“When Iron Maiden are so haggard that we’d never put our pictures on an album cover, we can still make decent music – just put Eddie on the front!” says Bruce Dickinson.
Eddie, the most recognizable mascot in heavy metal, has become an icon thanks to Iron Maiden featuring their zombified figurehead on every album, single, and t-shirt. Eddie symbolizes the band’s rebellion and love for the macabre. According to Dickinson, Eddie’s image will keep Iron Maiden looking badass well into their old age.
In a 2004 interview with Banger Films, Dickinson explains, “I’ve always seen Eddie as a member of the band. He’s a huge figure of entertainment and almost an alter ego for us.
“As a band, we don’t engage in many ‘heavy metal’ stereotypes,” he continues. “If your image is ‘I’m a loud, crazy rocker’ and you suddenly appear with a wife and two kids, it’s like, ‘Ha! Gotcha! You’re not a loud, crazy rocker at all! You’re a fake!’
“Eddie’s great because we don’t have to pretend at all. We can be ourselves. I don’t have to go out with a raft of piercings and be covered head to toe in tattoos, not because I want to, but because I have to maintain the image. Eddie does that on our behalf. In fact, he does it so much better than we could ever do it, and he can do it for eternity.”
