Is BOMONSTER an Antique Yet?

Before I developed my own BOMONSTER motorsports/hot rod scratchboard art style, my background was in advertising. I am now considered “experienced,” “seasoned,” even “an old dog” but “antique?” If the year 1981 qualifies, then perhaps it should be considered a badge of honor?

One of the first multiple print campaigns I art directed with a decent budget behind it was in ’81 for the re-launched sportswear client Hang Ten. I designed the campaign as illustrated action sports scenes with the two Hang Ten logo feet somewhere within the image. The images included, water skiing behind a jet boat, high surf waves, a surfer's reflection in a '57 Chevy, snow skiing, a Corvette beach town, a surf woody at night, a Porsche 911 and dirt bikes flying off a cliff - all the two little Hang Ten feet somewhere in the picture. 

I didn't illustrate them but hired some great airbrush artists at the time out of Dave Willardson and Charlie White's studio. The ads ran in all the surf, snow and action sport magazines. We gave away posters of the ads and a couple of the designs were made into greeting cards. It was one of my all-time favorite campaigns because it was well-illustrated and most clients usually want photography executions. Fast forward to earlier this year.

My wife and I were on a road trip browsing inside an antique store and there next to familiar pop culture icons of the past - Coca-Cola, Texaco and Disney were two of my Hang Ten designs on metal signs for sale. On one hand, I was excited to see these old friends and I wanted to tell the girl behind the counter "I did these!" But then it hit me - I'm old enough to have something I created for sale in an ANTIQUE shop. I imagined the shop girl's comment would have been "Wow, you're old!" so I kept it to myself.

I still think of ideas for clients but these days I illustrate my ideas using my own unique hand-scratched technique which is old and new at the same time. Maybe the right term should be "timeless."

Need new ideas for your brand, shop or products? Start here.