Back in July 1980, Officer Carl “Click” Henderson of the Lafayette Police Department was just a man with a Polaroid, a thinning mustache, and a dream—specifically, the dream of retiring early and never having to break up another minor bar fight at O’Malley’s Tavern.
That dream came true the moment 18-year-old William Bruce Rose Jr. — later known to the world as Axl “Please Don’t Call It Hair Metal” Rose — was dragged in on yet another glorious misdemeanor charge involving “spirited disagreement” and “creative interpretation of property laws.”
Officer Henderson lifted his trusty camera, muttered the historic phrase “Look alive, kid,” and snapped a mugshot so iconically chaotic it would one day be worshipped by rock historians, art students, and someone on Tumblr who runs a blog called Mugshots & Mascara.
Global Chaos Ensues
Fast-forward to present day: that mugshot resurfaces, the internet collectively screams, “ICONIC,” and suddenly people start analyzing it like it’s the Mona Lisa with a hangover.
An art critic from Rolling Stone declares:
“It captures the raw rebellion of youth… and also the energy of someone who would absolutely climb on top of a police car just to yell about his band.”
Elon Musk tries to buy the original negative for $14 million.
Officer Henderson’s Glorious Redemption Arc
The Lafayette Police Department, sensing a golden PR moment, officially rebrands Carl Henderson as a “Founding Figure of Rock Photography.” He is immediately nominated for a prestigious Celebrity Photographer Lifetime Achievement Award, right next to Annie Leibovitz—who is reportedly furious.
He’s invited to speak at photography conventions, where he opens every talk with:
“I just pressed a button and yelled at him to stop smirking.”
The art world goes feral. A coffee table book is released titled “Grit & Glamour: The Accidental Eye of Officer Henderson.” It retails for $399, comes with faux cigarette burns, and smells like vintage leather and poor decisions.
He now lives in a mansion shaped like a camera lens and signs autographs for $200 a piece. His signature? “Click Henderson — I Shot Axl First.”