Interview with Sam Turner – Show Class Mag

August 25, 2015 by Tim Granda

If ya haven’t heard, Doom Cycle has teamed up with the awesome folks at Show Class Magazine to interview their cover artist for each issue. It’s somethin’ I’m really stoked about, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to any of you who’ve been hangin’ around this joint. I’ve been a a big fan of the mag for years now, so having this opportunity to work with Tim and the gang has been a blast.

Hey, and welcome to all those who just couldn’t get enough of artist Samuel Lee Turner from issue 26! Space is tight in a physical magazine, so the artist interviews there are often presented in a condensed form. Here on Doom Cycle, we don’t face those same restrictions. So if you’re interested in hearin’ more, ya found the right place. Did I mention the big fuckin’ pictures too? Gotcha covered!

So here’s my interview with the uber-talented Samuel Lee Turner!

Hey Samuel! So where do you call home these days, and how long have you been livin’ there?

Denver, Colorado. Been living here since ’95. I am originally from El Paso, Texas.

Your work often delves into fantasy and the occult. From wizards and mages, to warriors and beasts… plus all those super-hot sword-wielding chicks! Who were some of your influences early on?

There’s a number of influences: Frank Frazetta obviously, Moebius, Bernie Wrightson, and many others.

I’ve seen you mention Italian artist Milo Manara quite a few times on Instagram. What brought his work to your attention?

Milo Manara was brought to my attention through the Heavy Metal illustrated magazines. My oldest brother had a bunch of those things! He always let me look through his stash of adult comics and such when I was a kid. I was like in the 7th grade or something.

You’re a big fan of metal, so having the opportunity to create art for bands like Black Breath, Khemmis, and In the Company of Serpents must be rad as hell! How did you get into workin’ with bands?

I always seemed to draw for friends who were in bands here and there. A lot of local stuff. I would say one of the first bigger known bands was 3 Inches of Blood. I did a tour poster for them after meeting and hanging out, partying here in Denver, then was asked to do their album cover for Fire Up the Blades along with some random merchandise and shirts. From that you tend to get some recognition from other bands or individuals in a band asking you about doing something for them. I did some stuff for Zeke before – it’s great to get to create or work on ideas for bands you’re really into. Some others are Speedwolf, Early Man, Holy Grail, Power Trip, and Iron Reagan, to name a few

What albums are ya really diggin’ at the moment? Anything we should be checkin’ out?

The new Khemmis is really good; I know you mentioned it already. I seem to have been listening to a lot of old favorites lately. I’m all over the place: Judas Priest, Brats (pre-Mercyful Fate) ZZ Top… a lot of fun drawing music. Waiting for a lot of new stuff that’s coming out from some favorites.

While we’re talkin’ ’bout bringin’ passions together, as a dude who rides, you must be stoked to have landed covers for both Show Class and DiCE in the same year. Any cool stories about how those came together?

Getting to draw for Show Class is great. I dig the mag and liked seeing what they were about at some of the earlier Born Free shows. I am good friends with Dave Barker of SpeedMetal Cycles, and I’ve done some of his branding and merch. Pretty much anything he asks for I’ll do. I would go to shows with Dave when he would build a show bike, and help him on the road trips to party and take in the whole experience. I went to a couple of Born Free shows, met some people, and got to check out all the great bikes. Born Free 2 is where I met Matt Davis from DiCE magazine. We talked about doing a cover but years passed, and when we saw each other at the Mama Tried show in Milwaukee this past year we realized I never got a cover for him. So after talking, decided to do issue 61 which was going to have Dave’s Diamond Rio build he did for his good friend Reuben McChancey. It was a fun piece but a short quick deadline.

I have friend through Instagram, Zach Kolodziejski, who I did some art for his Zine PUTT. He’s a great dude and turned me onto doing the cover for Show Class with a drawing I did that they liked but hadn’t been used for anything yet. So I was more than pleased to get it finished and sent to them.

So when did ya get into motorcycles, and what’re ya ridin’ these days?

