"Hey, Do512! What's (Blank)?!"
Do512 Explains is our editorial series in which we spell out what the deal is with certain longtime Austin traditions. Whether you're a newbie who moved here last week or a longtime resident who just never got around to experiencing whatever thing we're talking about, Do512 Explains will make things clear to you in a tidy summary.
THE "HI, HOW ARE YOU" MURAL
Despite enjoying a celebrated and oft-covered oeuvre as a songwriter, outsider-artist Daniel Johnston's most well-known contribution to the world at large may be the mural he painted on the side wall of a now-defunct record store located at 21st and Guadalupe back in 1992. The inquisitive figure, a friendly-looking cartoon amphibian he dubbed Jeremiah the Innocent, is a recurring motif in Johnston's catalog. The character appears in various forms throughout his art journals and paintings, and eventually came to grace the cover of his once-obscure 1983 album, Hi, How Are You.
Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur
Hi, How Are You no doubt owes some of its mainstream prominence to Nirvana's Kurt Cobain, who often used his newfound celebrity to champion unsung underground artists. Notably, Cobain wore his Hi, How Are You t-shirt to the 1992 MTV Video Music Awards, affording Johnston's work a much higher degree of visibility than ever before.
Photo Credit: Shaggy Texas
A year before his beloved cult status was forever cemented with the release of filmmaker Jeff Feuerzeig's deeply affecting documentary, The Devil and Daniel Johnston, the mural was nearly lost forever. Shortly after Sound Exchange closed in 2003, the building was bought by fast-casual Mexican chain Baja Fresh, who planned to paint over the mural permanently. Fortunately, the Austin community came together and voiced their intense displeasure at this potential tragedy and the mural was left intact.
Today, the Hi, How Are You mural is one of the most adored symbols of Austin iconography. Folks regularly line up for photos in front of it, prints can be found on a variety of merch sold around town, and there is a non-profit of the same name that works to provide solutions and conversations on the topic of mental health. Most recently, the nonprofit established a "Hi, How Are You?" Day - now officially declared as Jan. 22 by Mayor Steve Adler - to encourage people around the world to check in on their friends, family, and strangers by simply asking, "Hi, How Are You?" Since 2018, the day has been celebrated through performances by artists such as The Flaming Lips, Built to Spill, and Yo La Tengo.
In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month in May, Hi, How Are You Project -- the mental health-focused nonprofit inspired by the life and legacy of Daniel Johnston -- and American Campus Communities (ACC) are kicking off their second annual Hi, How Are You Pledge to build a community of support in driving awareness about mental health. These organizations are encouraging everyone to sign the pledge: “Because mental health matters, I pledge to ask others Hi, How Are You?” online at www.hihowareyou.com/pledge and by sharing on social media using the hashtags #hihowareyoupledge and #mentalhealthmatters beginning May 1.
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