(click here for a larger version!)

Behold the tyranny that is the North Pole!! Elf workers of the world: organise!!!

For Christmas I decided I’d redraw the Pyramid of Capitalism, as the Pyramid of Christmas, so the elfs can organise against Santa’s exploitation, or whatever. I’ve no real idea why, I just thought it’d be fun!

It’s a bit too boring to go through everything (you know Santa embodying the state; TV false consciousness blah), but I like the idea of the bourgeoisie being reindeer. Also, this is the first time I’ve worked properly with pencils rather than ink; I like the softness it produced in the image.

Being serious, and dull, for a moment what I didn’t realise until I drew this was that the original poster is now exactly 100 years old. The International Workers of the World (IWW) first printed it in 1911. I once had a really interesting conversation with Josh MacPhee (from Just Seeds) about the simplicity of the poster; the image removes most of the nuances and complexities that make capitalism such an efficient – and pernicious – social relationship. But I suspect it’s that simplicity that’s meant the poster is still being referenced 100 years after it was printed. Not surprising then that there are a lot of other reworkings of the image out there. Personally I think The New Pyramid of the Capitalist System (on Libcom) and Work (by Packard Jennings, published by Crimethinc) are the most interesting updates, and worth having a look at.