I got into the motorcycle thing through SpeedMetal but to be honest I have nothing to ride at the moment. I have had a ’72 ironhead that has been waiting to get finished over at Dave’s shop, but we’re both so busy that we haven’t got it done. He’s really busy all the time and all the while has been doing the rust removal/fabrication of my ’73 Chevy G-10 short box van. When the van’s done we can get back to my ironhead. I am a bike messenger in downtown Denver so I ride my bicycle a lot! Haha! I’m alright with it, but I am planning on getting a Harley to make a street tracker out of just so I have something for the time being . I have been super busy doing art so I now have some money saved up that I can use to pick something up.

Your work for SpeedMetal Cycles has been awesome. How did that relationship come about?

I actually met Dave of SpeedMetal because of mutual friends, but more so because of my blue Chevy van. He and some other guys saw it parked in front of a show and were talking about it, I walked up saying it was kinda alright and then laughing and telling them it was mine. We seemed to hang out a lot after that. I started figuring out what I wanted to do with the ironhead. The frame is an old Jammer and we realized it was a bit off/bent in the rear so we gotta get that situated then keep going. It’s cool to get to do stuff in his shop and help on little things with show bikes, a friends build, doing some art, paint, engraving… whatever I can get into or try my hand at.

You must’ve been thrilled when the Buell-based Ronin bike you created the paint for placed second at Pike’s Peak. How did you get involved in that project?

The Ronin bike involvement came through a childhood friend of Dave Barker’s: Dusty Terry. I met him when he lived at the old shop with Dave, fucking Wyoming boys haha . So when he started work with Ronin Motorworks he talked to me about being one of several artists doing an “art bike” that was to be one of a select few bikes made to have a custom paint scheme illustrated by different artists. Once I was on board I got to do some more concepts, one being the race bike paint scheme for the Pike’s Peak race bike. And then getting to do some vintage racer color schemes and designs. It’s been really fun to do something on a totally different unique motorcycle, and once again for a great bunch of guys!

Lately, your name’s been comin’ up a lot when I speak to other artists about folks they’re diggin’. Are there any artists out there who’s stuff knocks ya out?

Glad to hear I have some other artists digging my stuff. Guys like Burney, Burrito Breath, Jason Cruz, Alex Matus, and Sarah Sadler, are a few off the top of my head that fit into the motorcycle scene.
Others are Marald, Vania Zouravliov, Jef Kopp, Putrid, Nathan Cabrera, and Aaron Horkey, just to name a few.

Do you have any cool projects in the wings ya wanna tell us about, or some stuff we should keep our eyes peeled for?

Going to be getting my Ronin art bike painted up in the coming weeks. Doing some shirt designs for a band who did the soundtrack for a movie coming out in August called Turbo Kid. Some merch and posters for the NACCCS here in Denver (bike courier race), and more fun killer shit for TRVE Brewing here in Denver. It’s a metal brewery that I do all the branding for and is always a blast to do. Hopefully some good shit keeps coming my way!

I’ve made it a habit or wrapping up an interview with this question (ya never know what you’re gonna get): If you could travel through time, where would you go?

If I could travel through time? I’m already headed into the future, so I would have to say back to anytime before 1974 to see my mom who I lost when I was five. Too few memories of her, would love to go back and have more.

Thanks a ton for your time, Sam! Can’t wait to see all the rad stuff you’ll be up to in the future!

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Turner

Interview with Jason Cruz

January 7, 2015 by Tim Granda

Alright, I’m just going to come right out and say it: Jason Cruz is one of the best artists working in the scene today. Hell, if it’s still confessional time, I’d go so far to say he’s one of the greatest artists the scene has ever known. Yea, pretty bold statements (and what does my opinion matter, right?), but if his work doesn’t sway you by the end of this interview then… hell, I don’t know. Try and convince me I’m wrong.

