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{{Short description|American conspiracy theorist}}
{{use mdy dates|date=April 2016}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Frank Chu
| image = Frank Chu.jpg
| alt = Frank Chu, wearing a Santa hat, holds a sign that reads "Rickman / Toskrojrellions of populations / CBS: Nesprofrolluxul rocketcenters / Assenting evolving / Raxdrowrullical"
| image_size = 200px
| caption = Chu at SantaCon 2011.
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1960|03|24}}
| birth_place = [[San Francisco, California]], U.S.
| occupation = [[Protest|Professional protester]]
| years_active = ~1999 - present
}}
'''Frank Chu''' (born March 24, 1960) is an American [[Eccentricity (behavior)|eccentric]] and conspiracy theorist. Since at least 1999,<ref name="reed"/><ref name="kamps"/> Chu has been campaigning to [[Federal impeachment in the United States|impeach]] an array of former [[President of the United States|U.S. Presidents]] he considers guilty of collaborating with a nefarious network of alien populations called the "12 Galaxies" to film him against his will, to broadcast this footage intergalactically, and to embezzle the royalties he is owed as a television and movie star.<ref name="neromagazine.it"/> Chu lives in [[Chinatown, Oakland, California|Chinatown]], [[Oakland, California|Oakland]],<ref name="spikeartmagazine/SerialProtestSigns"/><ref>{{Cite web |last=Vigil |first=Delfin |date=2005-02-06 |title=A FRANK CHU F.A.Q. |url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/a-frank-chu-f-a-q-2700961.php |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=SFGATE |language=en}}</ref> and commutes daily to [[San Francisco]] and nearby locales in order to reach the largest audience of passers-by and television news crews for his [[Street protester|street protests]] about this labor dispute.<ref name=kamps/> He produces a new sign weekly through Signographics<ref name="Signographics2012"/> in San Francisco and supports himself through sign sponsorships and small donations from his supporters and with help from his family.<ref name=kamps/>

==Before his protests==
Chu is from San Francisco.<ref name="reed2">{{cite news |author=Dan Reed |date=2001-09-26 |title=Protester promotes his cause - S.F. shop owner takes other side |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News}}</ref> According to Chu, before he started protesting, he worked as an [[accountant]], attended [[UC Berkeley]], and earned an [[associate degree]] in [[business administration]] from [[California State University, East Bay|California State University, Hayward]].<ref name=kamps/>

==Performance/protest technique==
Frank Chu protests daily, or nearly daily, typically walking throughout the daytime hours in downtown [[San Francisco]] (particularly along [[Market Street (San Francisco)|Market Street]] and [[Montgomery Street]])<ref name="reed"/><ref name="Vigil2005-FAQ"/> holding one of his serial protest signs, on which he displays codified rows of text in his characteristic lexicon. He does not shout or cause a noisy disturbance.<ref name=kamps/> He always wears [[wrap-around sunglasses]], often wears a suit and tie, or a sports coat and dress shirt.<ref name=reed/> If engaged, Chu supplements the public presentation of his signs with spoken remarks about their terminology, about his campaign to reveal his exploitation as an intergalactic television and movie star and to be compensated financially, and about his recent news coverage.

Although the form of Chu's actions is that of a picket-sign-carrying protester, it is misunderstood if interpreted merely as a protest or [[Picketing (protest)|picket]]. He sometimes refers to "a live performance of my protest" rather than simply "my protest".<ref name="Starve"/>

He occasionally protests elsewhere, for instance in [[downtown Oakland]] and at the [[University of California, Berkeley]] campus. Chu will deviate from his usual rounds in the pursuit of a larger audience, and he is frequently seen at street fairs and protests. Although he claims to be a Republican himself, he seems equally at home at protest demonstrations representing all shades of political opinion. Occasionally, people who oppose a protest group will single out Chu as an example of the protest group's incoherent message, not realizing that he is not protesting the same issues as the other protesters in the group.<ref name="bt2003"/>

