Editing Gwar (section)

===Formation and debut (1984–1989)===
Gwar is the result of two separate projects merged into one. Dave Brockie was the vocalist and bassist for a punk band named [[Death Piggy]] that staged mini-plays and used crude props to punctuate its music.<ref>{{cite news|last1 = Helber|first1 = Bob|last2 = Tartan|first2 = Frances|last3 = O'Hara|first3 = Gail|title = Death Piggy Spews and GWAR Too|pages = 1, 12–13|newspaper = Commonwealth Times|location = Richmond Va|date = September 15, 1987|url = https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/com/531/|access-date = May 28, 2024}}</ref> Bands would occasionally practice in a room at the Richmond Dairy, a deserted [[bottling plant]] that had been taken over by [[hippies]]. The hippies rented out interior areas to various artists and musicians. It was at the Richmond Dairy that Death Piggy met [[Techno Destructo|Hunter Jackson]] (Techno Destructo) and Chuck Varga ([[Sexecutioner]]), both attendees of [[Virginia Commonwealth University]] who had set up "The Slave Pit", a production space for ''Scumdogs of the Universe'', a movie they intended to make.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slavepitinc.com/slavepit/timeline/index.html | title=Years 1984 – 1989 | work=Timeline | publisher=Slave Pit Inc. | date=January 8, 2005 | access-date=August 14, 2008 }}</ref> 

Jackson created props for Death Piggy to use on stage. Brockie had an idea to use the costumes made for ''Scumdogs of the Universe'' and have Death Piggy open for itself as a barbaric band from Antarctica, playing nonsense songs while sacrificing fake animals. The name of the joke group was "Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh". The members of Death Piggy began noticing that more people were coming to see Gwaaarrrgghhlllgh and leaving immediately after the set. After several refinements, including shortening the band's name, Death Piggy was phased out in favor of the band now named Gwar.

[[File:Gwar-george-bush.jpg|upright=0.8|thumb|Abuse of an [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] character – live at Reds, [[Edmonton]]]]
The first known line-up for Gwar consisted of Ben Eubanks (vocals), Brockie (guitar), Steve Douglas (guitar), Chris Bopst (bass guitar), Jim Thomson ([[Drum|drums]]) and Jackson. However, this line-up was short-lived and would suffer multiple changes in the following months, with Eubanks quitting after just one or two shows and being replaced by Joe Annaruma, who went on to record several demo tracks with the band. Annaruma quit soon after this, and Brockie became the main vocalist for the band. The band solidified into a line-up consisting of Jackson, Don Drakulich, Varga, Mike Delaney, Mike Bonner, Scott Krahl, Dave Musel and Brockie.<ref>{{cite news|last = Helber|first = Bob|title = Halloween with GWAR|page = 14|newspaper = Commonwealth Times|location = Richmond Va|date = November 4, 1986|url = https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/com/514/|access-date = May 28, 2024}}</ref> 

Mike Delaney left in 1987. Dewey Rowell ([[Flattus Maximus]]), Michael Bishop ([[Beefcake the Mighty]]) and Rob Mosby ([[Nippleus Erectus]]) were recruited in 1987, along with Steve Douglas ([[Balsac the Jaws of Death]]), who rejoined the band after having previously left. [[Danielle Stampe]] (alias: Slymenstra Hymen) joined in 1988 as the first full-time female member of Gwar for the first U.S. tour supporting Gwar's debut album ''[[Hell-O]]'' and toured consistently with the band until 2000. The band has also recruited, and lost, three other female members: The Temptress, Heather Broome (1986); Amazina, [[Colette Miller]] (1986–87); and Gwar Woman, Lisa Harrelson (1987–88).

The band's debut album, ''Hell-O'', a crossover [[thrash metal]]-[[punk rock]] album, was released in 1988 under [[Shimmy Disc]]. The band started touring in support of the album, with Steve Douglas leaving that same year, later to form the alternative band Log, and being replaced by current [[Rhythm guitar|rhythm guitarist]] [[Mike Derks (musician)|Michael Derks]], who took over Douglas' alias as Balsac the Jaws of Death.

However, the band's line-up underwent further changes before 1990. In 1988, the Slave Pit saw the joining of Bob Gorman, a young, new artist who would help with the art design and fabrication aspects of the band. One year later, in 1989, Rob Mobsy left the band and was replaced by Pete Luchter, who also quit to be replaced temporarily by Jim Thompson, who had been in the band prior to the release of ''Hell-O''. Thompson later quit and was replaced by Brad Roberts, who has since portrayed [[Jizmak Da Gusha]].