Trivia
HardWhich Iconic Sci-Fi Character Is Immortalized As A Grotesque On The Washington National Cathedral?

Answer: Darth Vader
In the 1980s, the Washington National Cathedral was undergoing renovations and expansion. As part of the renovation process, the Cathedral staff hosted a sculpture contest for children wherein the drawings of the winners would be crafted in stone and serve as grotesques on the then under-construction West Towers.
Among the winning drawings was one by Christopher Rader, who had submitted a drawing of the sci-fi villain Darth Vader. His drawing was first rendered in wood by Jay Hall Carpenter, then recreated in stone by Patrick J. Plunkett before finally coming to rest high up on the newly completed northwest tower of the Cathedral.
If you’re in Washington, D.C. and looking for Lord Vader, be sure to head to the dark side. Literally, that is, as Vader’s likeness was purposely placed on the darkest side of the building in a subtle homage to his iconic role.
You might be wondering why we’ve referred to the sculpture as a grotesque. Although most people call the sculptures of heads, animals, and mythical creatures that adorn old buildings “gargoyles,” most of them are actually “grotesques.” A gargoyle is a sculpture that serves as a termination point for roof drainage (their open mouths are downspouts that help direct rainwater away from the building) whereas a grotesque is simply a decorative creature. By that measure, all gargoyles are also grotesques, but not all grotesques are gargoyles.
Trivia
HardWhere Did IBM’s Super Computer Watson Learn To Swear?
Trivia
EasyWhich Character Was Created Because Of Nintendo’s Inability To License Popeye?
Trivia
Very HardThe Kindle’s Codename Was Drawn From What Work Of Fiction?
Trivia
HardThe Design Of Which Of These Common Office Objects Was Directly Influenced By The Quakers?
Trivia
Very HardThe Largest Irrigation Project In The World Is Located In?
Trivia
EasyMarvel Created Superhero “The Blue Ear” To Support What?
Trivia
HardWhat Is the Best Selling Video Game Console Of All Time?
Trivia
EasyWhat Late 1990s Alternate Time Keeping Method Failed To Catch On?
Trivia
HardWhich Musician Revitalized His Career By Composing The Windows 95 Start Up Sound?
Trivia
EasyOn The Island Of Lanzarote Chefs Cook Food Over?