Homer Flynn

Homer "Captain Doc" Flynn, with The Residents

### Occupation

Graphic designer, artist, businessman, co-owner and "Captain Doc" of The Cryptic Corporation

### Labels

Residents, Uninc., The Cryptic Corporation, New Ralph Too, Cherry Red Records, MVD Audio

### Associated acts

Porno Graphics, The Cryptic Corporation, The Delta Nudes

### Website

http://crypticorp.com/

**Homer Flynn III** (born April 11th 1945) is an American artist, graphic designer and businessman who is known for his role as founding member, co-owner and current "Captain Doc" of The Cryptic Corporation, the management and public relations firm which has represented The Residents since 1976.

A friend and collaborator of The Residents from their earliest days in Shreveport, Louisiana, Flynn is also the group's primary graphic designer and art director, having been responsible for most of their album and promotional art, which is usually credited to his graphic design company Porno-Graphics.

Since the early 1980s, Flynn has regularly acted as a spokesperson for The Residents and The Cryptic Corporation, becoming more prominent in this role following the retirement of co-founder and long time President Hardy Fox in 2017.

Flynn has lived and worked in San Francisco, California since 1969. He is married to artist Leigh Barbier, who he lives with in the Haight-Ashbury District. He has two daughters, artist Jana Flynn (from his previous marriage to Diane Flynn) and actress Isabelle Barbier, and two grandchildren.

## Biography

#### Origins (1945-1968)

Homer Flynn III was born on April 11th, 1945 in Shreveport, Louisiana. He has a brother, Kevin, who is active as an artist in Louisiana.

Flynn first came into contact with members of the group who would later become The Residents at C.E. Byrd High School in Shreveport, likely as a freshman in 1959.

At the age of 18, Flynn enrolled in Louisiana Tech University, where he became roommates with the group's future composer, arranger and engineer, Hardy Fox. Flynn graduated from Louisiana Tech in 1967 with a major in art and a minor in business.

#### The Delta Nudes and founding of Residents, Uninc. (1969-1971)

In 1969 Flynn moved to San Mateo, California, with members of the group who would later become The Residents. Flynn began to create art and music with the fledgling group, as well as paintings and silk-screen prints by himself.

In 1971, Flynn created a print to accompany a demo tape the group had created to be sent to Hal Halverstadt of Warner Bros. Records, entitled *The W\*\*\*\*\* B\*\*\* Album*. This graphic was the first artwork credited to Flynn's graphic design company Porno Graphics. The demo was returned to the group by Halverstadt with a polite rejection note, addressed to the "Residents" of the San Mateo apartment.

The loose group of friends decided to adopt this as their name, becoming Residents, Uninc. - a name which they would retain for the next five years for production, management and public relations purposes.

#### Early Ralph Records and Porno Graphics (1972-1975)

When Residents, Uninc. formed Ralph Records in December of 1972, they immediately hired Flynn to incorporate Porno Graphics as the graphic design arm of the new record company, solidifying his role as The Residents' chief artist.

As recording on their debut LP, *Meet The Residents,* began in early 1973, The Residents began to shave down the ever-changing and increasingly large lineup. As a result of this, Flynn backed away from the music production side of the business, instead focusing entirely on graphic design.

#### Treasurer of The Cryptic Corporation (1976-2015)

Following the recording of their third album *The Third Reich 'n Roll*, The Residents felt the need for a management company to act on their behalf. To this end, they hired four of their close friends to form The Cryptic Corporation, a management and public relations company. This group initially included Flynn, as well as Hardy Fox, John Kennedy and Jay Clem; the four had all been collaborators with the group since their early days and all had experience in business management.

Flynn's original primary role in The Cryptic Corporation was as the in-house artist for Ralph Records, producing iconic cover art graphics such as those seen on *The Third Reich 'n Roll*, *Fingerprince*, *Duck Stab!*, and *Eskimo*. Flynn also acted as a musical co-producer when The Cryptic Corporation were challenged with remixing The Residents' debut album from mono into stereo in 1977.

Beginning in 1977, Flynn began developing a series of elaborate "collectors box" editions of Residents albums, which was expected to include *The Third Reich 'n Roll*, *Fingerprince* and *Eskimo*. Flynn only got as far as completing the *Third Reich* boxes (which were housed in plastic drawstring bags created from pieces of Christo's art installation *Running Fence*), before ultimately abandoning the collectors box project in 1980, following a trip to the emergency room brought on by a mishap involving black car enamel, during the painting of the wooden boxes.

In 1982 Flynn (along with the other Cryptics) co-produced the promotional Ralph Records 10th Anniversary Radio Special. This would be the final production by all four founding members of The Cryptic Corporation. The following year, as ownership of Ralph shifted from The Cryptic Corporation to Tom Timony, Pore-No-Graphics became the in house artist for the Cryptics, rather than for Ralph.

Following the departure of John Kennedy in 1982 and Jay Clem in 1983, Flynn and Fox became the sole members of The Cryptic Corporation, and thus lead spokespeople for The Residents. They retained these roles for decades, until Fox retired from in 2017. Flynn and Fox informally acted as co-producers on essentially all of The Residents' releases from *The Big Bubble* in 1985 to the *Sculpt* soundtrack in 2016.