“Fuck… ME!” How many times have I heard something said to that effect after someone checks out Cruz‘s work? Fuck if I know. If my brain could retain that much information I’d be far away from this snow, sitting on a beach somewhere counting all my money. There’s a bunch of reasons why his work gets such a reaction. For one, it’s the staggering level of craftsmanship on display. Cruz is shoulder to shoulder with the artists he idolized. Another reason is his ability to capture a truthful moments that so many of us can relate to. Moments that bring us back to a certain time and place (far-off distant planets included). But the big reason for me is… well, I guess it all boils down to this: when I look at his work, I’m yanked outta my chair and dropped right into the picture. His work is full of stories:

It’s a beautiful day, but this dude’s bike is fucked. Thing’s are really starting to get uncomfortable, ’cause as he struggles to get her going (without that damn tool he left on the bench), his girl’s really getting pissed off. She hasn’t even opened her mouth yet but, scratch that, here it comes: “Every fucking time… I thought you said you already fixed this thing… ” Blah blah blah. Man, I wish there was something I could do to diffuse this situation, but I can’t ’cause they’re only god-damned drawings! Cursed to live out my scenario forever. Good luck, buddy.

Whoa, is that the time? Geez, this interview is about to get started! I haven’t even mentioned yet about how Cruz can jump back and forth between styles without losing a beat, or how he gracefully tips his hat to the old masters with his badass collages. Wait, WAIT! What about that time I found myself standing on this alien world, gazing down at this smokin’ hot chick all stretched out on the grass? Dude, she totally wanted me, but I couldn’t choose between her or that sexy chopper sitting just a few feet away! Hold on… gimme a second! How ’bout that insane painting with the axe-wielding reaper flying his trike through the air? Whoooaaa! I was so fucking ripped when I first saw that! Swore to anyone who’d listen how Frazetta faked his death and was back and better than ever! Oh yea, and what about…

You were exposed to bikes and hot rods at an early age, with Easyriders Magazine in particular making a huge impression. Can you recall any moments from back then that helped steer you towards a life-long pursuit in kustom kulture?

My Uncle used to have Easyriders on the toilet tank at my grandmothers house when I was between 5-10 years old. I’d flip through the pages of bikes and naked chicks and focus on the cartoony style of the Dave Mann illustrations. Around the same time, my dad was taking me to the World of Wheels car shows at McCormick Place where they sold Robert Williams posters. Both artists had a very colorful and illustrative style of story telling in everything they did, and as a kid, that appealed to me. I also had an older cousin who for some reason had the “Wild Angels” album and I used to always pull it out when I went to visit him and just stared at it while listening to Jan and Dean records and racing our Hot Wheels cars. It trips me out when I think of how little things like that really tapped into my psyche at such an early age. Ironically, I didn’t draw a car or bike until the age of about thirty five. Go figure.

Who were some of the artists back then that blew your mind?

Well, I just talked about the first two. Around 8th grade, I started getting into graffiti and my inspirations changed to the early graff. writers like Seen, Lee, Scheme, etc. I was into that scene up until my early twenties but never really felt like I fit in because I wasn’t Johnny Hip Hop. I managed to get into M.S.K. and used to paint with Fate, Dame and Bus right before hanging up my spray cans (which I still kinda regret). I remember doing a Coop devil head in an alley in Compton just after his first show at La Luz De Jesus Gallery around ’92. I made it clear that it was a tribute to him and thanked him for the inspiration on the wall. I still have a pic of it somewhere. Coop‘s work at that time really hit me hard and I can’t emphasize enough how enamored I was with his stuff back then because he was doing everything I was hoping to develop with my own work. He had a tremendous impact on me back then because he was really the only artist out there creating the exact imagery I had in my head and doing it with a skill level that I still can’t touch 25 years later. He came to say “Hi’ to me at this past Born Free show and I pretty much shit my pants. Nowadays, there are so many talented dudes doing cycle art, it’s hard to name them all. EZ, Adam Nickle and Gorgeous George are truly amazing dudes and keep me on my toes.

The art you create often includes elements of fantasy and science fiction. Did you grow up digging dudes like Frazetta and Vallejo, or read stuff like Heavy Metal Magazine? Underground comix?

