![]() It seems to say, “Yes, I have orchestrated this whole mad plan.” Sitting side by side, it strikes me as a subtle message from Derek himself. As with the bird and cat above, it’s a straight line between the evil man and the logo. Is he connected or merely a macabre witness?īelow the sinister man, Derek’s logo appears. The figure has a morbid curiosity with the grisly display. As dying hands cling to Eddie, fresh blood drips from an ax. Sinister and ominous, his gaze is fixed upon the murder scene. ANOTHER black cat! A straight line south, the bird has led me directly to the black cat! I’ve barely explored the largest building and I’ve already discovered TWO black cats! There IS truth to the legend.Īs before, windows offer a glimpse inside. I ponder the significance of a bird theme and wonder if these winged black creatures somehow denote a link to the cat.Īs I look down I see it. He is separate from the flock that lines the rooftop next door. One can barely make out the weather vane that extends into the cloudy night. With the entire right portion of the sleeve unexplored, I opt for an exhaustive examination of Killers.Ī larger building sits to the right of Eddie. I’m surprised the cat was discovered so quickly. My eyes go to the bottom left corner and I finally see it. Other windows offer nothing beyond a few bright colors. Perhaps she’s affiliated with the “Kinky Sex Shop” below. I’m pretty sure I see a woman undressing. Windows offer a voyeuristic view into seedy apartments. The neighborhood is the type where one may be murdered with an axe. It’s clear that Riggs is fond of recurring themes. I’m certain that a black cat is near! Nods to the famed pub that gave Maiden their start would return on the Somewhere in Time sleeve. A sign for “Ruskin Arms” is partially obscured behind Eddie. One of Derek’s hidden messages is immediately observed. If there was any truth to the legend, a black cat is lurking in this vast urban landscape! With great expectation, I drop the needle on Side One and begin a new search as “The Ides of March” fills the room.īrandishing a bloody ax with a long mane of hair, this was an Eddie worthy of a METAL band! The background images are more complex. ![]() Unlike the first rendering of Eddie, Killers was created especially for Maiden. My instinct told me the REAL saga would begin with Killers. It’s enough encouragement to continue my exploration. Still unsure of exactly WHAT is inside the trashcan, I’m content with the “litter” clue. In the end, I feel I’m seeing what I want to see. Could there be a cat curled up, sleeping, or maybe even dead? My mind tried to rationalize the shape of a contorted cat. There ARE, however, deep black lines that form a mysterious shape inside this “litter” box. Perhaps trash is commonly known as “litter.” From my inquisitive American perspective, it appears I had found a clue! Now, I’m not sure WHAT they call a wastebasket in England. All that’s left is a trash can.īut wait! The trash can is labeled “Litter.” As in litter box? Like the sort used by a CAT!? Not much was there to explore in this early portrait of Eddie. Obviously the cat would not be out in the open. It’s the sort of eclectic touch of someone that would find humor in hiding black cats in album covers. This curious symbol functions as a signature and graces each painting. Riggs puts substantial effort into the smallest of details.Īs I glanced beyond Eddie, the famous Derek Riggs logo was spotted in a brick. Sitting down with a legitimate pressing of the first Maiden album, I came face to face with Eddie. Armed with vintage pressings of the Iron Maiden catalogue, I took to my record collection in search of the mysterious black cat! It was up to me to uncover this great heavy metal mystery. People seem to have HEARD of the phenomenon, but no one can elaborate. ![]() So, the legend of the black cat IS a thing…at least a myth. “Oh yea, apparently there is a black cat on every Iron Maiden album.” When pressed for details, only a shrug of the shoulders was given as a reply. I casually asked, “Have you heard something about Derek Riggs and black cats?” His response was immediate. I put the question to a close friend that happened to be a Maiden fanatic. If not for fruitless inquires posed by random Iron Maiden fans, I would have doubted its existence entirely. A Google search yielded no conclusive evidence. I wondered if the concept was some half-invented figment of my imagination. The black cat legend is rarely discussed. One particularly murky legend is that a black cat is hidden in each Iron Maiden album. From seedy underworlds of urban decay to Egyptian pyramids and hostile ice planets, creator Derek Riggs has famously buried jokes and messages in the landscapes that Eddie called home. Eddie has been the face of Iron Maiden since day one. ![]()
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