Kenny Howard

== Racism and anti-sociality ==

== Racism and anti-sociality ==

In January 2004, an ''[[OC Weekly]]'' article alleged that Howard evidenced violent and [[Racism|racist]] tendencies. [[Robert Williams (artist)|Robert Williams]], a friend and fellow artist, said Howard was "...quite a racist; didn't like anybody. Howard was accused of having all the trappings of being a [[neo-Nazi]]. Another accusation suggested he could not tolerate black people."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.ocweekly.com/news/von-who-6426922|title=Von Who?|last=Douglas|first=Theo|date=January 8, 2004|work=[[OC Weekly]]|access-date=2017-03-16}}</ref> The article alleges that a letter written shortly before Howard's death in 1992, when he was in the hospital, closed with “Bye, [[Heil Hitler]].”<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailyemerald.com/2004/11/04/von-dutch-behind-the-hot-rod-garb/|title=Von Dutch: Behind the hot rod garb|newspaper=Daily Emerald|date=November 4, 2004|access-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref> After the publication of the article, a number of retailers removed Von Dutch from their inventory despite its profitability.

In January 2004, an ''[[OC Weekly]]'' article alleged that Howard evinced violent and [[Racism|racist]] tendencies. [[Robert Williams (artist)|Robert Williams]], a friend and fellow artist, said Howard was "...quite a racist; didn't like anybody. Howard was accused of having all the trappings of being a [[neo-Nazi]]. Another accusation suggested he could not tolerate black people."<ref name=":0">{{Cite news|url=http://www.ocweekly.com/news/von-who-6426922|title=Von Who?|last=Douglas|first=Theo|date=January 8, 2004|work=[[OC Weekly]]|access-date=2017-03-16}}</ref> The article alleges that a letter written shortly before Howard's death in 1992, when he was in the hospital, closed with “Bye, [[Heil Hitler]].”<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailyemerald.com/2004/11/04/von-dutch-behind-the-hot-rod-garb/|title=Von Dutch: Behind the hot rod garb|newspaper=Daily Emerald|date=November 4, 2004|access-date=March 16, 2017}}</ref> After the publication of the article, a number of retailers removed Von Dutch from their inventory despite its profitability.

In May 2004, ''[[Los Angeles Magazine]]'' profiled Howard similarly, describing his [[alcoholism]] and [[anti-social behaviour]]. Von Dutch clothing founder Ed Boswell described Howard as "...as an avid military enthusiast enamored of German Military esthetics. But he was not a [[white power]] guy. He hated everybody too much to be one of those. He was a provocateur."<ref>{{Cite magazine|first=R.J.|last=Smith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nV0EAAAAMBAJ&q=von+dutch+nazi&pg=PA178|title=Triumph of the Wheels|magazine=[[Los Angeles Magazine|Los Angeles]]|date=March 16, 2017|language=en}}</ref>

In May 2004, ''[[Los Angeles Magazine]]'' profiled Howard similarly, describing his [[alcoholism]] and [[anti-social behaviour]]. Von Dutch clothing founder Ed Boswell described Howard as "...as an avid military enthusiast enamored of German Military esthetics. But he was not a [[white power]] guy. He hated everybody too much to be one of those. He was a provocateur."<ref>{{Cite magazine|first=R.J.|last=Smith|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nV0EAAAAMBAJ&q=von+dutch+nazi&pg=PA178|title=Triumph of the Wheels|magazine=[[Los Angeles Magazine|Los Angeles]]|date=March 16, 2017|language=en}}</ref>