Chu also likes to appear in the news media, and will try to position himself in view of television news cameras and to offer himself to be interviewed. He pays close attention to the local news media scene and keeps tabs on where he has received good coverage. He will depart from his usual parade ground to attend media-magnet events, for instance the [[Scott Peterson (murderer)|Scott Peterson]] trial,<ref name="Hay2004"/> the [[BALCO]] grand jury hearings,<ref name="Padecky2003"/> or the court case deciding on the timing of the [[California recall election, 2003|2003 California recall election]].<ref name="Hubler2003"/>

==World view and interests==
[[Image:ChuDrHal s.jpg|thumb|Chu performing at the 12 Galaxies bar in San Francisco|alt=Chu holds a microphone and a sign. The sign reads "Bolton / 12 Galaxies / Duxbrowrenikal iconoclastics / Fox: Raxdrobrenicol coverage / Wisgrovenikul / Reticence nascent / Tetrafluoride]]
Frank Chu holds [[Bill Clinton]], [[Grover Cleveland]], [[George W. Bush]], [[Ronald Reagan]], and other former U.S. Presidents responsible for working with the populations of the 12 Galaxies and directing the [[CIA]], [[FBI]], [[Universal Pictures|Universal Studios]], and other agencies and corporations to embezzle royalties owed to him<ref name="Schreiber2011"/> as the [[superstar|star]] of a television and movie series called "The Richest Family."<ref name="florisschonfeld/richest-family">{{cite web |last1=Schönfeld |first1=Floris |title=The Richest Family |url=https://www.florisschonfeld.com/the-richest-family |website=Floris Schönfeld |access-date=25 October 2023}}</ref><ref name="neromagazine.it"/> Chu believes he has starred in the series since childhood, which has been a major success in other galaxies.<ref name="neromagazine.it"/> Yet, because the syndicated series is shot with top-secret invisible cameras and edited weekly, Chu claims he was unaware of it until he received telepathic messages from supportive former Soviet and UN presidents in the mid-1990s.<ref name="neromagazine.it"/> Chu asserts that many of the US presidents responsible are actually duplicates; therefore his protests have frequently called for the [[Efforts to impeach Bill Clinton|impeachment of Clinton]] even after Clinton was no longer in office. The 12 Galaxies also regularly commits war crimes and treason in this and in other galaxies.

Chu is strongly interested in television reporters and newscasters for their potential in bringing him the publicity he requires to inform the world of the injustices committed against him. He hopes that this wave of publicity will cause a public outcry and lead to more than "$20 billions" in compensation for the damages he and his family have suffered.<ref>{{cite web |title=GREETINGS, I AM FRANK CHU, AMA!!!! |url=https://www.reddit.com/r/sanfrancisco/comments/1xb5cj/greetings_i_am_frank_chu_ama/ |website=r/sanfrancisco |publisher=reddit |access-date=25 October 2023 |date=7 February 2014}}</ref>

The now-closed<ref name="priceonomics/sf-protester">{{cite web |last1=Crockett |first1=Zachary |title=San Francisco's Most Infamous Protester |url=https://priceonomics.com/san-franciscos-most-infamous-protester/ |website=Priceonomics |access-date=25 October 2023 |language=en |date=4 February 2014}}</ref> 12 Galaxies bar in San Francisco was named in honor of Chu's cause.<ref name="Vigil2005"/> Chu occasionally spoke about his campaign and its coverage on-stage at the 12 Galaxies. His performances had a similar theme to his signs, with riffs off of the twelve galaxies theme and the seemingly abstract use of syllable combinations for poetic effect; to this he added the use of a percussive "ah" syllable at irregular intervals between words, superficially similar to the "uh" [[speech disfluency]] or [[discourse marker]] seen in ordinary conversation but with a more constant tone and duration.

