ANTON MAIDEN Goes Missing, Police Ask Public For Clues - Nov. 8, 2003
A Swedish
IRON MAIDEN fan who became a cult figure on the Internet after posting highly original and amusing versions of classic
IRON MAIDEN songs on his web site has been declared missing after disappearing from his apartment in Hässleholmen (Borås) over a week ago.
23-year-old
Anton Gustafsson (a.k.a.
ANTON MAIDEN) (
Photo#1,
Photo#2) was believed to have been wearing a Goretex jacket, jeans and heavy shoes at the time of his disappearance the night of October 31 or in the early morning hours of November 1, according to the Swedish daily newspaper
Borås Tidning. He is approximately 180 cm (5 feet 11 inches) tall with average build. He has dark blond hair, blue eyes and wears glasses.
The police have searched the surrounding areas using a helicopter and search dogs and have spoken to
Anton's friends at a local university where was a student but have thus far found no clues that could lead them to the missing man.
In 1999,
Anton found himself one of the very first stars of the international DIY (do-it-yourself) Internet music era when his unique versions of classic
IRON MAIDEN songs landed him appearances on Swedish national TV and in newspapers around the world. A subsequent CD release was made available in a limited edition of 1,000 copies and has since become a much-sought-after collector's item.
The CD, which featured eight
IRON MAIDEN songs sung in
Anton's inimitable karaoke style, was recorded on his home computer using free MIDI files of classic
IRON MAIDEN songs that he had downloaded from one of Scandinavia's MIDI-module metal web sites, the
Iron Maiden Sound Archive.
Not everyone appreciated
ANTON MAIDEN, though. In an interview in the Swedish newspaper
Expressen published in June 2000,
Anton told journalist
Martin Carlsson that
IRON MAIDEN fans "think that my interpretations are a disgrace to
IRON MAIDEN. But that was never my intent."
Nasty comments in the guestbook on his
web site eventually contributed to
Anton's decision to put an end to his "career" as
ANTON MAIDEN. "It just feels silly to continue," he told
Expressen. "There will be no more records, [and] there's no point in trying to convince me [to change my mind]."
Sad day! 
