Quick Dick Facts (shamelessly borrowed from mortonia.com)

JOHNNY & the DICKS the Quick Fax !

Johnny and the Dicks was formed in 1978 in Cleveland by John Morton, the founder of the proto-proto-punk band The Electric Eels.

As a musician (?) with the Eels and a visual artist I (notice again, he switches from omniscient to first person) wanted to combine the theatricality of performing music with the band and put that show bizness into the visual arts.

Johnny & was a punk band that performed "art songs" We would come on stage with guitars, drums, amps and lip sink to a version of the song "You're Full of Shit" recorded by the Styrene/Money band.

I would make polyester resin sculpture while the other members sat at a table and had a birthday cake. We had our own photographer who's job it was to shoot us doing "anything" because "anything" we did, was art.

Johnny = John Morton

the Dicks = Karen K. Karen Karen, Andrew Klimek, Cynthia Womersly, Laura Kennedy, Michael J. Weldon, Charles Gilchrist, A guy named Paul, and John's soon to be X wife, Michele Zalopany.

[We] John released the "dicks" album in 78. Silk screened with the addition of pastels, glitter, and coloured polyester resin and fibreglas. They were sold in record stores in our own "Johnny &" bin.

It was super-way-cool.

One woman purchased a copy and returned it the next day partly torn. "I looked everywhere, but I could not find a record!" the clerk refunded her money, re-shrink wrapped the torn unit and put it back in the bin for $1 extra.

These are collectibles and of course, coming from my "conceptual art phase," I said, "Hey man ! It's the Idea that is important, not the 'object!' " and as a consequence I have none of the albums myself.

I COULD BE SITTING ON A VERITABLE GOLD MINE !!! All I [he] can think of for now.

(written by John Morton)