Hollywood Potato Chip is the tenth studio album by the Southern California punk rock band The Vandals, released in 2004 by Kung Fu Records. A music video starring guitarist and producer Warren Fitzgerald was filmed for the band's cover version of Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now". The album's title is a euphemism for dried semen on a casting couch. Its original cover art used lettering that parodied the logo of Variety, prompting legal action and a cease and desist order from the magazine which resulted in a replacement cover with redesigned lettering. In 2010 the magazine brought further legal action against the band over third-party uses of the original cover appearing on the internet.
Cover artwork controversy
The album's cover was a source of legal controversy. A few months after the album's release, entertainment industry magazine Variety issued a cease and desist order against The Vandals over the design of the band's name on the album cover. The design mimicked the logo of the magazine as an intentional comment on the materialistic culture of Hollywood, and the magazine accused the band of trademark infringement. The lawsuit was settled with redesigned lettering which appears on all subsequent pressings of the album.
However, in April 2010 Variety filed a lawsuit against the band in a Delaware court, suing them over images of the original cover appearing on the internet. The magazine claimed that the band "ignored their agreement" and were "misusing our mark". The band used their website to taunt Variety lawyer Henry Horbaczewski and editor Peter Bart, saying "The Plaintiffs should all be ashamed and it is the Vandals' opinion that [Variety<nowiki>'</nowiki>s lawyers] are liable for malpractice damages by ruining their client's reputation in a frivolous attempt to act like Godzilla when it comes to hoarding their precious font and inhibiting protected free speech." Variety agreed to drop the case in February 2012. Bassist Joe Escalante, who has a background as an entertainment lawyer and represented The Vandals in the lawsuit, called it "the worst thing that's ever happened to me, and to the band, and the hardest thing I've ever done. However, the crash course in federal court litigation made me a better lawyer."
Band
- Dave Quackenbush – vocals
- Warren Fitzgerald – guitar, backing vocals, lead vocals on Don't Stop Me Now, producer
- Joe Escalante – bass guitar, backing vocals
- Josh Freese – drums
Production
- Greg Koller and Kevin Augunas – recording engineers
- Jeremy Mackenzie and Jon St. James – assistant engineers
- Jason Gossman and Seth Waldman – mix engineers
- Brain Gardner – audio mastering
- Tony Vitali – illustrations and art direction
- Lisa Johnson – band photos