'Activist art collective' claims responsibility for Wildman's Civil War shop vandalism

Aug. 9—KENNESAW — Police and city officials say an investigation is underway after Wildman's Civil War shop in downtown Kennesaw was vandalized this weekend, and a self-described "activist art collective" has claimed responsibility.

Wildman's, which sells Confederate memorabilia, has long been a controversial establishment in the city. Dent Myers owns the store and the building that has housed his shop for more than 40 years.

On the side of the building is a mural of two Confederate soldiers flanking the store's logo and description: "Wildman's Dent Myers Civil War Surplus & Herb Shop."

The vandalism, claimed by INDECLINE activist art collective, depicts characters from the cartoon "The Smurfs" with anarchy symbols on their clothing or chests. One Smurf has a Molotov cocktail, and others are giving inappropriate gestures, including one depicted with genitals showing, urinating on one of the mural's Confederate soldiers.

The soldiers flanking the original painting have the heads of "Smurfs" villain Gargamel and his cat, Azrael, superimposed over theirs. Both new heads wear Confederate caps.

Most pieces of the installation are painted onto materials that had been hung on the wall, but over a section of the original mural that said "CIVIL WAR SURPLUS" appeared to be spray painted "RESPECT EXISTENCE."

Below that phrase was another that had been hung on the wall: "OR EXPECT RESISTANCE."

In a news release, INDECLINE said it had "struck once again." The group said after six months of pretending to be Civil War enthusiasts and visiting with Myers, "INDECLINE ultimately gained permission to work on the pre-existing mural that adorns the brick wall above the store."

"Wildman (Myers) told the collective they could, 'do anything you want to do'. In response, INDECLINE created a large scale art installation in protest of the store and its racist owner," the group said, providing a link to a video of one of its members, voice disguised, talking with Myers.

Police officials say the group appears to have gained permission to work on the store's mural, but it's unclear whether Myers knew that this would be the outcome. There is no security footage of the incident, and a decision on whether charges will be filed is pending the outcome of the investigation and what the district attorney's office recommends, according to Officer Scott Luther, a spokesman for the Kennesaw Police Department.

Kennesaw Police officials are asking anyone with information to contact Detective Moon at 770-429-4533 or bmoon@kennesaw-ga.gov.

At his store on Sunday, Myers told the MDJ he'd hold his comments until the outcome of the police investigation. City officials, including Mayor Derek Easterling and City Manager Jeff Drobney, also declined to comment until the investigation is complete.

A few of those who showed up to help the 90-year-old Myers take down the installation characterized the vandals' tactics as "taking advantage of an old man."

Dale Hughes owns several buildings surrounding Myers' along and in the area of downtown Kennesaw's Main Street. He said he saw the photos of the vandalism on Facebook Sunday morning and called Myers to tell him he might want to come to the store.

Hughes is planning a redevelopment that includes a coffee house and brewery for the surrounding buildings and plans to call the area "Common Grounds Plaza."

While he doesn't agree with some of the items in Myers' store, Hughes said the vandalism of the store's mural goes against what he wants the area to ultimately be about.

"It's the antithesis of what we're trying to do at Common Grounds Plaza. Common Grounds Plaza's about creating dialogue, instead of hate. It's about creating a forum where we can all come together and talk about our differences instead of fighting with each other," Hughes said. "So I come down here not because I believe in anything that's in Dent's building, or anybody else's building, but I come down here because we're all property owners in this area. That's a violation of rights, no different than human rights or any other rights, that's somebody's property rights."

Hughes said the hateful depictions and inappropriate images added by INDECLINE are needlessly offensive. And on the additions, "there are as many hateful and offensive symbols there as I think whoever might go through his (shop would find)," Hughes said of the store that displays Confederate antiques and books, as well as caricature depictions of African Americans and a decades-old Ku Klux Klan robe in the back.

"This is just the wrong way to resolve our differences in society. It's just hate-filled," Hughes said, noting whoever is responsible for the vandalism had to trespass on Hughes' property to gain access to the mural. "It's just so heartbreaking. ... It's going to provoke a response."

Nearby property owners, Wildman's store manager and others had taken down most of INDECLINE's installation by late morning, but the spray painted portion remained.

In its explanation, INDECLINE said Myers hides behind his claims of simply running a history shop.

"Supposedly, Dent Myers, or as he's known in the streets of Kennesaw, 'Wildman,' is just here to give us a history lesson. The lesson is that prejudice rarely sees itself as such," the letter said. "Mr. Myers hides behind his politeness, and his apologists excuse his ignorance with his age. But their conclusion is that the rest of us just need to wait for the racists to die before we begin to dismantle their legacy."

The group goes on to say it "updated his mural for the Civil War we are fighting today," calling the Smurfs "magical beings," and adds "but so are ANTIFA."

Myers' shop was the setting of demonstrations last summer, when protests and marches swept through Cobb after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Calling him an outdated relic who needs to close his Civil War shop and "go away," nearly 100 demonstrators gathered downtown in early June 2020 to protest Myers' "attitudes" they said make minority residents feel unwelcome.

The group — mostly high school and university students and a few adults — filled a small park across from the shop. The protesters urged city officials to call for the closure of the store.

Follow Thomas Hartwell on Twitter at twitter.com/MDJThomas.