Chu always goes to church on Sunday.<ref name="sfchronicle/2547960">{{cite news |last1=Kepka |first1=Mike |title=The City Exposed: Frank Chu and 12 Galaxies |url=https://www.sfchronicle.com/living/article/The-City-Exposed-Frank-Chu-and-12-Galaxies-2547960.php |access-date=25 October 2023 |work=San Francisco Chronicle |date=10 August 2007}}</ref>

==Sign sponsorships==
Chu has been sponsored by the likes of [[Laughing Squid]],<ref name="Beale2009"/> Harputs adidas/Y3, Learn iT!, DoctorBase, a [[Quiznos Sub]] restaurant,<ref name="reed"/> [[Rasputin Music]], [[Chris Daly]]'s 2006 San Francisco Supervisor campaign,<ref name="BlueStreak2006"/> [[Phil Angelides]]' 2006 California gubernatorial campaign,<ref name="LATimes2006"/> and [[Expensify]]<ref name="Anderson2016"/> — typically through ad-space purchased on the back of his signs.<ref name="Tidbits2001"/><ref name="Reed2001"/> As of May, 2005, his going rate was $100 (U.S.) per week.<ref name="Chubot2005"/><ref>{{cite news |title=frank chu |url=https://sfist.com/frank-chu/ |access-date=25 October 2023 |work=SFist |date=24 August 2016 |language=en |archive-date=June 5, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605201750/https://sfist.com/frank-chu/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Sign texts==
[[Image:Chu bbq.jpg|right|thumb|Chu at the 2004 [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] messenger barbecue|alt=Chu stands next to a sign that reads "Phillips / 12 Galaxies / Solarunikel unconstitutionality / Pacsat: Kastronoticul coverage / Guskoketical / Libertarians parochial / Pedophiles"]]
Chu uses colored all caps text for his signs. His signs change from day to day, and tend to go through syntactically similar phases, with the phrase "12 Galaxies" (these are only the guilty galaxies) being his trademark and a constant presence in the signs. In June 2007, Chu broke from this tradition and started replacing this with "85 Galaxies",<ref name="SFist2007"/> "130 Galaxies",<ref name="Fillmore2007"/> and "800 Galaxies".<ref name="barrio-dude"/> At the 2007 Castro Halloween Party, Chu's sign claimed "7,645,000 Galaxies", at [[MacWorld]] 2008 he was up to 75,850,000,<ref name="Jade2008"/> at the Iraq War protest on March 19, 2008, he was up to 8,685,000,000,<ref name="Rhodes2008-Iraq"/> and 785,249,000,000,000 by June 21, 2008.<ref name="Rhodes2008-Fest"/>

In his current signs, Chu has replaced "galaxies" with "populations" and lists figures which surpass any normal accounting; he had reached "DESKROTHULLIONS OF POPULATIONS" by 2011, for example,<ref name="neromagazine.it"/> and "VITGROROLLIONS OF POPULATIONS" by 2012.<ref name="OWSWest"/>

The earliest of the photos of Chu's signs show his "classic" phase, in which the signs typically read "IMPEACH [figure] 12 Galaxies Guiltied to a [modifier] Rocket Society", where [figure] was typically a living or dead former U.S. president, and [modifier] was something along the lines of "Zegnatronic", "Omegalogical", etc. The very earliest examples are handwritten, for instance:
{{Blockquote|Impeach Clinton 12 Galaxies Guiltied to a Dectrological Rocket Society<ref name="Bagelfather"/><ref name="20m"/>}}

Later versions:
{{Blockquote|Impeach Clinton 12 Galaxies Guiltied to a Zegnatronic Rocket Society<ref name="Groove"/>}}
[[File:Frankchu.jpg|thumb|Frank Chu with updated sign May 2022 near Kearny and Pine]]
At some point prior to May 17, 2022, Frank Chu began to include [[Donald Trump]] among the former presidents mentioned in his grievances and combines "galaxies" and "populations" in the same sign. In addition to the customary all caps colored block lettering, Frank Chu has also taken to augmenting his signs with handwritten updates.

