Top 5 Posts of 2013 on royboyproductions.com

As I mentioned yesterday, 2013 was a busy year with more than 50 new galleries being added to the Royboy Galleries. That’s of course almost 1 a week, which it kinda nutty when I started the year thinking I would scale back and only do 25 or so events… so much for that plan. I’ve procrastinated like crazy on a few things lately one of them being planning for 2014, something I should have had done a month ago. I’m not exactly sure where 2014 will take me yet, I do know that I want to continue to provide free car show coverage on this site for all of you. The goal here is still to promote the Midwest’s hot rod/kustom car kulture and promote the incredible craftsmen, car owners and shows that we have here in the Midwest.

Midway through August of this year I switched up my site combining my blog with the main website and redesigning the entire thing. Since then I’ve seen a huge jump in readership and that’s awesome, that’s what I did the switch for. Part of that switch was adding my first sponsor. Sponsors will allow me to cover more of the expenses of running this site instead of funding it all out of my pocket. Right now the magazine pieces that I do cover about 15% of the costs of gas and hotels, not counting the computer hardware, cameras, etc. My goal for the site is to become self sustaining in 2014. To do that I need you to help by sharing the stories that you enjoy. If you read something here that you like, share it with your gear head friends, the more readers that we have the more income we can generate to put gas in my tank and cover hotel rooms on the road trips. Hopefully throughout 2014 I can bring on more amazing sponsors like RJay’s Speed Shop. Cory at RJay’s is a good friend and the only official sponsor that I’d approached to be a part of the site, I used him as a guinea pig and hopefully some of you have gone to his site and become customers. RJay’s has great prices, fast shipping and amazing service, go buy stuff from him!

 

The Top 5 posts of 2013 are:

5. 2013 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular Set Up Day 431 VIEWS / POSTED JULY 25, 2013

4. Event Coverage: 2013 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular Part 4 455 VIEWS / POSTED JULY 29, 2013

3. Event Coverage: 2013 Rodder’s Journal Revival 441 VIEWS / POSTED OCTOBER 4, 2013

 

Photo by Nick Hoesing

2. Event Coverage: 2013 Greaserama Part 2 652 VIEWS / POSTED SEPTEMBER 3, 2013

2013-Greaserama-80b

1. Event Coverage: 2013 Greaserama Part 1 1146 VIEWS / POSTED SEPTEMBER 2, 2013

2013 Greaserama 000-M

Thank you for following along on my adventures and don’t forget to subscribe to the blog to be entered in the monthly giveaway. 1 lucky subscriber today will win a copy of “This is Long Beach ” by Atomic Hot Rods.

See you at a show,

Royboy

Top 10 Photo Galleries of 2013

2013 was a fun year. In total over 50 new photo galleries were added to the 2013 folder, I haven’t added up the miles yet, or the expenses on hotels and such, but the fun meter was pegged all year long. Here are the most popular photo galleries from 2013 in slideshow form, click on the slide show to see the entire gallery. The total photo views for Royboy Galleries for 2013 was 4,462,950 not counting tomorrow of course. Since moving my photos to their current home on Smugmug just after the 2010 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular the total photo views for the site are now at 11,581,517. That just blows my mind. The majority of those views comes from people looking at my car show coverage threads on the H.A.M.B. but this year a big chunk was also from right here on my own site. The largest single day of the year was 7/29 (just after the KKOA) with 183,318 however most days average under 10,000 photo views.

The top 10 Royboy Productions galleries with the most views for 2013 are:

 10. 2013 Starbird-Devlin: 82,221 views

This was the first time that I showed my Galaxie at the Starbird-Devlin show and with it’s fresh Jeff Myers paint job (the plan is for an update to that paint job just before the show this year).

9. Starbird Rod & Custom Show: 84,648 Views

The other legendary show with the Starbird name. 2014 will be the 50th annual edition of this show.

8. 2013 Goodguys Spring Lonestar Nationals 108,535 views

The 2nd time that I’ve made the trip down to this show at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas. I have a lot of friends in North Texas so I suspect that I will return for this event in the future, not sure about 2014 yet though.

