History Early Custom and Harry Westergard history, as told by Teen Angel

Thats awesome Ollin. See where it says "Real gone Hepcats" ?

 

He did one or two articles in the magazine Classic and Custom too. I believe that may have been an offshoot of Lowrider Magazine.

 

Muchos gracias Eryk, excellent post and resultant thread!

 

way cool

 

hey i have this issue!

 

This deserves to be back on top

 

Righteous! Thanks for the bump Axle. And thanks for all the comments and scans guys. Here's some more...

Another "Cruising Into The Past" article from LRM volume 1 #11, 1977. I love the way he describes the sound of straight pipes on a chevy 6 in second gear.


Nice homage to Gil & Al Ayala, Auto Butchers ELA, and the Thunderbolts!

 

Nice! I've always dug Teen Angel! His art is actually very simular to Robert Williams stuff. For a while I thought Teen Angel was Robert but when I asked him he said it wasn't. So I've always wondered, who is Teen Angel? Is he still around?

 

Back to page one.

 

Great stuff!
I'll be rooting through all the early LRMs at the swap meets now.

 

Love that stuff man. Rags

 

Eryk, I'd never seen or heard of any of this stuff. I really dig it. I have some research to do.

There is something about that handwritten text that is giving me goosebumps man. It comes across with power. You wouldn't take the time to lay out that text and stylize it like that unless you were saying something that really MEANS A LOT to you, ya know? There's an honesty there, a real passion for custom and lowrider history. Way ahead of his time - as this board shows. So cool...

 

Great Post Eryk! Thanks for showing us this. I had no idea who Teen Angel was until yesterday. His drawings are just too cool. I love checking out everything he puts in the background. The '36 fordor before and after is my favorite drawing from him. It's just pure elegance.

 

When I saw the 36 Mr. Westergard built I had to do one ,
Not spot on but fun none the less
FRANK

 

So does anyone actually know who Teen Angel was or is? It's always been kind of a mystery to me. Shit, now Im back to thinking maybe it really was Robert Williams! The art work is almost identical!

 

Hey,

If ya go back and check out Robert Williams work from the time frame that Teen Angel was to have drawn these you'll see it's not the same dude!
By the late sixties and early seventies when Williams was drawing Zap Comics and other publications including Ed Roth's art, you see a much more refined/trained artist. The line work and perspective drawings of Williams are light years apart from Teen Angel's work.
Teen Angel's work has a much more "in the street" and for "real" kinda a gritty feel, but he ain't no Robert Williams.

Swankey Devils C.C.
" Spending A Nation Into Generational Debt Is Not An Act Of Compassion! "

 

From what I understand he moved to San Jose area & started working with the guys (El Larry & Sonny Madrid) on Lowrider Magazine from the East Coast, & even though people would assume he's a Latino, Teen Angel is actually a white dude. I've talked to people who actually knew and they seem to think he's still around somewhere in Northern California. I met an artist (Big Al I think it was) who said he worked with/for him..

If I'm wrong and someone knows more about Teen Angel please post!

It would be amazing to take a look at his sketchbooks!

-Juan

 

Great read! Does anyone have the story he has written about Westergard's club the Thunderbolts?

 

Hey Eryk! Sup My Brother?

Great Stuff... thanx...

 

WOW, I missed this thread...excellant reading, thanks!

 

Man, those drawings are incredible!! Each one of them tells so many stories, beyond the cars.

 

great post! amazing artwork!

 

Teen Angel is unique.

 

-----------------------------------------------------------
Not the best photoshop,but now 1 pc.
TwoChops

 

The Thunderbolts are supposedly the oldest car club here in Sacramento. A friend of my dads has been in it for years, if you saw their cars you would vomit after looking at the original members cars. I talked to an old man once named Harold in a bar who ran around with Harry Westergard and was a member of the Thunderbolts back in the day. He is currently building an Allard with a dual overhead cam Ford in it. This post is a great read, thanks for posting.

 

Who was or is this guy? I remember the old Lowrider Magazines.... I would draw from them at school. It was my stuffed in my Pee Chee folder all day.

 

I'm new here but I've been lurking around for a long time. Finally signed up and I'm glad to see people still have an interest TEEN ANGEL art. I consider him to be one of the most well known Lowrider artists. Like Eryk said, he was preaching in Lowrider Magazine about 40's & 50's style Custom Cars in the late 70's and early 80's, a time when not too many other people cared about them. I'll post up some pics of his art when I get a chance. I'm fortunate to be a friend of his and I even have a few original pieces.

 

619 Vida ..... post away,would be nice to see some more pics. thanks

 

Darn, I'm not seeing any pictures. I only get the box from Photobucket
saying the picture has been deleted or moved.

 

619 Vida, Yes please post the art and other info you have on Teen Angel.
We would very much appreciate it.