10 Amazing Stories Behind Famous Rock Album Music Covers
5. One Hell Of A Birthday Present (Evil Empire - Rage Against The Machine)
In 1942, the third edition of the comic book series Boy Comics introduced audiences to a brand new hero named Crimebuster. By day, he was Chuck Chandler, an ordinary schoolboy, but by night, he used his extensive military cadet training to take down bad guys and save the day!
A wholesome story then, so of course Rage Against the Machine had subvert the whole thing and make it a political statement.
For their 1996 album Evil Empire, home to such tracks as Bulls on Parade and People of the Sun, Rage used a painting by artist Mel Ramos as the cover. It was in the style of Crimebuster, but the signature "c" on his chest had been changed to an "e" for "evil", and the name of the record was superimposed beneath him.
Though this image was based on the character, this is not a painting of Chuck Chandler. Instead, it is of an 11-year-old boy named Ari Meisel, who told Kerrang! in 2021 that the painting was originally a birthday present from Ramos.
Appearing on the front of an album that's sold 3 million copies in the US alone, now that's a gift and a half.