New Shirts

Just took delivery of the first batch of new Rats & Gassers T Shirts yesterday. I decided to go with a blood red, black and white color scheme on dark grey (charcoal) colored shirts. As always these are available on our website
go-kustom.com

Filming For Rats & Gassers @ Billet Proof Hot Rod Eruption Drags

Had a blast out in Toutle, Washington at the fourth Annual Billet Proof Hot Rod Eruption Drags. This remote 1/8 mile drag strip hosted bare knuckle heads up vintage drag racing all weekend. The set up was very well organized, with staff cleaning any oil spills, etc. Hundreds of cars, Hot Rods, Gassers, Vintage Rails, Mini-Bikes, Kustoms and everything in between. This is a must attend event for Vintage Drag Racing fans.  

Interview With Photographer Susana Victoria Clark

Had an excellent interview with Susana Victoria Clark of Vestige
Photography about her style of Pin-Up and Hot Rod photography. This will be a nice addition to Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride. Some very nice insight into her work and world. She was a complete sweetheart and looks like she could be a Pin-Up Model herself!

Brightened up my otherwise dreary day...more on the dreary day part in another post...

Rats & Gassers Documentary Film Companion Book

Started a little layout work on the Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride Companion Book today. Thinking 8x10 or so in size with 200+ color pages. This project makes so much sense, it's really a no-brainer. Since I am writing all the narrative and taking still images as I go for the film, it is really just a matter of reformatting the material to the printed page. This is the preliminary cover and may not be the final version. This is one of my favorite pics that I have taken for the film so far- a closeup of Trevor Robinson's '29 Ford Pickup "Nothing Special."

Four Season Pin-Up Calendar Shoot (More Pics)

Interview With Don Charbonneau For Rats & Gassers

Did an interview with artist and pinstriper Don Charbonneau at the studio today for the Rats & Gassers: Kustom Kulture Takes A Ride documentary. As part of the interview Don pinstriped my Hellcat VI on camera, explaining the process as he went. Very cool. With a bass guitar like this I have to hurry up and become a musical legend to justify owning it. :)

Nikki Dodge Photoshoot for Munster Style by Jessica Rose

Just got these pics in from photographer Jessica Rose of model Nikki Dodge for Issue One of Munster Style, our Arts, Music and Kustom Kulture Periodikal. The article these (and other) pics will be featured in, is about Nikki and actress Teri Aslett and both of their work with dogs, specifically bully breeds. Besides modeling, Nikki does extensive rescue work with Bowman's Canine in Southern California. Currently both dogs in the photos ( Latte & Buddy) are available for adoption.

Munster Style Postcards

Just finished the layout for new Munster Style Postcards to give out at events and shows. Gotta tell the world about our new little kustom kulture and arts periodikal.

Birth Of Munster Style Magazine

Decided to get serious about starting Munster Style this week. We have a meeting of Friday with potential staff and writers to set the ground work. I started soliciting submissions and already have half dozen interviews set, people working on music features, burlesque features, movie interviews and paranormal articles. People seem excited. I want Munster Style not to be a regular magazine, but thrice yearly kustom kulture periodical, more than 200 pages in length. Very few ads (only for submitters as barter for their work). This can work with short run publishers and direct sales and subscriptions. Munster Style will be full glossy and as pristine a publication as we can make it. Shooting for a May 1st 2010 first issue release. That might be hopeful, but at this point who knows.

Why is Rockabilly & Psychobilly the music of choice for the Kustom Kulture crowd?

Seriously I am not an such an avid Rockabilly fan (so what- right?). I do love Johnny Cash, Eddie Cochran, Carl Perkins, Patsy Cline, Jerry Lee Lewis and Roy Orbison from the early days. Cramps and Reverend Horton Heat from the not so early days. Being a bassist- I really dig upright bass and I can appreciate the revival of the instrument, but I also use drum machines and computers to make my music (not always) and prefer Double Bass in Be-Bop Jazz most of all. My band Kill Switch...Klick was thrown into the "Industrial" genre bins back in the 1990's and pioneers from that genre like Public Image Ltd., Killing Joke and Ministry are some of my all time favorites, I mean "Jesus Built My Hot Rod" from Ministry has got to be one of the all time best drivin' song ever written! Al Jourgensen produced a fair amount of Reverend Horton Heat's music- so I guess there is a connection between Psychobilly and Industrial. I also understand that Hot Rods and Rockabilly got a cultural foothold in the1950's so that is their link culturally. But what about Blues and Be-Bop? Rat Fink seemed more Beatnik (or Beat for you purists) than Rocker. Where is all the Cool Jazz and Be-Bop? I would really dig going to a Kustom Car Show and hearing a Be-Bop Trio or hard edged Cool Jazz Combo for a change. I am hearing more Surf bands at events- which is definitely cool. I've got nothing against any Rockabilly or Psychobilly bands Mad Sin, Tiger Army, Wanda Jackson, Roy Kay Trio, etc. rock harcore- this is more an open question. I guess as the scene morphs into something else the styles will change and open up. I think what I have a problem with is the "Packaged Deal." You know, "Hey everybody- I got a new car (Rat Rod I bought on eBay), a new haircut (I saw in a magazine), a new girlfriend (I found on Craigslist) and bought all these new CD's! I am now a scenester!" What the f'n crap is that? The difference would be the guy who discovers Eddie Cochran, cuts his hair cause he likes the way Eddie looks, finds his girlfriend on an Eddie Cochran Tribute Website, etc. That's the discovery, not the "Packaged Deal." And then again what about X, Misfits and Social Distortion? That's more where I come from, but that's Punk. You can't go wrong with Hardcore, but it would be hella hard for Chicas to mosh in their Poodle Skirts.
PROJECTS - Took delivery on a Fretless Squire (budget Fender line) Modified Jazz Bass today. Got it through American Musical Supply who has an excellent payment option, where you can use you debit or credit card to get equipment in 1/3rd installment payments. For example, I got my bass, that costs around $300 with shipping, for $100 down and then two more monthly payments of $100. You can't beat that with a stick! The bass has excellent build quality and is my first full scale electric fretless, so it's going to be challenge to get the fingering perfected. I wanted a more earthy bottom end for the Hot Rod Girls Save The World soundtrack.
HOT ROD GIRLS SAVE THE WORLD - Re-cut a key scene using a variation from the intro theme of the movie. The HRGSTW theme has various components. The main keyboard line that bounces from Eb to Bb, two different guitar hooks and a blues based rhythm guitar line. The guitar hooks will appear at various scene change points to remind the audience of the theme. The new variation is based on the main rhythm guitar line with an added minimal percussion back beat.