7. 2013 Pistons and Paint: 125,221 Views

Another North Texas show, this one was a first time visit for me and another that I want to have on my schedule for 2014.

 6. 2013 H.A.M.B. Drags: 131,394 Views

I missed the first few H.A.M.B. Drags events but it’s one I go to every year now. It’s great to see so many of my H.A.M.B. friends, get to see them run their cars and it’s turned into a family event for us with friends and family gathering from 4 states to hang out in Joplin.

5. Stray Kat 500: 178,022 views

A cold and rainy forecast kept many away from the Stray Kat 500, but still the car count was HUGE for the weather, with my personal estimates in the 400 range.

4. Starliner: 160,410 views

The other Stray Kat Kustoms show is the Starliner, and unlike many of the shows this year it wasn’t rainy, it was almost unbearably hot on that tarmac. Not the hottest show we’ve had in the last few years for sure but it was pretty brutal. Still one of the koolest shows on the planet.

3. Greaserama: 214,180 views

Greaserama had a new home this year, some said that they would not attend because of it. They weren’t missed, this was easily the largest Greaserama to date and has room for growth in the new venue.

2. 2013 Lonestar Roundup: 409,702 views

ANOTHER Texas show, this one a bit farther south. Austin’s Lonestar Roundup keeps getting bigger and bigger, which can cause problems in a city already experiencing growing pains with horrendous traffic and construction zones. The show was huge this year and I had a blast taking my ride to it for the first time. I’ll be back in 2014.

And the most popular photo gallery of Royboy Productions for 2013 was:

2013 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular: 828,302 views

If it wasn’t for this show, I might not be doing this today. When the KKOA Leadsled Spectacular came to Salina it breathed a great new life into the show and it’s grown year after year. The last 3 years were incredibly hot with temps over 105 degrees, but this year was different. The rain that in some way was present for most of the year was again a factor but on Sunday this year it was 65 degrees instead of the 109 of the previous year. The show reached a new high of 1,867 entries. I hope in future years we can increase the number of kustoms and hot rods!

Thanks for a great year!

See you at a show,

Royboy

Week In Review: 12-23-13

Monday

Jonnie King: Wolfman Jack on New Year’s Eve

WHILE I WAS On-The-Air on JUKE BOX 96 Radio in St. Louis on New Year’s Eve, 1993, I received a surprise phone call from my old friend the Legendary WOLFMAN JACK !

I had no idea that The Wolfman was going to do this…it took me completely by surprise.  I can’t really tell you how grateful I was for his kind gesture, and if I sound excited on this recording it’s because I truly was !

This piece of Audio History had been locked-up in my Audio Archives for all these years, but I wanted to share it with all of you so that you could once again hear his voice, and so that I could fittingly pay Tribute to this wonderful, truly professional, R&R Radio Icon:  My Friend, WOLFMAN JACK.

ALSO, I’ve added some of my personal thoughts & remembrances of this Radio Legend & Hall Of Famer on this same Page.  PLUS, if you listen closely, you can “CLAP FOR THE WOLFMAN” with the Guess Who !!

Ready ?  Okay then,  just Click-On This Link  and re-live a part Rock & Roll Radio History on “New Year’s Eve, 1993, With Wolfman Jack”…20 YEARS AGO !    JK

2014 Might Get Loud

In my mind there is no greater escape for me than to hop in a great car with a great stereo, roll the windows down and go blasting down some two lane highway. For as long as I’ve been driving, music and cars have gone together for me. As the years went on I found that it was possible to create a pretty fantastic listening environment in my favorite place to listen to music.

Please excuse the copious amounts of tweed, these were taken in the 90’s 🙂

About a decade ago some friends and I were going to make a run at competing for a world championship again in sound quality ranks of IASCA and USACi auto sound competitions. Life got in the way. I still have most of the equipment from that buildup as the car was never finished and I’m making plans now on putting a system in the Galaxie. Not to compete again, we were once among the very best in the world, that competitive nature is long gone from me. Now I just want to get in, put on a great song and just get lost on the road to nowhere.

