Sulu looking forward with a concerned expression on his face. The interior of the Enterprise spaceship is the the background. White text arches on the right side.

The first and “Original Series” of Star Trek debuted in 1966 and ran, on NBC, for three seasons. The show was created by Gene Roddenberry, and was to be an American science fiction show, inspired by westerns. Not only did Roddenberry want to create a show that had plots that paralleled contemporary politics and conflicts, the show was also one of the first with a multiracial cast. The character Sulu was initially played by George Takei from 1966-1969. Sulu was created by Roddenberry as a representation of Asia in total, and as a symbol of peace in the Trek universe.  The name for the character, to avoid a specific nationality, came from the Sulu Sea, which touches many shores. Throughout the show Sulu is portrayed as having many physical hobbies such as gymnastics and fencing. For the majority of the series Sulu has the position of a helmsman but eventually becomes a commanding officer. 

Illustration of cartoon character Bart Simpson with a black censor bar leaning in front of a white star. Red text on yellow background. 

The Simpsons is one of America's most famous animated television shows. The show, which follows the life of the Simpson family, was first created as a sketch on the Tracey Ullman show in 1987 and in 1989 became an independent series. This button features Bart Simpson, the oldest Simpson child known for his mischievous pranks and carefree attitude. The show was controversial in its early years, and many Americans were offended by the show's parodying of average suburban life. In 1999, The Simpsons was the subject of attempts at censorship, especially in their Itchy and Scratchy skit, a violent parody of Tom and Jerry. However, the attempts at censorship were unsuccessful and today The Simpsons is popular around the country and is the longest-running sitcom in American history.

Illustration of Batman in blue and black costume in front of the moon, with white text on red background.

The Batman is the secret identity of the American billionaire named Bruce Wayne. The character is a creation of DC comics and made its first appearance in May of 1939 in Detective Comic. The Batman dedicated his life to justice and the removal of crime after witnessing the murder of his parents as a small child. Batman works and lives in the fictional Gotham city and fights characters from the “rogues gallery” including Joker, Penguin, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, and others. The character was, and is known, for his intelligence, mastery of martial arts, and his use of high tech. equipment. Batman was popular throughout the 1940s and even had his own television show in the 1960s. Bob Kane conceived the original concept of the character. Even though Batman has had moments without fame, throughout the years he has been reinvented and reimagined by various artists resulting in continued resurgence in his fan base. 

Green illustration of the globe surrounded by green text on white background. 

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Big white lettering with blue shadow on an orange background.

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Gold cross in from of French flag and American flag on white background encircled by blue border with white text. 

The Union Saint Jean Baptiste D’Amérique was a fraternal organization that sprang up in New England for Franco-American populations. The Union was initially founded in 1900 in Woonsocket, Rhode Island. The members of the Union dedicated themselves to the promotion of the moral and social welfare of Union members and their families. The Union also served to bring about a unified, central organization of all of the various local French societies. The various Catholic societies that created the union were associated with French Catholic Parishes in American cities. The societies often preceded the establishment of the parishes that they were associated with. The societies mostly offered sick and death benefits to their members. 

Illustration of a white butterfly with some yellow on a black background . Upper left corner has a red heart, upper right corner has a black club, bottom right corner has a red diamond, bottom left corner has a black spade.

Tony Fitzpatrick is a Chicago based artist who essentially began his art career in the 1980s drawing with colored pencils in a store front gallery in Villa Park, Illinois. Fitzpatrick would draw during the day and work as a bartender across the street at night. Tony’s art is influenced, inspired by, and sometimes features, Chicago sports and figures. Tony is also drawn to the darker sides of society and often displays it in his compositions. In 1992 Tony was able to open his printmaking studio, which he called Big Cat Press. Fitzpatrick initially worked in the medium of drawing and printmaking and has most recently switched to drawing/collages. The collages often feature a large central figure that is either drawn or ephemeral. Smaller representations surround the large central figure. The subjects that Tony features are usually Chicago and memories of his father as well as New Orleans, superheroes, New Orleans, and hobo culture and symbols.

This particular image is called “Winter Night Moth.” This image was published on Tony Fitzpatrick’s blog on October 26, 2011. This etching, done in the style of his collages, is part of his “Nickle History” collection. Fitzpatrick created these art works so that they could be accessible to a less affluent community of people. For more information about this collection of art, watch a video of Tony Fitzpatrick discussing his creative process and this particular collection.

Illustration of a black swan with some brown areas floating on red water. The background has a yellow sun with red rays. The outer edge is black and white alternating rectangles.

Tony Fitzpatrick is a Chicago based artist known for his fierce independence and outspokenness. Fitzpatrick is one of Chicago's most prominent artists. His work is displayed at the Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Modern Art, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 

To Fitzpatrick, swans are like "beautiful black veils of death." The image of the black swan was inspired by Fitzpatrick's father with whom Fitzpatrick had an uneasy relationship, rebelled against but deeply respected. His father was a World War II veteran who took part in the Invasion of Okinawa, which was a "bloody, bestial engagement in which Americans took the islands inch-by-bloody-inch in some of the ugliest warfare ever." His father never spoke extensively or gave details of the Invasion, only contributing that it was sheer horror. He was aboard the U.S.S. Noble when the ship approached Okinawa, and he saw black swans lolling on the bloody water. He remembered them like "Black Death Flowers, rising and falling like tides," and he would remember this image whenever he was afraid.

Please see the link below for his father's story. 

http://www.artnet.com/magazineus/features/fitzpatrick/tony-fitzpatrick-the-radio-swan-7-29-11.asp

This button was manufactured by the Busy Beaver Button Co.

Illustration of a large black dog with darker black spots and sharp teeth. Bottom of the image has a chain-linked fence on the right and left corners, a white cross on yellow background in the middle, two yellow crosses on the right. On the middle right side there is a white figure with two faces/heads in black hats, a black bowtie and four black buttons. On the upper left there is another white figure in a black hat with bowtie and three black buttons.

Tony Fitzpatrick is a Chicago based artist who essentially began his art career in the 1980s drawing with colored pencils in a store front gallery in Villa Park, Illinois. Fitzpatrick would draw during the day and work as a bartender across the street at night. Tony’s art is influenced, inspired by, and sometimes features, Chicago sports and figures. Tony is also drawn to the darker sides of society and often displays it in his compositions. In 1992, Tony was able to open his printmaking studio, which he called Big Cat Press. Fitzpatrick initially worked in the medium of drawing and printmaking and has most recently switched to drawing/collages. The collages often feature a large central figure that is either drawn or ephemeral. Smaller representations surround the large central figure. The subjects that Tony features are usually Chicago and memories of his father as well as New Orleans, superheroes, New Orleans, and hobo culture and symbols.

This particular image is called “Gray Dog in the Service of Ghosts.” This image was published on Tony Fitzpatrick’s blog on September 3, 2011. This etching, done in the style of his collages, is part of his “Nickle History” collection. Fitzpatrick created these art works so that they could be accessible to a less affluent community of people. For more information about this collection of art, watch a video of Tony Fitzpatrick discussing his creative process and this particular collection.