Published 07/10/2023
Written by Copper Mutant
I've been asked a few times about my logo by people who enjoy it what all the details mean within the logo itself.
The Copper Mutant logo is something I came up with to illustrate what my Youtube channel is about. An illustrator made it based on an actual photo I took of myself. The small text is self-explanatory. My channel does focus on survivalism, but from an angle not every other survivalist things of - not the primitive survivalists, nor the guys decked out in their overlanding adventure vehicles. It's a take on survival that centers on the possibilities - and limitations - of survival in a post-collapse world, where the vestiges of technology are still there, but the grid is down, and food and fuel are scarce. Copper bullion is my favorite portable barter currency for those small things after the apocalypse, but more on that later. The hat, mask, shirt, and copper rounds are all things that I own and had in the source photo. But what do these things mean?
Well the cowboy hat is of course iconic in Texas, and where I have land out in West Texas it is frequently used by yours truly. To be sure, a real Texas cowboy would probably prefer a light colored straw hat in the hot Texas summers, but for my part I find the stiff felt hat does well staying on my head the sometimes strong winds that whip through the open desert land near Sierra Blanca. So in short the hat is just something I use out where I plan to bug out and call home if and when the time comes. It's great when I'm working on prepping my land. The long sleeved shirt is good for protection from the harsh sun, and the temperatures swing cold at night in the fall and winter.
The mask is a Soviet era GP-5 gas mask. I replaced the old filter with a modern one, but otherwise it's much like the ones that were handed out to citizens of the Soviet Union and mass produced so much that you can find them relatively inexpensively even today. I like the rubber since it protects everything, even your hair, and it goes on quickly without any straps since the rubber itself holds everything in place snugly. The mask symbolizes of course a post-apocalyptic world I hope never comes where the air itself might be toxic. Or a breeze could hold chemical death.
In each hand of course I hold 4 copper bullion rounds each. These are the 1 ounce copper bullion rounds I often talk about on this channel. A perfect store of value for barter after the apocalypse. Copper is useful in many ways beyond being a currency used since ancient times, and can be formed into many useful things with minimal tools. But it's also a foundational component for restarting any kind of basic modern technological society. Imagine a world like the one in Mad Max. You're out in the middle of nowhere since the cities are irradiated beyond habitation. Think how copper, valued for its relative scarcity, could be used as a pair of strips in a basic switch to bridge a primitive electrical connection, perhaps for a simple run of wire that runs into each home in a settlement to set off a buzzer alarm when raiders are spotted nearby? Or just as a means of making a handful of nails for a simple project? Or a copper cup?
The name Copper Mutant refers to how I approach stacking of copper bullion in a very different way from most precious metals stackers. Or even how many others who collect copper for other reasons see the metal and its value. In short, I see pure copper bullion as a very different sort of practical investment in post-apocalyptic barter and survival, not something I intend to cash in for a profit based on a spike in spot prices, nor something I collect as a novelty. So you can say I'm an odd duck when it comes to copper stacking, or a "mutant". Perhaps you share that with me, and are what I'd call a "fellow mutant".
The buildings behind me are the ruined husks of multi-story buildings. Brought low by war either from missiles from a foreign adversary or from violent internal conflict. The yucca tree over my right shoulder is more prominent in the West Texas part of the Chihuahuan Desert than any kind of tall cactus plants people usually associate with deserts in America, again, another nod to where I may need to bug out to some day.
The tentacle rising up behind my back has two meanings. The first one - If you've followed my channel for a while you'll know that I have a soft spot for old games and old computers from the 1980s, especially an old role-playing tabletop game called Gamma World. In Gamma World, all manner of unlikely and fantastic mutations are a part of survival in a post apocalyptic world gone mad. I also enjoy old science fiction B-movies and knock offs of Mad Max, or movies that pit the primitive up against modern technology, such as the zany Yor, Hunter from the Future, Warriors of the Apocalypse, or the Blood of Heroes, also known as the Salute of the Jugger. Of course I also enjoy Weird West scenarios, which goes without saying.
Second, the tentacle represents the fact that I don't take myself TOO seriously, and that I do have a thing for making my own fictional scenarios - and knowing how to distinguish between reality and these. Like what you'll find in my Johnny Apocalypseed episodes. But you'll also notice the tentacle is just a small part of the overall picture. Because the way things are going in the world today, it seems increasingly likely that I may need all of the gear and barter items such as copper rounds that I can gather before I head out for the Chihuahuan Desert to make my last stand as we all will have our time to "roll out".
All of these logo elements are of course wrapped in a shiny copper-colored border that who knows, may well be the exact design of a copper bullion round some day. For now, it can be found on the very attractive copper bars available at Liberty Copper in 5ounce and 1 pound sizes.
If you enjoy my channel, or just like collecting cool copper that you could heat, anneal, and peen into a small blade if needed some day, check them out!
Until next time it's Copper Mutant, signing out.![]()