Definitely, I used to go to 7-11 and read the old Conan The Barbarian comics and Heavy Metal, but the one that I really gravitated towards was Cartoons Magazine. They had an artist by the name of Shawn Kerri who was super young and insanely talented. Another artist that I still can’t hold a candle to 25 years later. She also did a bunch of eighties punk album and band art and created the Circle Jerks slam dance character. She mysteriously stopped working and there are endless rumors to her being dead or a crippled junky etc. Sad story.

Your work in both ink and airbrush is so badass. Man, I just love all of it! Do you have a favorite medium to work in, or do you like to keep things interesting by jumping back and forth?

Oh, wow, thanks man. It’s not so much that I’m trying to keep it interesting but more that I get an idea and go in that style or direction. I’m fortunate that I’ve worked for a ton of different companies with different needs and styles. It’s forced me to be diverse in my work and as a freelancer, it’s become a commodity. If you were to ask me to do a big body of work in one style, I’d probably get bored after the third piece and lose interest. As far as a preference, I’d have to say painting with any wet medium truly makes me the happiest. I honestly don’t paint very often due to the fact that I love napping and playing Xbox while drinking whiskey more than just about anything else. I look at guy’s like Burrito Breath, Dirty Donny and other prolific artists and admire their drive and work ethic. I’m a lazy artist man! On one side I hate that about myself. On the other hand, it’s just who I am and I can’t really aspire to be someone I’m not. Whatever, I have a good time.

The cover you created for issue 25 of DiCE Magazine is one of my favorites, and the series of builder posters you put together for them is epic! How did those projects come about, and would you consider that work to be the stuff that got you noticed?

Thanks again! Matt and Dean were very instrumental in my introduction into the scene. I met them at a van show in Pasadena and we hit it off right away. They really have the most influential magazine of the past ten plus years. I wanted to be a magazine centerfold artist since I was a kid, unfortunately, magazines are a dying breed and it doesn’t have the same impact it did fifteen years ago. . After our first hang out, I created the “Vantasy” piece and proposed to them the idea of me doing centerfolds on a regular basis. They were into it and I gave them a list of the six dudes I wanted to illustrate first. My intent was to create a series of posters that historically documented the current scene and gave props to the guy’s who really were the forefathers of the vintage cycle scene revival. In that list was Chopper Dave, Shinya Kimura, Scott Craig, Jason Jesse, Max Schaff, and Cole Foster. They decided to switch out a few of those dudes so it wasn’t all about the California builders. I was a little bummed because as far as I was concerned, in 2006 or so, they were the most influential dudes out there regardless of their location. I had never worked in Illustrator before but wanted a very clean look to my images so I built that series completely in illustrator and hand drew the figures and then colored them in Photoshop. It was a super long process that was very technical and I just didn’t enjoy creating work in that style. It was an exploration into developing my personal style and vector art of that caliber was unique at the time. Funny thing is, I had those prints for sale at Born Free a couple years ago and didn’t sell one.

You’ve gone on to create such iconic pieces for Loser Machine, Heavy Clothing, Love Cycles, Factory Metal Works, Old Gold Garage… hell, even stuff for Harley Davidson, Hot Wheels, and Jesse James! Were there any projects that turned out to be really challenging, or just a whole lot of fun?

All of them are challenging for one reason or another but the ones that are the most fun are the ones I more or less create for myself and pitch to the company. Pieces like “Lay Don’t Slay”, “Hell Rider” (reaper on the trike), “Home Grown”, for Loser Machine as well as the Wrench Magazine centerfolds were the most rewarding. The DiCE cover is such a personal favorite of mine due to the impact it had on my life and the fact that it was really the first time you saw a space scene with a bike and a chick since maybe Dave did it back in the day. Nowadays, it’s pretty much the standard for cycle illustrations and that puts a lot of pressure on me to do something that’s outside the box. We all pull from the same reference box now and with every cool image ever created over the past 50 years posted a hundred times on the internet, it’s forcing us all as artists to dig deeper and be more true to ourselves as far as inspiration. Overall it’s a great thing because I think all of us (including myself), were getting lazy about creating truly unique art based off of our own creativity.

