Ralph Steadman vs. Gerald Scarfe

Ralph Steadman is known as the epitome of Gonzo Art having work very close with Gonzo writer Hunter S. Thompson on the art for the Rolling Stones article, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.  The success of this lead Thompson to recruit Steadman again for a series of articles.  His work also extends to the art for a version of Alice in Wonderland and a book on Sigmund Freud.

Gerald Scarfe of a similar style is best known for his work with the television show Yes Minister and his work with Pink Floyd for the cover art of The Wall and for the animation in The Wall.  Scarfe also had a series of political cartoons featured in the New Yorker and was the Production Designer on the Disney movie Hercules.

Oh, so similar but oh, so different.

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Find of the day | The Rubber Bandit

The Rubber Bandit: the rubber band gun for the lady or gentleman that knows better than to grow up. Handcrafted out of curly maple and bloodwood, The Rubber Bandit comes complete with interchangeable barrels, allowing the bearer to fine tune the amount of damage he or she inflicts.

This beautiful piece of work by Andy Mangold is unfortunately not for sale but will create one of a similar standard by request. A great find nonetheless.


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Capturing Los Angeles | LeRoy "Granny" Grannis

Being born and living in Los Angeles except a short hiatus for my studies in Oregon has taught me a lot. One is that the most beautiful of places are not that way because of the place itself but for the people that make it up. And to capture Los Angeles in a limited space can be difficult. You could place a picture of the Eastern Building or the Hollywood sign or even traffic on Sunset but what represents the West Coast feel are the people and the attitude they express in the simplest of activities.

Who better to capture that attitude than Los Angeles native LeRoy "Granny" Grannis. Avid surfer and reknowned photographer took his camera to the sea to capture the freewheeling 60's spirit of Californians at their best. Having plenty of his work published in magazines and a few collections published by the likes of Taschen he certainly has the ability to...Capture Los Angeles.






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Ed "Big Daddy" Roth & Rat Fink

Though first associated with the hot rod culture of the 50's, the above symbol came to represent a multitude of counter cultures. Depending on what Rat Fink or the "Monster Hot Rod"er was doing, it could represent anything from surfing, motorcycling, skateboarding, hot rods, or the grunge lifestyle. Now I have been a fan of the "Monster Hot Rod" art form for quite some time and have found that not very many people are enlightened to this major part of the counter culture/kustom kulture that has been around for the past 60 years.

While born in Beverly Hills, Ed "Big Daddy" Roth grew up in Bell, CA and was interested in only two things; his autoshop class and art. And though not as well known as his creation called Rat Fink, Ed Roth was a custom mechanic and took the artform of automechanics from a backyard hobby to a full blown activity where he refined and created fiberglass bodyworks.

Ed Roth took "Monster Hot Rod" art to a new level but was not and never will be the pioneer, that role will be forever in the hands of the great Stanley Mouse. Though to look at the early works of both Roth and Mouse would prove to be intriguing since neither can be pinpointed as to who the author is, Mouse never went as far with the artform as Roth had. Mouse ended up working on tour posters for bands of the psychedelic age leaving Roth to improve and expand on the "Monster Hot Rod" artform.

Now out of great coincidence I found a group of classic Rat Fink toys at my work the other day and found out today that my boss owns the licensee to Rat Fink and all affiliate Roth artwork. Amazed I expounded upon them my love for "Monster Hot Rod" art and was blessed with the chance to write the storyboard for a series of shorts featuring Rat Fink. I don't know where to start. And the best part, below is my research. And that is what I get to do all day, when I'm not doing sales for them.





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Intriguing | The Tattoo

Tattoos and those who get them is a culture that is surrounded by much intrigue. For those who have them it is a lifestyle surrounded by the love for art and the permanence of something fantastic and for those who do not it is a point-of-view that they may never understand. Tattooing and the art thereof has a long history, dated before the counter-culture of the U.S. Navy and before the Polynesian islanders of the 1910's. In fact, tattooing has been around for more than 10,000 years, except in much different forms. The form that we have come to know so well gained its origins from the Polynesians and thus was discovered by explorers of the Eighteenth Century and picked up by the U.S. Navy during the first World War. Which gave way to some of the greatest and most exploited tattoo artists to ever walk the Earth.

Men outside a London tattoo parlor in 1931.

