King Mob

King Mob was a British anarchist/situationist group active in London from 1968 to 1972. The group was notable for its radical political activism and provocative public interventions, which often involved vandalism, graffiti, and street theatre.

King Mob drew inspiration from the Situationist International, a revolutionary avant-garde organization that critiqued consumer capitalism and advocated for the creation of "situations" – moments of lived experience free from the control of the spectacle. However, King Mob was less theoretically focused than the Situationist International and more concerned with direct action and immediate disruption.

Key figures associated with King Mob included Dave Wallis, Bill 'The Goose' Butler, and Steve 'Buster' Clegg. The group's name was taken from a character in the comic strip The Adventures of Luther Arkwright by Bryan Talbot, symbolizing chaotic, anti-establishment energy.

King Mob's activities included defacing advertisements, staging disruptive events in public spaces, and distributing subversive pamphlets. They aimed to challenge the authority of the state and capitalist system, and to encourage individual rebellion and collective self-expression. They sought to disrupt the perceived passivity of everyday life and to provoke critical thinking about the social and political order.

The group eventually dissolved in the early 1970s, but its influence can be seen in later punk rock and anarchist movements. King Mob is remembered for its confrontational style, its commitment to direct action, and its contributions to the development of British situationist thought.