History

Black Flag were an influential hardcore punk band who formed in Hermosa Beach, California in 1977. Although they went through many lineups before their break up in 1986, they are best remembered for being the band which launched the career of Henry Rollins and for their logo, designed by Raymond Pettibon, which remains a symbol of great pride amongst their fans.

Meme Origin

On 18th January 2011, a Tumblr user called A Bloody Mess posted the below request (original link here).

Could someone photoshop me up a “Cat Flag” logo? The Black Flag bars but made out of black cats.

The next day Tumblr user Art Yucko promptly delivered.

Spread

By Friday January 21st 2011, almost a dozen similar parodies had appeared across the internet.

Notable Examples

Compiled a NextRound.Net

Further Reading

Bat Flag (now available as a t-shirt)