#### President and "Captain Doc" of The Cryptic Corporation (2016-present)

After Hardy Fox's retirement from The Cryptic Corporation in 2017, Flynn became the last remaining co-founder of the company, and took the role of President. The Cryptic Corporation is now co-owned by Flynn with Cherry Red Records and MVD Audio, who purchased Fox's share in the company when he retired.

In October 2017, Flynn posted a YouTube video to The Residents' official channel titled "Yet Another Offer!", in which he said that the title of President had become "a nasty nine-letter word" since the inauguration of then-President of the United States Donald Trump, and instead adopted the title "Captain Doc", which he has continued to use as his official title in the company since.

Since to departure of Fox, Homer no longer acts as co-producer on The Residents mainline albums, with production duties have shifted to The Residents and Eric Drew Feldman. Flynn continues to create artwork for The Residents' releases, and assists Cherry Red with the ongoing expansive pREServed series of reissues. He is now the group's primary spokesperson, regularly appearing in promotional videos as "Captain Doc" of The Cryptic Corporation.

While on vacation in 2022, Flynn allowed a Resident to stay in his house (and sleep in his bed) following a flood. Although "no damage was done", Flynn was plagued by an "unpleasant feeling" that the bed - as well as a nightstand and armoire from the same bedroom - was now "haunted". Deciding that the "defiled" items of furniture must go, they were announced for sale on The Residents' official website in November 2023, as part of a bundle valued at $1200 USD. If the bundle does not sell, Flynn will offer the items separately at a higher price - $1200 for the bed alone, $800 for the armoire, and $400 for the nightstand.

## Credits on Residents projects

(For credits to the arts division of which Flynn is head see Porno/Graphics)

* Charles Bobuck ‎- GOD O: Music For A Gallery Opening (2012, Illustration)
* The Delta Nudes - Greatest Hiss (2013, recorded circa 1973)
* Strange Culture / The Rivers Of Hades / Haeckel's Tale (2015, Illustration)
* The Residents Present The Delta Nudes (2016, recorded circa 1973)
* Theory Of Obscurity - A Film About The Residents (2016, Interviewee)
* Thomas Leer / The Residents - Pioneers Of Electronica (2017, writer on 'Train Vs. Elephant')
* 80 Aching Orphans (2017, Liner Notes)
* The 180 Gs - Commercial Album (2019, Liner Notes)
* In Between Dreams (Live In San Francisco) (2019, Liner Notes)

## See also

* Porno Graphics
* The Cryptic Corporation
* Ralph Records
* Hardy Fox
* Jay Clem
* John Kennedy
* Diane Flynn
* Jana Flynn
* Leigh Barbier
* Isabelle Barbier

## External links and references

* Official website
* Homer Flynn on Discogs

1. ↑ "Homer Flynn" article on Distributed Wikipedia
2. ↑ Homer Flynn, "Homer Flynn (Spokesperson for The Residents) on WZRD Chicago 88.3FM" on Mixcloud, August 5th 2021
3. ↑ Homer Flynn on Talkhouse
4. ↑ Homer Flynn, "When It Comes to The Residents, Obscurity Is Its Own Reward", Talkhouse, April 12th 2017
5. ↑ https://peoplepill.com/people/homer-flynn/
6. ↑ Louisiana Life Art by Kevin Flynn
7. ↑ The Theory Of Obscurity Interview, 2015
8. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/03/obituaries/hardy-fox-dead.html
9. ↑ Homer Flynn on Talkhouse
10. ↑ "Yet Another Offer!" on YouTube
11. ↑ Bubba Hodges, "Haunted Bed Sale", residents.com, November 20th 2023

**Major works**
*Rusty Coathangers for the Doctor* (1970) · *The Ballad of Stuffed Trigger* (1970) · *The W\*\*\*\*\* B\*\*\* Album* (1971) · *B.S.* (1971) · *Santa Dog* (1972)
**Other recordings**
"I Hear Ya Got Religion" / "Moonman" (1969) · *1-10 (With A Touch of 11)* (1972)
**Compilation albums**
*ERA B474* (2012) · *The Delta Nudes' Greatest Hiss* (2013) · *The Residents Present The Delta Nudes* (2016) · *A Nickle If Your Dick's This Big* (2019) · *Warning: Uninc.* (2022)
**Live shows**
The Boarding House, October 18th 1971 · Philip's Wedding, October 31st 1971 · Chris' Party, February 12th 1972
**Collaborators**
Randy Rose · Charles Bobuck · Hardy Fox · **Homer Flynn** · Palmer Eiland · Roger "Bunny" Hartley · Jay Clem · John Kennedy · Roland Sheehan · Bob Tangney · Jim Whitaker · N. Senada · Philip "Snakefinger" Lithman · Peggy Honeydew (Margaret Swaton) · The Singing Lawn Chairs (Pamela Zeibak)
**Related articles**
San Mateo apartment · Hal Halverstadt · Porno Graphics · Sycamore St. studio · Ralph Records · The Residents · *Vileness Fats* · *Meet The Residents* · *The Third Reich 'n Roll* · "Satisfaction" · "Aphids In The Hall" · The Cryptic Corporation · *WB:RMX*‎‎‏‏‎