Stay locked into the blog over the coming months, I hope to have a whole bunch of tech articles for you, both auto sound and just old car related. From installing new high output headlights in the Galaxie to better see at night and new taillights so you can better see me, to new weather stripping, sound deadening, proper wiring selection for a stereo system, building speaker mounts, system design, wiring harness installation (maybe), etc. I hope to provide more show coverage from outside photographers as well from shows that I cannot attend. If you have any other suggestions for the type of content you’d like to see, let me know here. As long as it goes to the common goal of talking about kool hot rods and hot kustoms built in the midwest, I’m open to hear your suggestions.

My goals for 2014 for Royboy Productions is to make this site into a daily digital magazine, turning up the volume with shop features, car features, the car show coverage that I do so much, tech articles and more. I’m throwing around the idea of creating a hard back book of car features whenever I have enough of them built up to fill a book and make it a good value for YOU. I will continue to create the occasional new books like the 2013 Squared book I just put out. Hopefully I’ll continue with the Artist Feature series as long as they keep filling out the questionnaires and agreeing to be on the site.

Stay tuned folks 2014 is about to get loud in more ways than one. Next Monday and Tuesday as we wind down 2013 I will feature some of the most popular posts and photos that I shared with you this year.

See you at a show,

Royboy

Car Feature: Beginner’s Luck? Brandon’s 31 Model A

Sometimes you have to practice for years to get good at something, other times you get it right on your first effort. Brandon McCullough from Tulsa, OK got this 1931 Model A right on his first effort. As a kid he attended “every car show that we could find” with his dad who was always talking about wanting a hot rod coupe. After a few well detailed beautiful bike builds McCullough decided it was time to build a coupe for himself just like Dad had always wanted.

 

Continue reading “Car Feature: Beginner’s Luck? Brandon’s 31 Model A”

Asphalt Fiends Coloring Books

My friend John Wells of Vintage Torque is a man on a mission. Both his hugely successful Vintage Torque Fest and Iron Invasion shows raise money for HelpingHannahsHeart.org and he’s not stopping there. Also available as a fund raiser are 2 coloring books, I just ordered a couple of the new Asphalt Fiends Coloring Books for gifts for my nephews for Christmas (they are 3 and 5 and I don’t think they read this blog so I am not ruining their surprise). HelpingHannahsHeart.org is a foundation to help families who are dealing with the financial burden that comes from having a child with Critical Aortic Stenosis or related Congenital Heart Defects. The Wells family knows all too well what this financial burden looks like, this is their way of helping others going through the same thing.

The coloring books are a veritable who’s who of the hot rod art world. Page after page of heavy hitter artists lending their art in a coloring book line art form. The 2014 edition features art from Zombie, John Detich, Eric Foust, Grant Cushman, Ryan Curtis, Dustin Weisgerber, Kris Chisholm, Shawn Spiwak, Max Grundy, Andrew Wright, Paul Kester, Nate Greco, Shawn Dickinson, ZAKKA, Mike Learn, BigToe, Chad Lambert, Joey Finz, Mark Thompson, Bruce Gossett, Chad Scheres, Scott Fisk, Jeff Gaither, Johnny Jalopy, Corrie Erickson, Jim Hively, Ben DragDaddys Mitchell, BOMONSTER, Del Swanson, Sara Ray, Sinclair, Arlo Dillman, and GerPeters.

coverzombie insidefrontcoverinsidebomonsterdragdaddy

 

The 2013 edition boasts this line up: Ryan Curtis, Nate Greco, John Detrich, Eric Foust, Mark Thompson, Ruben Montes, Shawn Spiwak, Chainsaw Chuck, Johnny Jalopy, Dane Brown, Bradie O’Neal, Darren Menzies, John Hoogeveen, Chris Hamer, Del Swanson, Thomas Metcalf, Nik Scarlett, Dustin Weisgerber, Grant Cushman, Joey Finz, Chad Scheres, Jeff Schwerdtfeger, Ben DragDaddys Mitchell, Britt Madding, Ryan Curtis, Kurt Wright, Thomas Metcalf, Tom Krohne, Bruce Gossett, Ger Peters and Lil Nick.

frontcover

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I’ve been going over the books for a couple of days now and I’m really impressed. There are some fantastic artists featured with a whole truck load of incredible art just waiting for your (or your child’s) coloring touch. So get on over to Asphalt Fiends Coloring Books and get yourself some ordered. Get an extra to keep because these could easily be a great collector’s item.