Do you have any advice for a young artist who’s looking to get their name out there?

Yep, quit trying to get your name out there. Focus on finding yourself instead.

You’re also a founding member of the Vandoleros Van Club, which, from what I understand, grew out of the guys in southern California who frequented the Long Beach Cycle Swap. How’s the club doing these days, and do you all have some cool stuff lined up for the new year?

It’s been five years now since we started the club and the club is stronger than ever. It’s gone from being anyone interested in vans and bikes, to a family of close knit brothers who love each other dearly. The vans are secondary to our friendship and that has honestly made us a legit club vs. a club that focuses on the vehicle over relationships. We have no leadership or hiearchy. Everyone in the club is a unique individual capable of being a president or leader in their own regard. I’m really proud of the fact that our club is full of individual thinkers and craftsman. We are probably the only club in history that really has been a hybrid of the biker culture and the hot rod scene. We don’t really fit in with either crowd but are welcomed in both. It took awhile for car guy’s to get into vans, it really grew this time from the cycle scene instead of the surfer/hotrod scene. Now the traditional hot rod guys are buying vans and the seventies aren’t looked at as the ugly stepchild of hot rod history. That’s really what we set out to achieve and it’s come to fruition. Nowadays, we aren’t concerned with trying to get people interested in vanning. We have nothing to prove anymore so we just enjoy ourselves.

So what are you wheeling and riding these days? Are there any new projects you’re wrenching on?

My daily driver is a shitty ’96 Honda Civic that looks like it’s melting from the back due to an accident and a shitty tint job. My van is a ’74 Ford Econoline with all the hard to find seventies goodies. My bike was built by L.A. Speedshop for another dude and is in the process of being completely redone. I ran out of money after Born Free and it’s kind of been in limbo since July, but I’m back on track with it now and hope to have it done for BF7. It’s a ’79 Ironhead.

What are you drawing next? Any upcoming projects you wanna share?

Well, I took a full-time gig at Hot Wheels this September doing packaging so my personal art is kinda taking a back seat right now due to my full-time job and spending time with my family. I have a four year old daughter so it’s tough to come home and work more. I’m still doing stuff for my clients like Loser Machine, Harley and Factory Metal Works as well as random stuff that pops up each month. I’m really anxious to do more painting for myself as that really seams to be the stuff that propels me creatively. There just aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything I’d like to do but I can’t complain. I’d love to just have some time to sit and build some vintage van and chopper models (which I collect), and indulge in the finer things in life like doing nothing.

I always close out an interview with this question: If you could travel through time, where would you go?

I’m extremely nostalgic and miss my past, so part of me really want’s to go back in time and spend it with the many friends and family I’ve lost throughout the years. The other part of me wants to transcend space and time and live eternally exploring the outer reaches of the universe with a consciousness of my past, present and future. What fun would it be if I couldn’t be mind blown while flying through the sun of a distant galaxy or being able to look in on my great grand kids lives. Sounds over thought and like I’m reaching for something cool to say but it’s the truth.

I’m right there with ya! Thanks again for setting some time aside for this interview. It’s been a blast and a real treat having you on here, and I look forward to seeing all the amazing stuff you don’t know you’re even going to draw yet! Take care, man!

Thanks so much for caring about my work, you truly asked me questions I hadn’t asked myself. I’m very humbled!

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Jason Cruz

Interview With Mike Mastrangelo

June 13, 2014 by Tim Granda

Mastrangelo is a punk. A low down, dirty punk… and I mean that endearingly. His work is fast and loose, like a guitar riff hammered out by a beer soaked Steve Jones dodging bottles at the 100 Club. It’s real, and from the heart. Full of swagger and purpose. Mastrangelo is that tease that keeps you crawling back for more.

He has an uncanny knack for the “hook”, which I can best describe as the ability to produce an image that instantly becomes etched in your brain. Check out the Manson piece below that he drew for Heavy, and then honestly tell me it isn’t one of the most iconic images in the scene today. Read the fuck on, foolish mortals. This film is about to begin.