==Exhibitions==

Frank Chu has exhibited his serial protest signs in exhibitions, including "Frank Chu" at the Planetarium in [[Vilnius University|Vilnius]], [[Lithuania]] (2014);<ref name="Vilnius"/> "Portable Holes", which took place in the San Francisco Pavilion during the 9th [[Shanghai Biennale]], [[Shanghai]], [[China]] (2012); "Sõida tasa üle silla (Ride gently over the bridge)" at Galerii Noorus during the ART IST KUKU NU UT Festival in [[Tartu]], [[Estonia]] (2012);<ref name="ArtIst"/> and "Psymulation: Reenactments of the Present" at Photo Epicenter in San Francisco, US (2008). His work was the subject of "Jretdrostrenikal Exhibitions", an exhibition at [[Objectif Exhibitions]], in [[Antwerp]], [[Belgium]].<ref name="Objectif"/><ref name="spikeartmagazine/SerialProtestSigns">{{cite web |title=Curator's Key |url=https://www.spikeartmagazine.com/articles/curators-key-1 |website=Spike Art Magazine |access-date=25 October 2023 |language=en |date=2 April 2015 |quote=Chris Fitzpatrick, Director of Kunstverein München, on »Serial Protest Signs« (1998–?) by Frank Chu.}}</ref>

==Awards==
Frank Chu has received the following awards:

* 2000 "Best Protester", ''[[San Francisco Bay Guardian]]''.<ref name="Moyer2000"/>
* 2007 "Best Pathological Citizen", ''[[SF Weekly]]''.<ref name="SFWeekly2007"/>

==References==
<references>

<ref name="20m">{{cite web |url=http://www.12galaxies.20m.com/ |title=Impeach Clinton! Impeach Bush! 12 Galaxies Guiltied to a Zegnatronic Rocket Society: Dedicated to Frank Chu}}</ref>

<ref name="Anderson2016">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/SF-famed-protestor-Frank-Chu-has-new-sponsorship-7181293.php |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |title=Famed SF protester Frank Chu has new sponsorship |author=Tomikka Anderson |date=2016-03-26 |access-date=December 13, 2024}}</ref>

<ref name="ArtIst">{{cite news |url=http://www.artistkukunuut.org/2012/en/exhibitions/soida-tasa-ule-silla |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130414063328/http://www.artistkukunuut.org/2012/en/exhibitions/soida-tasa-ule-silla |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-04-14 |title=Art Ist Kuku Nu Ut }}</ref>

<ref name="Bagelfather">{{cite web |url=http://www.bagelfather.com/funstuff/news/clinton.htm |title=Even Aliens Don't Like Clinton |publisher=The Bagelfather |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060623112417/http://www.bagelfather.com/funstuff/news/clinton.htm |archive-date=2006-06-23 }}</ref>

<ref name="barrio-dude">{{cite web |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/brw2/628702712/ |title=Frank Chu, Yahoo! Pride, & 800 Galaxies |publisher=barrio dude @ Flickr |date=2007-06-24}}</ref>

<ref name="Beale2009">{{cite web |url=http://laughingsquid.com/laughing-squid-sponsors-frank-chu-sign/ |title=Laughing Squid Sponsors Frank's Chu Sign |author=Scott Beale |publisher=Laughing Squid |date=2009-11-04}}</ref>

<ref name="BlueStreak2006">{{cite web |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/impeach/285045947/in/photostream/ |title=Frank Chu at impeach Bush rally at federal building 10/31 |publisher=Blue$treak @ Flickr |date=2006-10-31}}</ref>

<ref name="bt2003">{{cite web |url=http://brain-terminal.com/posts/2003/03/21/four-minutes-with-frank-chu |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120707181454/http://brain-terminal.com/posts/2003/03/21/four-minutes-with-frank-chu |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-07 |title=Four Minutes with Frank Chu |publisher=>bt: brain terminal |date=2003-03-21 |access-date=2005-05-17 }}</ref>