See you at a show,

Royboy

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Week In Review 12-16-13

Motor Memories

As we grow older a once tight knit group of friends typically spreads out across the country. Only two events seem to bring even portions of the group back together, weddings and funerals. Unfortunately for my group of friends last night was the latter. As is typical with this group it didn’t take long for us to get to telling stories to the group of people that were starring in the stories, each of us laughing and adding in our own bits, finishing each others sentences, near tears in laughter when our hearts don’t quite feel like laughing. Those memories involved all manner of stories but some were car based, which got me to thinking about my earliest motor memories.

The earliest motor memory I have is sitting on my dad’s lap driving our 68 Mustang. At that point in his career with the company that now employs both of us, he was working on a crew that was on the road all week. The crews go out Monday morning and return Friday evening, so weekends were special. While other kids may have taken time with their dads for granted, I remember being acutely aware of the weekends being the Dad time. I must have been about 5 years old as I don’t remember my sister being a part of life at that point in time, since she came along when I was 6, this is my best guess. Grandma and Grandpa lived 1.5 blocks away if I cut through the neighbor’s (my uncle and aunt’s) yard but was 5-6 blocks driving around on the dirt streets. 30 years later our town still only has the one paved street and I still don’t live on it.

I remember we were leaving my Grandparent’s house, not sure if we were driving home or just cruising around town which we sometimes did in the Sea Foam Green 1968 Mustang. I don’t remember what drive train it had, I just remember that it was Sea Foam Green with a black vinyl top. I remember sitting on the passenger seat, this was before the overly protective laws of today, in the days when it was perfectly acceptable for kids to ride in the rear deck of the car, so it wasn’t a big deal to not be in a kid seat or even in the back seat. We were going a whopping 10-15 miles an hour so it wasn’t like we were in much danger anyways. I remember him asking if I wanted to drive, which I desperately did want to. He put me on his lap and showed me where to put my hands on the steering wheel, 10 and 2. I’m sure I had no idea what 10 and 2 was in reference to but I put my hands in the proper steering position with his hovering just above my hands in case a course correction was needed.

I remember the exhilaration of driving that first time. I wasn’t running the pedals, his hands were ready to correct any major mistakes, but in my mind I was Richard Petty. We were barely into the double digits speed wise but in my memory we were rounding turn 3 of Daytona. I still cherish time with my dad, I still long to be Richard Petty, I will forever remember the feeling of steering that Sea Foam Green 68 Mustang around our small town.

That earliest memory comes second only to one other motor memory, also with my dad and my grandpa. Sometime in the early 80’s when I was probably about 8 years old we were in Topeka, KS visiting family. Dad somehow heard of a Honda 185 3-wheeler that was for sale and for whatever reason it was soon loaded in the back of our Chevy Luv pickup and we were headed home to Gypsum. The Luv didn’t have much of a bed and the balloon tired ATV took up all of it, I remember straining to look out the rear window to make sure that it was there all the way home.

Once we got home to Gypsum we went directly to my Grandparent’s house so that Dad could show off the new toy. I think they may have been watching my baby sister as the rest of us were on that trip but for whatever reason we were there when we unloaded the ATV. A couple of times Dad showed me how to start and kill the engine. He showed me the throttle, the brakes, how to put it in gear. It was time to drive this machine!

So there I was, short arms barely able to get my hands stretched far enough to reach both grips at the same time. Dad was sitting behind me and we were parked in Grandpa’s driveway with Grandpa watching on. I pushed on the throttle and the engine revved. Dad told me to put it in gear, I did, I pushed the throttle again, the engine revved, we didn’t move. Again I tried putting it in gear, again I pushed the throttle, harder this time, still no movement. Dad was getting frustrated, I was getting frustrated, I pushed down on the shift lever one more time. This time my short little legs must have had enough umph to actually put the trans into gear because when I nailed that throttle this time the ATV stood up on it’s rear wheels and I road an Evel Knievel type wheelie across the street. I was a badass! Scared beyond belief I let my finger off the throttle and the front tire returned to terra firma and I slammed on the brakes just in time to keep from plowing into the neighbor’s bushes across the street from Grandpa’s driveway. I should have noticed that Dad was not on the bike any more.

