About

The Super S Stussy or simply "Super S" or "Stussy" is a symbol consisting of 14 lines that forms a stylized "S". The symbol is typically drawn by children, usually on notebook paper during school hours. While it has been frequently associated with the clothing brand Stussy, examples of the "S" or near-examples of the "S" dating back prior to the company's forming.

Origin

It is unclear when or where the symbol originated, but many believe it is based off a logo for Stussy , a clothing company based in Irvine, California. However, others question that claim since there's no irrefutable evidence that the symbol ever appeared on any of Stussy's clothing lines and the symbol itself is believed to date back as far as the late 1950's. Some believe the symbol was created by unknown graffiti artists in the past.

LEMMiNO Video

On August 10th, 2019, YouTuber LEMMiNO published a video on the "S," researching the origin and possible affiliations the "S" has with geometry and graffiti. The video shows photographic evidence of the "S" from the 1960s, primarily in the street art and graffiti at the time, including references to the S by American artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, who refers to the S as the "classic S of graff" in the 1980s. Finally, the YouTuber focuses on an 1890 book by professor Frederick Newton Willson entitled Mechanical Graphics, which includes an S as an example of Railroad Type. LEMMiNO theorizes that Willson may have taught geometry students how to draw the "S" to students when teaching at Princeton University in New Jersey.

Spread

The Super S symbol became very popular in the 1980's and 1990's, and is considered a staple of the latter decade among those who grew up in that time period. However, many schools didn't like students drawing the symbol and some schools would later ban it all together, usually in the belief that it was associated with gangs and was an distraction in class. To this day, the "Super S" can be seen drawn on notebook paper by children.

Notable Examples

Internet Spread

Reddit post on January 7th, 2011

Reddit post on February 16th, 2011

External References