|
That Legendary L.A. Style
Eric Goodwin of Garage Graphics in Stanton, California, applied his first vehicle graphic when he was twenty years old and immediately something clicked. “I stood back, looked at the flawless Acura racing stripes, and immediately wanted to learn everything about designing, producing, and installing vehicle graphics.”
Years later, Goodwin and his “garage” are widely recognized as the place to go for a custom, tricked out ride. Goodwin’s vehicle art regularly turns heads at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, where every year he wraps about thirty showcase cars. His graphics have also made numerous television appearances on Pimp My Ride and Monster Garage, as well as in the movie Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. Celebrities such as NBA star Shaquille O’Neal and Travis Barker of Blink-182 have also called on Goodwin to restyle their cars.
Goodwin describes his design style as very, very customized. “We work to give each car its own personality,” he says. “We also work under very tight deadlines. When a custom car is built, we’re the last group of people to work on it—so almost every job is a rush.”
To make it all happen, Goodwin employs the latest technology, including top-of-the-line sign-making equipment. Goodwin’s shop is equipped with three Roland vinyl cutters and a pair of SOLJET fifty-four-inch inkjet printer/cutters.
Recently Goodwin put these tools to work in order to wrap a commercial Hummer H2 vehicle in a striking military camouflage design with a menacing—and memorable—look. To get the right results, Goodwin used the Roland Restyling Media Solution (featuring premium cast vinyl and premium cast overlaminate film). The flat sides of the Hummer proved to be little challenge for Goodwin. “The graphics went on pretty easily,” he comments. “In fact, they looked like they [had been] painted on. We also covered the windows with perforated media.”
TV star and West Coast Choppers owner Jesse James is also one of Garage Graphics’ largest customers. Goodwin is frequently called on to wrap and rewrap his personal off-road truck. “He races this truck [and other vehicles] in off-road events like the Baja 1000,” he says. “It’s a rough sport, and these cars get beat up every time he takes them out. We have to fix the graphics after each race.”
When James needed an original wrap for the L.A. Kings Zamboni, he turned to Goodwin to create a full-blown halftime show out of this simple utility vehicle. First James upgraded the vehicle with chrome wheels, skull-themed knobs, and leather accessories. Goodwin’s wrap (featuring a flaming King’s crown and massive West Coast Choppers and Bud Light logos) provided the finishing touch.
“I was thrilled to see the Zamboni arrive at our shop,” Goodwin says. “Looking back at all the vehicle wraps we’ve done over the years, this was definitely one of our coolest jobs.”
One of the most prominent wraps Goodwin has produced for James was a very unusual wrap for famed female driver Candace Muzny (also known as “Jesse’s Girl”). West Coast Choppers Artist Jack Rudy designed the graphics to reflect Muzny’s personal style—bold, aggressive, and feminine at the same time. The art featured pinstripe-looking letters that spelled “Jesse’s Girl” and a pink backdrop with a floral design and flames ripping up the sides.
Goodwin installed the graphics, adding her racing number and logos from Muzny’s long list of sponsors, including J & D Packing, Inc., Curries Enterprises, ARROW Wrecker Service, Alliance Metals, Tekon with Easy Clean Products, Metro Fluid Connectors, A & R Powder Coating, Orange County Drive Lines, EsabWelders, and Bassani Exhaust. “Each and every logo went on without any problems, and that’s huge,” he says. “A couple of wrinkles would’ve ruined the entire job. Even at 210 miles per hour, the car [had] to look perfect.”
While professional racing is big business at Garage Graphics, there are new types of vehicle projects entering Goodwin’s shop these days. “Right now, we’re doing a lot of off-road sand rails,” he says. “These cars have a lot of contour and a lot of bends. In fact, they arrive at our shop in panels. We get twenty to twenty-five separate pieces—(including a roof, the hood, and pieces for the sides). And there’s a wing on the back with five individual pieces that we wrap—all before the car is assembled!”
Goodwin adds, “We’re also producing more print/cut stickers today. We’re printing them by the thousands. We see people moving away from screen printing and into print/cut technology once they realize what these printers can do.”
The state-of-the-art graphics that Goodwin is producing are examples of how creativity and business sense are successfully mixing it up.
|