<ref name="Chubot2005">{{cite web |url=http://www.tribe.net/thread/b51961f5-6f0e-43ce-b8e5-52d48ba0a6dc?tribeid=3e70f38b-e772-4426-aefe-6e667a355ef9 |title=Chu-bot report |publisher=tribe.net |date=2005-05-11}}</ref>

<ref name="Vigil2005-FAQ">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2005/02/06/PKGVIB4E271.DTL |title=A Frank Chu F.A.Q. |author=Delfin Vigil |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2005-02-06 |page=17}}</ref>

<ref name="Fillmore2007">{{cite web |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/14466718@N00/679084036/ |title=Fillmore Jazz Festival 2007 |publisher=megac0rp @ Flicker|date=August 2006}}</ref>

<ref name="Groove">{{cite web |url=http://www.gradygroove.com/storychu.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010405045849/http://www.gradygroove.com/storychu.html |archive-date=2001-04-05 |title=I love working Downtown |publisher=Story Time}}</ref>

<ref name="Hay2004">{{cite news |author=Tim Hay |title=T-shirts cause buzz outside Redwood City courthouse |newspaper=Oakland Tribune |date=2004-10-05 |page=1}}</ref>

<ref name="Hubler2003">{{cite news |author=Shawn Hubler |title=The Recall Campaign: Outside a Sedate Courtroom, Scripted Chaos on the Street; In what has become a routine spectacle, candidates, advocates and oddballs compete for the media's attention in San Francisco |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |date=2003-09-23 |page=A20}}</ref>

<ref name="Jade2008">{{cite web |url=https://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2008/01/macworld-ars-west-hall-wastelandnot.ars |title=Macworld.Ars: West Hall wasteland —not |author=Charles Jade |website=Ars Technica |date=2008-01-20}}</ref>

<ref name="kamps">{{cite news |author=Garrett Kamps |title=Frank Chu: the man, the myth, the "Experience" |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/2004-11-17/music/ok-then/ |access-date=2013-01-07 |newspaper=SF Weekly |date=2004-11-17}}</ref>

<ref name="LATimes2006">{{cite news |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/politicalmuscle/2006/11/schwarzenegger__4.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081207093025/http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/politicalmuscle/2006/11/schwarzenegger__4.html |archive-date=2008-12-07 |title=Governor Votes, Angelides Gets Last-Minute Endorsement |work=Political Muscle |publisher=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2006-11-07}}</ref>

<ref name="Moyer2000">{{cite news |url=http://www.bestofthebay.com/2000/ed_urban.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818233351/http://www.bestofthebay.com/2000/ed_urban.html |archive-date=2000-08-18 |title=Urban Living |author=Edward Moyer |publisher=San Francisco Bay Guardian}}</ref>

<ref name="neromagazine.it">{{cite web |url=http://www.neromagazine.it/magazine/index.php?c=articolo&idart=1020&idnum=37&num=27 |title=Or Maybe It's Something Completely Different: Frank Chu and the 12 Galaxies |publisher=neromagazine.it |access-date=December 3, 2012 |archive-date=April 11, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160411043036/http://www.neromagazine.it/magazine/index.php?c=articolo&idart=1020&idnum=37&num=27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

<ref name="Objectif">{{cite news |url=http://www.objectif-exhibitions.org |title=Objectif-exhibitions.org}}</ref>

<ref name="OWSWest">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VxgjGCodHOY |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/VxgjGCodHOY| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Frank Chu at OWSwest!!! |publisher=youtube.com}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

<ref name="Padecky2003">{{cite news |author=Bob Padecky |title=Bonds Part of Grand Jury Freak Show |newspaper=The Press Democrat |location=Santa Rosa, CA |date=2003-12-05 |page=C1}}</ref>

