If that's Coop in the picture(I've never seen a pic of him until now) I swear I've seen him,sat with him,and talked to him out here...And it's funny that he got a screenprinting job out here in Yucaipa many years ago...
Rosenquistian! Lichtensteinian! (If Lichtenstein actually knew how to paint) I curse my meager purse contents, for otherwise "Brand Recognition" would be adorning my house.
Rev. Grimm: I lived in Yucaipa from '88 until '91, so it's very likely. I worked at a t shirt shop on the main drag, across from the high school, called "T's by C". I was driving a black 68 buick skylark GS around then. I lived in a little red house about fifty feet from the 10 freeway, in front of "Pat's Pots", a business that sent out those trucks to suck shit out of septic tanks. Ah, the glamorous life of the artist...
Hahaha....T's and C I think has closed down since then,not sure,And the red house,was it where a bar is now??On the corner of Live Oak Canyon,right next to the 10,or is it mopre by Yucaipa Blvd. on ramp??Pat's Pots,shitsuckers since forever...Hahaha...You should come back out sometime and visit before it totally changes...I lived here for the nice small town feel,but it's changing since Yucaipa's small town coucil has big money greed aspirations...
I had a chance to hang out with Coop at Bonneville, but I thank Ryan for asking all the questions I didn't get a chance to ask. Great interview man, thanks. Spike
Coop is a ruler..! him and he's wife have always been the nicest people.his a hell of an influence on the up and coming artist.he's given me countless pointers and sugestion .and i had the honor of striping his car 3 years ago.. Coop is a ruler ..! it's good to see guys like him to come up and be successfull.we have some of the same back ground..growing up in a pro cowboy/jock universe..it gets a little wierd being that skater punk in class..so good for him. Coop is a ruler ..!
I have never met him personally but I did buy one of his Ed "Big Daddy" Roth signature pinstriping brushes...here is a pic of the back of the mailing envelope that he sent the brush in:
I've loved Coop's art since I first saw it on band posters in SF. My 18 year old nephew swiped the Lords of Acid poster about 3 years ago.
Lucky Burton introduced me to "Coop" down at bonneville. I thought "It cant be THE coop!" He's waaaaaaaaaay too young... Damn if it wasn't! When did you do those devil images? Just out of diapers fer christs sake? I swear I've been looking at those images for decades and decades... Fuck I'm old............
Those who "know" ought to be real fuckin proud to share this space with folks like Coop. Always been a fan of his and Rob't Wms' work as well. From the interview...yeah man, an angel makes good sense. You're probably workin on that already if I got it figured right. I respect and admire the path you're on, Coop. Ryan, I can't even put words to the interview...you seem never to cease to impress the shit outta me with this space. I've missed it these last few months.
Nads, had to post this as the song went through my mind while reading your reply... "Fat bottomed girls you make the rockin world go round" hahahaa! -Troy
It's the cowl to a dragster built by Bernie Mather, the longtime announcer of the March Meet. Story here: http://positiveapeindex.blogspot.com/2005/10/bernie-mather-we-love-you.html
This sketch of Rat FInk is very familiar to me as I bought a Rat Fink airbrushed oversized travel bag off the big auction site about a year ago. This same sketch was on the packaging of the bag I bought. I've got a pic of the sketch and the bag somewhere... It might be on my wife's computer. I'll post when I find it. Very KooL! I thought the bag was a purse when I bought it. When it showed up it was too large for my wife to use as a purse, so now it's displayed in a display cabinet in my garage. Coop didn't do the airbrushing on the bag, but I believe he said it was one of 3 that were done by the artist... Can't remember who though. Coop, does this sound familiar? -Troy
I think there might be some confusion here with Greg Cooper, a long time pinstriper who also goes by the handle of "Coop" (as does everybody whose last name is Cooper, i'm afraid.)
I owe Coop an apology, a public one. Has to do with knowing Ryan and things in the past. Sorry to judge w/o knowing ya. If Ryan, Zenor and others are on your boat, Thats enough proof for me. Never doubted the art, always killer........ plus he shoots hot naked chics, Ryans NSFW dealio made me laugh. Positive Ape Index is always a crapshoot in the office............I like rolling the dice.
I still remember the day I introduced my wife to the art of Coop... from then on she has refered to herself as a "coopgirl." We even ended up naming our Staffordshire Bull Terrier 'Coop' and his kennel was adorned with a devil head sticker. Great interview Ryan and Coop. Interesting reading.
Coop is one funny hombre as well. And quite quick witted I might ad. I pretty much started my art collection by buying 20 dollar Coop prints eons ago, that he was selling out of the back or a civic or something. Years and years later, I'm glad to call him a friend. He was even trying to broker a 32 ford roadster purchase for me while I was on my death bed in the hospital. I was always hoping people trying to spend my money would be smokin hot single girls who like skinny white trash guys with a bum ticker........................................................but tha't just me. A couple of the more random things I've heard him say were "I feel like were in the stomach of a gay robot." Bonneville 2007 "This is the murder room. Because if we murdered someone, it would be in here?" While getting a tour of his and Ruth's house. and lastly, after making fun of his broken leg resulting an auto accident with an attorney........."you better be nice, or I'll kick you in the heart!!!!"
I never owned a Civic, you fucking jerk! You shoulda heeded my advice and bought that roadster, too. That was a sweet ride. (I woulda bought it if I could have afforded the resulting divorce...)
Thanks for the interview, Coop is on the short list of folks I'd like to meet. I've enjoyed his art ever since I got one of those "poster pop" devil girl stickers at "Junkman's Daughter" in Atlanta. I didn't know anymore about him until I found a lifetime supply of the stickers in '97 or so in a Raleigh head shop (anybody here remember "Pipes by George"?). They've been stuck on pretty much every car I've had since and I have the grinning devil staring at me from the side of my filing cabinet at my computer. Too bad I wasn't around to get some orginal art back in the day! Anyway, thanks for making the world a better place through your art (I still get a kick out of it everytime I see something you do) and hope you keep it up for a long time.
Word. I just bought the "Skate,Surf and Rock Art of Jim Phillips" book and I can see the influence clearly-great work,man.