Mastrangelo’s work lives on the edge, and by that I don’t mean some bullshit marketing description to signify that something is outrageous. By “edge” I mean that line where if you fall off one side you achieve utter brilliance, but on the other it’s nothing but limb-strewn carnage and chaos. Think of it like this: you’re coming in hot on a turn, when suddenly you catch the rear in some loose gravel. You’re either going in the fucking ditch, or you’re straightening her out and leaving a hot testament of rubber snaking across that old country road. Fuck yea! Living through those moments are what life’s all about, and inevitably those moments become the stories that define us. The stories we pass on to those who matter.

That’s the “edge” where Mastrangelo lives. The place where time stands still. The place between the frames of a camera. That place on the country road where your headlight reveals past conquests laid out in rubber.

Grab hold, we are about to begin…

Hey Mike! Can you tell our readers where you’re based?

I’m London based, and have been for all my 50 years on this planet.

Where about did you grow up?

I was raised in a little town just outside of main London Town… a very interesting place… a little place called Thornton Heath. It was the hangout in the ’70s for one of the first unofficial UK bike chapters: The Nightingales, who as a kid I used to walk past. Seeing these greasy bikers and their shinny machines had me jumping up and down! They looked dangerous. I ended up working with one of the members many years later and was told the odd story or two. Some of these guys were old English rockers from the ’60s.

Who were some of the artists you were digging back then?

As a kid, I was heavily influenced by American comics: old Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Hulk, you know, the old DC and Marvel stuff. BUT the stuff in those comics that I loved were the ads for life-size Frankenstein’s, Magic Horses, ha ha. I also loved Aurora model kits and one day can across some old Roth model kits in a newspaper store near my grand parents home. Now those kits blew my tiny mind! Rats driving drag machines, brother Rat Fink on a motorbike, Angel Fink etc.

Being close to London also meant I’d be able to get great comics and magazines. We had a second hand book store near me which I use to go to when I was 14, and it had great comics, old Easyriders, but the best bit was it had a section in the back of the shop which housed adult magazines! Playboy, Knave, which was a classic ’70s adult magazine that ran a feature on the Hells Angels. I had heard of the HA through papers, but never actually seen pictures of them, and as you can imagine SF California was another planet! I loved the imagery of the bikes; those choppers where like flying saucers from another world. Another place, far far away.

I was also influenced by early skateboarders from the ’70s. It was a big thing for a short time, but again I found myself looking at the likes of Tony Alva and the Dogtown crew as something I really loved. Many years later when I worked for the Gun Club, I got to meet Tony Alva as his band The Skoundrels supported the Gun Club at an L.A. show. Seeing Evel Knievel jump was another big inspiration. I saw him jump at Wembley Stadium in 1975 and crash. It was amazing!

But without a doubt, it was the Dave Mann’s work in Easyriders that I loved. Frank Frazetta was also a huge influence, and someone I wished I could be as good as. I loved all his great movie posters. All those great Clint Eastwood film posters. In fact, the first film I took my now wife to was Every Which Way But Loose, which of course has the legendary Black Widows in it. I wanted to be a Black Widow big-time! Still do, ha ha! Also various artists like Charles Burns, Gary Panter, Spain, Roth, Robert Williams, Joe Coleman, and one of my all time favourite artists is Edwin Pouncey (aka: Savage Pencil). I have been a friend of his for years, and have some of his original art, but for me helping him with one of his greatest pieces of work blew my mind. In the ’90s he put together a fantastic LP called Angel Dust Movie Music for Bikers, a selection of killer tracks from various ’60s and ’70s biker movies with a beautiful gate-fold sleeve and picture disc LP.

Do you remember the moment where you realized art would become a lifelong pursuit?

Nope! Music has been one of my biggest loves. I actually came back to art about two years ago in a big way, but working in the music industry is the full time gig. I have to pay the bills and support the family!