<ref name="reed">{{cite news |author=Dan Reed |title=Protester promotes his cause - S.F. shop owner takes other side |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |date=2001-09-26}}</ref>

<ref name="Reed2001">{{cite news |author=Dan Reed |title=S.F.'s perpetual protester subs for capitalist |newspaper=San Jose Mercury News |date=2001-09-26}}</ref>

<ref name="Rhodes2008-Fest">{{cite web |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/44124466908@N01/2615460174 |title=Bicycle music festival 2008 |publisher=Steve Rhodes @ Flicker |date=2008-06-21}}</ref>

<ref name="Rhodes2008-Iraq">{{cite web |url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/ari/2347851645/ |title=Winter just before spring - Frank Chu at Iraq war protest |publisher=Steve Rhodes @ Flickr |date=2008-03-19}}</ref>

<ref name="Schreiber2011">{{cite news |author=Dan Schreiber |title=Infamous eccentric Frank Chu explains the 12 galaxies |newspaper=[[The San Francisco Examiner]] |url=http://archives.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/infamous-eccentric-frank-chu-explains-the-12-galaxies/Content?oid=2179776 |date=2011-08-19 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118224839/http://archives.sfexaminer.com/sanfrancisco/infamous-eccentric-frank-chu-explains-the-12-galaxies/Content?oid=2179776 |archive-date=2016-11-18}}</ref>

<ref name="SFist2007">{{cite web |url=http://www.sfist.com/2007/06/25/whered_those_73.php |title=Where'd Those 73 Other Galaxies Come From? |publisher=SFist |date=2007-06-25 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080522070811/http://sfist.com/2007/06/25/whered_those_73.php |archive-date=2008-05-22}}</ref>

<ref name="SFWeekly2007">{{cite news |url=http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/best-pathological-citizen/BestOf?oid=2203716 |title=Best Pathological Citizen - 2007: Frank Chu |newspaper=SF Weekly}}</ref>

<ref name="Signographics2012">{{cite web |url=http://www.signshopsf.com |title=Signographics - San Francisco |publisher=SIGNOGRAPHICS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130621034338/http://www.signshopsf.com/ |archive-date=2013-06-21 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

<ref name="Starve">{{cite web |url=http://www.starve.org/frank-p.html |title=Behind Closed Doors in Washington |publisher=starve.org}}</ref>

<ref name="Tidbits2001">{{cite news |url=http://sanfrancisco.bizjournals.com/sanfrancisco/stories/2001/08/27/tidbits.html |title=Zegnatronic protester rockets toward profits |newspaper=San Francisco Business Times |date=2001-08-24}}</ref>

<ref name="Vigil2005">{{cite news |author=Delfin Vigil |title=Three of clubs |url=http://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/article/THREE-OF-CLUBS-2701110.php |access-date=2013-01-07 |newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle |date=2005-02-06}}</ref>

<ref name="Vilnius">{{cite news |url=http://thegardens.lt/currentlanglt |title=Thegardens.lt}}</ref>

</references>

==External links==
{{Portal|San Francisco Bay Area}}
{{Commons category}}
*[https://ia800605.us.archive.org/20/items/flickr-ows-protestersmarchbyUCHastingsLawSchool-6420371371/6420371371_4c8a344564_o.png "Frank Chu marches with Occupy San Francisco protesters, 2011"]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110722122840/http://vimeo.com/1727800 "Lunch Inside the 12 Galaxies"]
* [http://www.starve.org/frank-chu.html "Interviews with Frank Chu" on Starve.Org]
*[https://acme.com/chumaker/ ACME ChuMaker parody app]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chu, Frank}}
[[Category:1960 births]]
[[Category:Culture of San Francisco]]
[[Category:Activists from San Francisco]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Artists from Oakland, California]]
[[Category:American performance artists]]
[[Category:Artists from San Francisco]]
[[Category:American conspiracy theorists]]

Frank Chu - Revision history

imported>Faolin42: added Category:American conspiracy theorists using HotCat