[mass55th]

Not sure how good it will be, but John Malkovich will be portraying Blackbeard in a new NBC TV series probably slated for early next year:

Crossbones

[21twelve]

I can’t recall which book - but it might have been about Blackbeard. The early pirate flags were red - “blood” red. IIRC the skull and crossbones was a very late idea, and perhaps fairly rare. They would fly numerous country’s flags depending on where they were, or if they could tell from a distance the ship’s country of origin. Sail in close under a friendly flag - then raise their pirate flag as they engaged.