Of all the tattoo artists out there, and due to some fantastic exploiting, Don Ed Hardy would have to be the most famous of the bunch. Known for his incorporation of Japanese aesthetics into his art and for the Don Ed Hardy clothing line by Christian Audigier that defamed the name Ed Hardy. He was the apprentice and pupil (if you want to consider those two separate entities) of Sailor Jerry Collins, who in the tattoo business if the foremost American tattoo artist of his time. Having developed his own non-toxic pigment and using the same sterilization as hospitals he revolutionized the tattoo business and was a brilliant artist with an eye for details.

Not your everyday tattoo artist.

Sailor Jerry got his name after he joined the U.S. Navy at the age of 19 and never left the sea after that. He dedicated his life to sailing and having only been a tattoo artist for 12 years had plenty of time to do so. He openned up a tattoo shop during those years where he mentored the likes of Ed Hardy, Mike Malone (Rollo Banks), Cliff Raven and more.

The tattoo parlor has not changed, only the tattooist.

Much-inked American sailor having another tattoo done by a shipmate aboard the battleship USS New Jersey during WWII in 1944.

A 1963 Member of Vietnamese "Junk Force" with compulsary tattoo on chest, meaning " Kill Communists".

Now my only dilemma is that I want to get a tattoo, what exactly I could not say. An anchor on my shoulder, Los Angeles skyline on my shoulder blade, a flag of the U.S./Netherlands, or maybe even some words of some sort. But I am a Jew. It is as simple as that and having it be both against my religion and a sign of the holocaust as shown in the picture just below I also have serious problems with it. I have thought about getting "We Will Never Forget" on my arm in a similar place, but to put something there that they felt so strongly against on my own regard seems a little contradictory and careless. So, I dare to ask: What are your thoughts? What do you feel or believe about tattoos?

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ZAP! POW! BAM!

As a kid I was not that into comic books, in fact my first comic was Spawn. Not a very kid friendly comic book to say the least, I think I was about 10. And from there I didn't get into comics until my later years when I found this amazing old Superman comic at the Rose Bowl Flea Market about 8 years ago. And my love for comics did not leave the realm of vintage comics. But now you can enter the realm of vintage comics without having to search for good condition comics.




The Skirball Museum has two amazing ongoing exhibits until August 9th called ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938–1950 and it's companion exhibit, Lights, Camera, Action: Comic Book Heroes of Film and Television.

Through never-before exhibited art and objects culled from private and institutional collections, ZAP! POW! BAM! The Superhero: The Golden Age of Comic Books, 1938-1950 explores the genesis of cultural icons such as Superman, Batman, Captain Marvel, and Wonder Woman. In the midst of the economic and political turmoil of the 1930s and 1940s, comic books offered America champions who shaped the values of an entire generation. ZAP! POW! BAM! examines the creative processes and influences that drove young Jewish artists to express their talents through the storylines and art of comic books. The exhibition features rare vintage artwork and books, 1940s Hollywood movie serials, and colorful interactive displays including a drawing studio, a newsstand, a vintage Batmobile ride, and stations that allow children to dress up as Superheroes or transform themselves via a quick costume change in a telephone booth. Guest curator Jerry Robinson brings a long history as a comic book industry insider to the exhibition. Working with Batman co-creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger, Robinson named Robin, Batman's young protégé. Robinson also co-created The Joker, Batman's nemesis and one of the first Super-Villains.

Superman #14. Cover art by Fred Ray. © 1941 DC Comics.

Detective Comics #71. Cover art by Jerry Robinson. © 1942 DC Comics.

Wonder Woman #1, © summer 1942. DC Comics.

Or if you are more into the movie aspect, and lately the Comic book movie has been huge (ie. The Dark Night, The Hulk, All 3 Spiderman movies, etc.). You can check this out.

This companion exhibition to ZAP! POW! BAM! explores the enduring connection between comic book heroes and the moving image. Almost immediately after their rise to prominence in comic books, super heroes transcended their pulpy origins to find expression in theater, music, films, and television. Lights, Camera, Action examines the close relationship and parallel development of the comic book and motion picture industries. Treasured objects on view include the original 1966 Batcycle from the Batman television series, an original of Action Comics #1—featuring the first appearance of Superman—and Christopher Reeve's Superman costume.

Both are open to the public with the price of a general admission ticket to the museum, which so happens to be free on Thursdays (today) or $10 dollars otherwise. Check it out and hit me up when you do.
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