnarök is the fifth album, released in 1995 on Metal Blade Records, by the rock/heavy metal/punk band Gwar.This album contains the most varied vocal stylings of any Gwar album, as the majority of the band lends their lungs to the tracklist , as well as guest villain Cardinal Syn.Ragnarök is...
) that Slymenstra Hymen
Slymenstra Hymen
Slymenstra Hymen was Gwar's dancer and occasional singer portrayed by Danielle Stampe . She is perhaps best known for fire dancing, usually during the song "Horror of Yig." On the tours for the Carnival of Chaos album, she danced to the song "Sammy," because "Horror of Yig" often followed the...
is his sister, but this is never fully explained.
History
Oderus Urungus is the only character to have existed in every incarnation of Gwar, having started as a guitar player, then moving to bass, and finally the vocals.Like all of the Gwar characters, Oderus underwent several design changes since his inception. He first started out as a relatively normal-looking character with a papier-mâché
Papier-mâché
Papier-mâché , alternatively, paper-mache, is a composite material consisting of paper pieces or pulp, sometimes reinforced with textiles, bound with an adhesive, such as glue, starch, or wallpaper paste....
helmet with spikes that appeared to be made out of aluminum foil. This eventually progressed into a rubber wig. In the late 1980s Brockie, along with Chuck Varga, created the now-famous original design mask. After Hell-O!, he would add large shoulder pads. These would remain relatively unchanged (except for materials used) until 1994, when Brockie experimented with a new style - the left arm resembled a very mutated tentacle. The change did not last, and by the year's end, the design returned to the World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
-era German helmet-shaped shoulder pads. This version can be found in the "Saddam A Go-Go" video from the "Rendezvous With RagNaRok" movie. In 2001, after the filming of "It's Sleazy", Brockie redesigned the shoulder pads to their current design - two skulls with longer, more blade-shaped points. The disfigured face has remained relatively unchanged since 1988, with slight additions made in 2001 (the redesign of Oderus was in collaboration with the medieval violence-themed Violence Has Arrived
Violence Has Arrived
Violence Has Arrived is the 2001 album by the band Gwar. It was released on November 6, 2001.According to an interview with Dave Brockie, it was supposed to be released on Sept. 11, 2001, but Metal Blade wouldn't release it until November...
album, released in November of that year) - two horns, roughly six or seven inches (178 mm) in length.
For the Beyond Hell
Beyond Hell
Beyond Hell is the tenth studio album by Gwar. It was released on August 29, 2006, the album was originally announced through the band's official website on February 23, 2006...
album and tours both preceding and succeeding said album, Oderus' mask has once again been redesigned. It appears more decayed and distorted than the previous masks, and there is exposed flesh on the forehead and the mask has a lighter color to it. Another addition is that the beard is fuller, larger and has red and green highlights in it.
Currently, the Oderus mask has undergone another change with longer horns and cheek bones that stand out more.
As the front man for the band, Oderus is the most interviewed among the group (where he will often switch between himself and Dave Brockie). All of Gwar's major television appearances included Oderus as opposed to Dave.
Oderus now appears semi-regularly on the late-night Fox News talk show "Red Eye" as the Intergalactic Correspondent.
Fictional controversy
Oderus attracts trouble wherever he goes, including one instance where, according to the storyline of Gwar's America Must Be Destroyed album and Phallus in WonderlandPhallus in Wonderland
Phallus in Wonderland was GWAR's first attempt at a commercially released, long-form movie. The plot tells the tale of GWAR's conflict with the Morality Squad, after the theft of Oderus Urungus' "Cuttlefish of Cthulhu" . Meanwhile, the giant T-Rex, Gor-Gor is born and helps GWAR defeat the Morality...
movie, Corporal Punishment of The Morality Squad ambushes and detaches his (Oderus') alleged penis, the Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish
Cuttlefish are marine animals of the order Sepiida. They belong to the class Cephalopoda . Despite their name, cuttlefish are not fish but molluscs....
of Cthulhu
Cthulhu
Cthulhu is a fictional character that first appeared in the short story "The Call of Cthulhu", published in the pulp magazine Weird Tales in 1928. The character was created by writer H. P...
. This is detailed in the song "Ham On The Bone" (although the song predates the event in question by more than a year, it fits the context of the story perfectly). Since that incident, which is based on a real incident in 1990 where Brockie was arrested by police for "obscenity" after a North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
concert, which almost led to him being deported (Brockie was, at the time, a Canadian citizen and did not have a driver's license), reportedly taking the Cuttlefish into custody as "evidence," Oderus has made it a point to appear with the Cuttlefish whenever possible (though some tours downplayed the "fish", Gwar's more recent tours have utilized a re-designed Cuttlefish as a means to spray the audience with various fluids).
Instruments
Though the lead vocalist of Gwar, Dave Brockie has played other instruments with the band. His original position was as one of the (three) guitarists, though other Slave Pit members (as well as Brockie himself) claim that he is a very poor guitarist. Don Drakulich, a.k.a. Sleazy P. Martini, has given a similar answer in the "Ask Sleazy" section of Bohab Central (the largest Gwar fansite), even going so far as to say that all of Brockie's guitar parts on Let There Be GwarLet There Be GWAR
Let There Be Gwar is a CD made up of Gwar's 1986 demo recordings pre-dating the Hell-O album and featuring the original lineup. The first four tracks on the album feature original Gwar member Joey Slutman on lead vocals...
were removed.
As a bass player, however, Brockie fares much better. In the Live From Antarctica concert video, Oderus plays bass on "Cool Place To Park," while Michael Bishop (then Beefcake the Mighty
Beefcake the Mighty
Beefcake the Mighty is the bassist in the rock band Gwar. He appears as a stout humanoid girded in Roman-style armor. He is usually portrayed wielding either an oversized Gladius sword or a large battle-axe .-Background:According to Gwar mythos, Beefcake originates from the planet Cholesterol...
) sang - though Bishop was capable of singing and playing at the same time, his thrashing and jumping made that impossible. Brockie also plays bass on the tracks "Eat Steel" and "Fight", on Gwar's album This Toilet Earth
This Toilet Earth
This Toilet Earth is the fourth album released by rock/heavy metal/punk band Gwar. Released in 1994, this album was to be one of their oddest and most bittersweet albums. It was the first Gwar album to be censored , due to their gain in popularity as a result of MTV exposure...
(both these tracks feature Bishop's Beefcake on vocals). Additionally, Brockie played bass for X-Cops
X-Cops
X-Cops was a side project composed of members from the band Gwar and their extended "family" of musicians. Each member of X-Cops performed in a police uniform and had their own character. They released the album You Have The Right To Remain Silent... on Metal Blade Records in 1995...
, as well as the Dave Brockie Experience
Dave Brockie Experience
The Dave Brockie Experience or DBX is formed of three of the current members of Heavy metal band GWAR. The band is composed of David "Oderus Urungus" Brockie , Brad "Jizmak Da Gusha" Roberts , and Mike "Balsac the Jaws of Death" Derks . DBX is a pet project of GWAR and shows some of their earlier...
.