1981 Socks
Description: Knightriders is a 1981 American action drama film about a traveling troupe that jousts on motorcycles. The story follows performers are slowly cracking under the pressure of hick cops, financial troubles and failure to live up to their own ideals. The group's leader, King Billy, is increasingly unable to maintain his warrior's rule while the Black Knight is being tempted away to LA and stardom, as they all begin asking why they are even there in the first place. Knightriders was filmed entirely on location in the Pittsburgh metro area, including Fawn Township and Natrona, during the summer of 1980 and was released on April 10, 1981. Despite the film's somewhat goofy premise on the surface, it was very well received by audiences and critics.
Description: I based my composition on the iconic cabin, the car and of course the demonic possessions themselves. Using a few reference images from the film, I managed to work together this composition and set to work painting it. Because it's a horror piece and should reflect the hand crafted aesthetic of the movie, I worked quite rough on a lot of this painting, going for a more expressionist take than my usual approach. I'm very satisfied with the final piece and especially with the title treatment added to the piece, I think it works really well as a retro horror poster that would fit nicely to the original marketing.
Description: While the '70s can be considered the decade for kung fu movies, the '80s saw a wave of ninja films, leading to the "ninja mania" pop culture phenomenon. 1981's Enter the Ninja is a prime example of these ninja-centric martial arts movies. The film is about a martial artist named Cole, a mercenary and veteran, who completes his ninjutsu training in Japan before visiting his friend Frank in the Philippines. On arrival, Cole learns that his friend is being harassed by the wealthy businessman Venarius who wants Frank's land for the oil beneath it. Frank and his wife are continuously thwarted by Cole who defends them with his martial arts skills. Learning of Cole's presence, Venarius hires his own ninja, and the war is on...
Description: The Carolina Chargers, later known at the Carolina Storm, where the most successful team in the American Football Association (AFA), playing in four of the league's six championship games (losing in 1979 and 1980, winning in 1982 and 1983. The Storm were undefeated in the 1982 and 1983 seasons.
Description: The Hartford Hellions were a soccer team based out of Hartford, Connecticut that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League. They played from 1979 to 1981. The Hellions played their first season in the New Haven Coliseum before moving to the remodelled Hartford Civic Center. The two seasons in Hartford the Hellions average 4,361 fans per game. In May 1981, Athletes in Action purchased the Hellions and moved the team to Memphis, Tennessee. The new owners renamed the Hellions the Memphis Americans.
Description: This “Anxiety Has Many Faces 1981” design features a striking collage of distressed vintage-style masks and expressive faces, creating a bold retro commentary on emotional chaos and inner tension—perfect for fans of psychological art, dark humor graphics, and classic 80s comic-style illustration.
Description: The Iowa Oaks were a minor league baseball team based in Des Moines, Iowa from 1969 to 1981. The team was affiliated originally with the Oakland Athletics, then with the Chicago White Sox and the Houston Astros. The team became the Iowa Cubs in 1982 after affiliating with the Chicago Cubs.
Description: The Carolina Chargers, later known at the Carolina Storm, where the most successful team in the American Football Association (AFA), playing in four of the league's six championship games (losing in 1979 and 1980, winning in 1982 and 1983. The Storm were undefeated in the 1982 and 1983 seasons.
Description: Cabooses, also referred to as 'hacks' in railroad jargon, are one of the more enduring symbols of railroads. With a viewing cupola on the roof, the main role of these cars was so that the crew could watch the train as it moved and ensure there were no issues or disconnects. At one point, railroad crews consisted of up to five men, so the caboose also served as a rolling hotel. Equipped with bunks, a stove, and a bathroom, these cars were home away from home. Like many things, the caboose and her crew were eventually replaced by technology, and train crews launched the 'Trains Are Safer With a Caboose' campaign to save them (and their jobs). Obviously, we know how that turned out, as it's rare sight these days, but they are still around!
Description: The '80s were an exciting time as Japanese tuner shops were popping up at a rapid rate. Haruto Hasegawa opened his shop in Chiba Prefecture in 1981 to focus on tricking out rides from Datsun, and its contemporary. Hasegawa would go on to create some very memorable rides and helped countless customers achieve their JDM tuner dreams for a little over 25 years before suddenly closing up shop and calling it a day for good.
Description: G.I.S.M. was a Japanese punk metal band formed in Tokyo in 1981. Although the guitar style resembled heavy metal in many aspects, GISM was one of the first Japanese hardcore bands, while at the same time drawing influence from the early industrial/avant-garde music scene—something uncommon in punk bands at that time. The acronym GISM has many different variations including Guerrilla Incendiary Sabotage Mutineer, God In the Schizoid Mind, Grand Imperialism Social Murder, among many, many more, though no official definition has ever been given which only added to the band's mystique. GISM came to be widely known in the global punk scene after the song “Endless Blockades for the Pussyfooter” appeared on an International P.E.A.C.E. compilation.