Slowly my head turned and my eyes focused 30 feet behind me where I had slammed the throttle down in frustration. There was Dad sitting on the asphalt, where I had unceremoniously dumped him. Next to him on one knee was Grandpa, laughing so hard that he couldn’t breathe. There were a few more adventures that I had on that ATV but that’s the one above all others that sticks out in my mind. My Dad wanted to be mad but he was laughing as I dropped him on his ass, Grandpa had tears in his eyes, his cigar on the ground, his breathing coming back to normal. I was sure that Dad was going to take the ATV back to Topeka and that would be my only time ever driving it.

Such good memories, what are your favorite motor memories?

See you at a show,

Royboy

Motorcycle Feature: Bryce Schmidt’s 81 Yamaha Cafe Racer

Now I know that the main feature of this site is traditional styled hot rods and kustoms, but my motor based interests vary a bit from that narrow niche. I have a lot of talented friends building a lot of different types of vehicles, Bryce is one of them. A local Salina guy, Bryce has a very low, stretched chassis and sickenly fast Jeep dragster, as well as some other projects like this bike. A few months ago he asked if I’d take some photos of the bike in this under construction phase, I’m a sucker for something new so I jumped at the chance.

From time to time I will feature stuff like this that falls outside of my normal scope just to feature some talented builders, after all the main focus on this site is to show off the fact that you don’t have to live near an ocean to build kool stuff. Now on to the photos.

Bryce is also working on a Harley chopper this winter and I am hoping to shoot it when the bulk of construction is done, then of course 2 more shoots with the bikes once they are finished and painted. I have plans on shooting more bikes in 2014, mostly old school choppers, triumphs, BSA’s etc. that are pretty cool and Kansas built.

See you at a show,

Royboy

If you like traditional styled hot rods, kustoms and the occasional bike, make sure you go to the top right corner of royboyproductions.com and subscribe!

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2 Month Warning: Kansas City World of Wheels

Like I said yesterday Valentine’s Day 2014 is for car lovers. 2 big indoor shows will go down about 4 hours apart. Yesterday I told you about the Darryl Starbird Exotic Car Show in Tulsa, today we talk about the Kansas City edition of the Autorama World of Wheels. Click here to find out more about the show from the official site.

Here’s a slide show of last year’s show (click here to go to the gallery if you don’t see the slideshow).

See you at a show,
Royboy

Don’t forget to subscribe at the top right hand corner of the site to get this blog every time a new post goes live.

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2 Month Warning: Darryl Starbird Tulsa Show

Valentine’s Day is for lovers, in 2014 Valentine’s Day weekend is for car lovers with 2 big indoor shows in the region. The one that I’m going to talk about here is Darryl Starbird’s show in Tulsa, OK. The show has for years included a monster truck show and the price tag seems to go up and up but I go back every year. Why? Because they continue to draw some great cars and with the 2014 edition being the 50th annual event, I’m sure there will be a ton of great rides on display. Go here for the show flyer for more info.

Here’s a slideshow of the 2013 Gallery (click here to see the gallery):

See you at a show,
Royboy

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Event Coverage: 2013 Mid Decembrrrr Run

For the 4th time now we’ve had a blast on the Mid Decembrrrr Run! I started this event just to have one more excuse to hang out with the rod/kustom family and get our rides out one more time for the year. We’ve had long road trips, we’ve had lots of shop visits, we’ve enjoyed many hours of sitting in the Paramount Bar eating, drinking and enjoying conversation with the family. This year was a rather short run but with lots of time inside at lunch, a museum visit and at the traditional end of the event, homemade dinner at the Paramount.