As a very young kid I loved bands like KISS, Black Sabbath, Led Zep, Deep Purple, as well as old Rock ‘n’ Roll/Rockabilly. My parents loved music, and my father worked for an old ’60s record pressing plant so I was subjected to all kinds of great music. Beatles, Stones, reggae… loads of music! The art of LP covers always played a big part with regards to what records I purchased. Anything dangerous looking came home with me. I was lucky to live near the UK’s largest second-hand record store Beanos, and would take my pocket money and buy LPs by The New York Dolls, Stooges, Grateful Dead, and The Fugs, to name a few. I loved Glam Rock; that was the first thing that was mine. The Sweet, T Rex (Marc Bolan), Suzi Quatro, Slade, but PUNK really got me going!

I was 14 when punk rock broke, and I remember the first time I saw the Sex Pistols, along with The Damned, Ramones. It was dirty and dangerous. Music has been a big part of my life. In the early ’80s I got a gig running the fan club for one of my all time fave bands: The Gun Club from LA. I was also a huge Cramps fan, so I started doing fanzines, writing for music papers, and doing flyers for bands as well.

Over the last 25 years, I have worked in the music business. I managed a large second-hand record store, then went to work for Sanctuary Records by putting records out, and doing artwork for the likes of the Sex Pistols, The Fall, The Damned, Motorhead, and Black Sabbath (to name a few). In fact, I oversaw the transfer of music from original master tapes for the then recently discovered multi-track tapes for the first 3 Black Sabbath LPs when I worked for Sanctuary Records.

Most people tuning in for this interview will recognize your art from Show Class Magazine. How did you hook up with those dudes?

A few years ago I hooked up with an old friend Dean, who does DiCE magazine. I had not seen him in years, and as it turned out I’d bought some issues of DiCE but never made a connection for some reason. I’d been painting old Rock ‘n’ Roll stars like Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and Johnny Kidd in my style for fun, and one night when Dean came over we had some beers and I showed him my stuff. He asked me to do something for a possible DiCE cover, but it was never used as they changed the format and style..

I had so much fun doing it but it was a bit too cartoonish, I fear. My bike builder Benny Thomas said I needed to make the biker art more realistic, and that was sound advise which I thank him for. But seeing Dean and seeing what he was doing in LA made me sit up and want to do what I’d dreamed of doing for years: get myself a bike! Fulfill a dream. Here in the UK, Harleys are not cheap. You pretty much have to double up on US prices! Plus the old school chopper scene is pretty small, BUT there are some great people in it

It’s not been easy, but I got me a chopper! Then I wanted to look cool as F**k on it, so… I contacted Billy at Hellmutt Liners. We chewed the fat and got on well. I got a killer helmet done and am so afraid to wear it – it’s a work of art in its own right. But I saw he was selling a magazine called Show Class, a term I was aware of due to having read Hunter S. Thompson’s HA book.

I bought all the issues Billy had and was sold as soon as I saw it. It’s different to DiCE. I love both magazines but Show Class is a bit more dangerous, if that makes any sense at all? Billy put me in touch with Tim from Show Class as he’d been doing some stuff with them. I said to Tim “You know what the magazine is missing? A cool Dave Mann style painting like Easyriders. It’s got everything else but that.” Tim said yeah, then why don’t you do some paintings then. The rest is history, as I’ve been knocking ’em out like little baby turds ever since. They seem to love them (Tim and Zak).

It’s now progressed to the odd t-shirt design, other ideas, and with Tim and Zak calling me the out-of-house artist, which I guess makes me a part of the SC team (which is something I’m proud of). I like what they do a lot. For me the shame is I’m some 4,000 miles away from all the great bikes featured in the magazine. I really hope the people who buy the magazine like the art too. One of my recent ideas for those guys was the 49% SHOW 51% CLASS idea which they beautifully turned into tees and caps. I’m currently working on an original piece of art which hopefully will be received well by the scene in America. Someone will end up the owner of an original piece, which hopefully will mean a lot to them.

