I wanted to move to San Francisco because the city nestled in fog has a reputation for being wonderful and weird, as well as the vanguard of political upheaval. Even though I come from the already pretty strange Los Angeles, I wanted to go someplace where my pink-haired politics would be welcome.
Even though I love it here, I sometimes get a little homesick for the beach grunge of the Venice Boardwalk, cool sands of Malibu, and neon lights of Hollywood. But then something like this happens and I remember why exactly San Francisco is home in a way Los Angeles never was.
The weirdness began in 1966, when artist Harold Bachman designed an unusual sign for the drive-in chain Doggie Diner. Because if I’m going to buy a burger from anyone, it’s going to be from a monolithic disembodied dog head sporting a chef’s hat and bowtie. This is obviously the epitome of class.
Designated as an historical landmark, one Doggie Diner dog head remains erect in San Francisco’s Sunset District near Ocean Beach. The others, however, roll around on a flatbed truck, conversely delighting and terrifying all those who see them. The Holy Trinity of the Dogminican Order (as they are known) are owned and operated by John Law, a partner of Laughing Squid and one of San Francisco’s cultural tricksters whose tenure goes back decades.
Lest you fret that San Francisco is losing its weirdness, there’s a new chapter in the Doggie Diner dog heads’ claim to fame. They have now been outfitted in vibrant stockinged covers crocheted by “yarn artist” Olek. Yes, a yarn artist. A yarnist, if you will.
I will let the photos do the rest of the talking.
And oh! A Vine!
Never change, San Francisco.
Via Laughing Squid
See more dog art on Dogster:
- Despite Tragedy, Vermont’s Dog Mountain Lives On
- A Jack Russell Terrier Named Tillamook Cheddar Proves That Dogs Can Be Artists, Too
- Hallie Is a Blind Dachshund — And Also an Abstract Painter
About Liz Acosta: Dogster’s former Cuteness Correspondent, Liz still manages the site’s daily “Awws,” only now she also wrangles Dogster’s social media. That’s why she wants you to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and — her personal favorite — Instagram. See ya there!
