The Moped Army is a group of avid moped riders, originally formed in Sturgis, Michigan as the Decepticons in 1997 by three friends while attending Western Michigan University.[1] Eventually, as other moped riders showed an interest in creating their own branches associated with the Decepticons, the Moped Army was formed, with the Decepticons summarily becoming a branch of the Moped Army. In its mission statement, the Moped Army describes itself as "...the organizational end result of an outcropping of moped enthusiasts throughout the nation."[2] To that end, the Moped Army's website hosts a forum and the Moped Wiki, which provide informational resources to the greater moped community, and many of the branches host public events throughout the year. In 2003, Hardcore Productions released a documentary on the Moped Army, Swarm and Destroy. The footage was shot mostly at the Decepticon's BBQ 6 event, and contains anecdotes about moped lifestyle and the history of the Moped Army.[3] In 2006, comic writer/artist Paul Sizer authored a science fiction graphic novel entitled "Moped Army" inspired by the organization.[4] As of autumn 2006, the greater organization comprised 18 branches, with roughly 350 members in total.[5]
Allusions
Some Moped Army branch names contain references to cultural icons, moped-related terms, or the branch's geographic location.
- The Bombardment Society is a reference to a school club in the film Rushmore.
- The Creatures of the Loin is a reference to the Tenderloin neighborhood in San Francisco and Zach "Lee" Levenberg's sexy loins. [6]
- The Decepticons took their name from the villains of the Transformers television series.
- The Ghost Riders took their name from the popular comic book character Ghost Rider.
- The Hell's Satans name comes from an episode of The Simpsons. [7]
- Landsquids name born from branch member Paul Norton's amazing, unquestionable genius.
- Mission 23 refers to the average top speed of the original club member's mopeds, 23mph.
- The Mosquito Fleet is an eponym of the steamships of Puget Sound.
- switcHANDsignal references the Pittsburgh-based Union Switch & Signal.
- The Tom Cruisers are a reference to Tom Cruise and the movie Top Gun.
- The Puddle Cutters are strange people from Portland, Oregon who cut themselves with big knives.
External links
References
- ^ Swarm and Destroy is Motto of Moped Army. Kalamazoo Gazette. Retrieved on 2006-11-16.
- ^ http://www.mopedarmy.com/main/mission/
- ^ http://www.1977mopeds.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=123
- ^ http://www.paulsizer.com/moped_army/about_moped.htm
- ^ http://www.mopedarmy.com/members/view/
- ^ http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/12/27/DDGU0GCPP51.DTL
- ^ http://www.thesimpsons.com/episode_guide/1108.htm