I also want to spread the word to the UK and Europe too. The scene here in the UK is small for the real old school bikes from the ’60s and ’70s, but we have some amazing bike builders here too. People who I admire: Benny at Boneshaker Choppers does some amazing builds, as does Andy at Pacoma Cycles, and the mighty Toshi at Bell 45.

That’s awesome, man! Will we be seeing a cover somewhere down the line?

Yeah, I done a nice front and back cover which I’m hoping will be used sometime soon, and I have ideas for an even better one, but my big problem is time. I hold down a regular job and do all my art in my spare time. I certainly keep busy, and just completed designs for Heavy, Sinner Supply, and am about to do a killer collaboration with Jesse from Rising Vision in L.A. More Reaper Madness…

Heavy Clothing recently put out your epic Manson tee. What’s it like working with Zak on Heavy stuff? Does he give you any indication of what he’s looking for, or are you given free reign with the design?

Zak is nothing but trouble. I tell ya that guy is so dark he scares me – way too much darkness. He’s trouble with a capitol T. Ok I’m lying, he’s very much like Tim at Show Class: COOL AS FOOK. Very easy to work with, happy to be hit up with ideas, and happy to tell you what he does not does not like. Straight talking mofo. That’s the way I like it. I’m pretty happy with the Heavy Charlie design I did. Zak’s also the other part to Show Class. Apparently those guys are sending me a Panhead for Christmas! I cannot thank them enough for liking what I do.

What are you riding these days? Are there any bikes over the years that you wish you never sold?

I ride Ding A Ding Dang My dang Along Ling Long. She’s my baby. A ’98 Evo Sportster chopper, shrouded shocks, ’70s Sportster front-end, 21″ front 18″ rear, which soon will have an original hamburger-style front brake and a vintage flamed Sportster tank (with great thanks from Dean at DiCE). She’s my first bike so I have never sold a bike. I’d love to have a Knucklehead hardtail, or Panhead, but for now that’s a pipe dream. I went for an Evo chopper as I wanted to have fun riding without too much hassle. I’m not gonna lie, I’m no hot shot in fixing these thing, but I’m learning a hell of a lot fast. I hope in a few years to go for a Knuck or a Panhead, but for now all I can say is that first ride when I got my bike home was worth all the pain in getting it!

Are there any new artists out there that you’re really digging, or inspire you to work harder?

Show Class always features some great artists. I like Tallboys work a lot! Toby Tequila is another kat who does some amazing work on the back of cuts. I just traded up an original of mine for a cut of a Reaper he did for me. Donny Gillies work is great too. Jesse at Rising Vision does some monster posters too.

What are you working on next? Got any new prints or projects we should have our eyes peeled for?

Show Class has a heap of art to roll with. There’s a great Heavy inspired poster. I’m working with Rising Vision in L.A. on a new t-shirt and poster design – a great collaboration with Jesse. Just finished two designs for prints and t-shirts for the mighty Angelo at Sinner Supply in Belgium. “Reaper Spelled Backwards is DEATH” t-shirt design he has total exclusivity on. That’s my baby and its a killer t-shirt. I’m also planning to do a few more affordable prints as well. I like to make my work top quality but also affordable to everyone, from the guy who has a very healthy bank balance, to the kid on the street who has to work his butt off for anything. I did 13 prints of “Reaper Madness”, signed and numbered, for a mere £35 each (about $45-$50 dollars). If you want an original, well that’s cheap too. People should hit me up.

I ask this closing question to everybody, because you never know what you’re going to get, and the answer is often filled with insight: If you could travel through time, where would you go?

This one is going to have two answers ha ha. I’d go forward a week so I could find out the winning lottery numbers so I could win!! That way I pay my bills off and get the bikes of my dreams! Or… take me back to L.A 1991 to Long beach so I can buy the Robert Williams “Zombie Mystery” painting I passed up on for $1500!!! Flea from the Red Hot Chili Peppers now owns!

Thanks a ton, Mike, for this opportunity to interview you for Doom Cycle. It’s been a blast, and I’m always looking forward to seeing what you’re up to. Cheers!

Doom Cycle

Covering the raddest artists in and around the chopper scene.

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