Kustom Kulture Tapestries

R.F. is a grotesque green rat with wild eyes and sharp teeth – an intentional antithesis to that super wholesome mouse that everyone knows all too well. He’s recognizable for his crazed look, unattractive body, gaping mouth, and overalls with his initials on them. He became a familiar sight among hot rodders and the kustom kulture scene and was – for a time – one of the most recognizable characters around.

This is the one that Kenny himself would have worn if he were alive in the days of overpriced trucker hats with his name on them...

Kustom kulture and pinstriping

Kustom kulture with pinstriping

Kustom kulture with pinstriping

If you are of a certain age, The Red Baron needs no introduction or explanation. If not, well, we're not talking about Baron von Richthofen, the renowned German World War I pilot. It was the '60s and over the top hot rods were all the rage. Looking for a follow-up to their very successful 'Beer Wagon' plastic model kit, Monogram's designer found it in a World War I German army helmet. Again, if you were around back then, it's not as weird as it sounds. German helmets were adopted as a sign of rebellion by bikers, surfers, and other cultural outlaws, so it made sense to build a hot rod model around one. Of course, like with the 'Beer Wagon' kit, a real-world version would materialize and just like the model, it too was an instant hit.

Greased Frankenstein Monster Fink is getting ready to race.

Old school pinstriping

Kustom kulture with red and blue pinstripe design.

Kustom kulture airbrush and Pinstriping

A collage of all custom paintwork

Old School lettering with a pinstripe design

Kustom kulture hot rod

Old school lettering with pinstriping

Angel brush and scrolling pinstripes.

Van life

Lowrider Kustom kulture

What do you get when you mash up hot rods and monsters? In 1980, the answer would have been Weird Wheels trading card stickers. Featuring a checklist of colorful creations along the lines of the late '60s Odd Rods cards, the set blends Kustom Kulture with matinée horror. The cards themselves have monsters and other creatures driving absurdly customized cars, trucks, and motorcycles. As cool as the cards looked, they came out at a time when the Kustom Kulture was well past its peak, and the set flopped, but that doesn't mean they're still not cool! This one features the 'Loco-Motive' in an odd recreation of the classic damsel in distress on the train tracks from card #3.

american traditional classy flying eyeball

Lucky Jones The Rockin' Hillbilly

Low rider drives a little slower

Mermaid with distressed mask. This means that the graphic looks warn and vintage. The underlying color of the garment will show through.

motorcycles vintage

A magical paintbrush

Retro Pulp magazine feels for Halloween holidays

Big Bad Wolf Money Bags Lowbrow art. Find the best in original lowbrow psychobilly, rockabilly, and gothic undead horror art from Monsters & Martians.

Old school lettering with pinstriping design

When ther was just one set of tracks I was HAULIN' your ass!

Lowrider car text and scroll Pinstriping design

Vintage Kustom Kulcha logo design

Old school lettering with pinstriping design

What do you get when you mash up hot rods and monsters? In 1980, the answer would have been Weird Wheels trading card stickers. Featuring a checklist of colorful creations along the lines of the late ’60s Odd Rods cards, the set blends Kustom Kulture with matinée horror. The cards themselves have monsters and other creatures driving absurdly customized cars, trucks, and motorcycles. As cool as the cards looked, they came out at a time when the Kustom Kulture was well past its peak, and the set flopped, but that doesn’t mean they’re still not cool! This one features the ‘Slab Cab’ taxi themed hearse driven by the phantom from card #5.

Kustom truck

Back in 1954 Elvis, Scotty & Bill played a show at this venue in Memphis TN. this was the start of the Rock N roll revolution.

Blacktop Rollin' Monster Fink Gasser Hot Rod Dragster