 Some of the cars at the start of the day in Gypsum, KS
Some of the cars at the start of the day in Gypsum, KS
 After a drive through some very small towns on some roads that your GPS wouldn
After a drive through some very small towns on some roads that your GPS wouldn’t show as being paved even we showed stopped for lunch in Abilene.
 25 of us had lunch at La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant
25 of us had lunch at La Fiesta Mexican Restaurant in Abilene

 

If you aren’t already a subscriber, go to the top right hand corner of royboyproductions.com and enter  your email address to get this blog every time a new one goes live.

 

 Then we all went to the Eisenhower Museum, President Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, KS. The Museum has an incredible amount of items to see.
Then we all went to the Eisenhower Museum, President Eisenhower grew up in Abilene, KS. The Museum has an incredible amount of items to see.
 Of course WWII items are the predominant theme of the museum since before he was President Eisenhower he was a 5 star General of the U.S. Army and a major player in the war.
Of course WWII items are the predominant theme of the museum since before he was President Eisenhower he was a 5 star General of the U.S. Army and a major player in the war.
 Some great propaganda posters are in the collection.
Some great propaganda posters are in the collection.
 There was an amazing amount of weaponry from many of the countries involved in WWII.
There was an amazing amount of weaponry from many of the countries involved in WWII.
 More examples of guns used in WWII
More examples of guns used in WWII
 A blurry propaganda poster, sorry about that.
A blurry propaganda poster, sorry about that.
 The 42 Cadillac here was the staff car used by Eisenhower throughout the war.
The 42 Cadillac here was the staff car used by Eisenhower throughout the war.
 I can
I can’t even imagine the recoil on this bad boy.
 Another shot of the 42 Cadillac
Another shot of the 42 Cadillac
 This staff carrier was said to be capable of 56 mph on a smooth road. I guess that
This staff carrier was said to be capable of 56 mph on a smooth road. I guess that’s the trade off for having armor, you loose some “get the heck out of here” speed.

 At the end of the run we gathered at the Paramount Bar in Salina to screen the film "This Is Long Beach" by Brian Darwas (Atomic Hot Rods) and enjoy some delicious chili and pulled pork sandwiches that my mom and Aunt brought in for us.
At the end of the run we gathered at the Paramount Bar in Salina to screen the film “This Is Long Beach” by Brian Darwas (Atomic Hot Rods) and enjoy some delicious chili and pulled pork sandwiches that my mom and Aunt brought in for us.
 Louise Knowles
Louise Knowles’ Chevy and Neal’s 49 Canopy Express GMC. Neal has made all 4 of these runs!
 Another shot of Louise
Another shot of Louise’s ride.
 Stray Kat Kustoms Mickey made it up for the run in his newly refurbished daily driver 60 Chevy flat top with Merc grill and Pontiac Taillights.
Stray Kat Kustoms Mickey made it up for the run in his newly refurbished daily driver 60 Chevy flat top with Merc grill and Pontiac Taillights.
 Glen drove his Impala on the run but he was pretty anxious to go pick up his 34 from Jeff Myers
Glen drove his Impala on the run but he was pretty anxious to go pick up his 34 from Jeff Myers’ Premier Body & Paint.

 

I know that I had a fantastic time with friends and family, and I want to say thanks to all of you that came out and braved the wind chill to hang out with us. I think I counted about 15 cars on the run at the peak, and 25 people for lunch and 28 or so for the dinner. I appreciate all of the miles that so many of you put in just to get my event, with GasserLouie coming from Lincoln, NE, the Stears’ coming from Independence, MO, Stray Kat Kustoms Mickey coming from Bartlesville, OK and all of the folks from places in between. YOU are what makes this event awesome each year. The rod/kustom family is what this whole thing I do here at Royboy Productions is all about. You’ve all had such a tremendous impact on my life I cannot begin to describe it.

Neal always brings along his camera and takes lots of photos, see what he saw Saturday here.

While we were sitting at the Paramount at the end of the run it was decided that we should throw a party there on the Saturday of KKOA weekend. Normally I wouldn’t announce it so early but I’m too excited to keep it a secret. Details to come down the road but plan on being at the KKOA and plan on coming to join us at the party that Saturday night!

Thanks again family!

See you at a show,

Royboy

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Week in Review: Week of 12-9-2013

Monday:

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Royboy Photo On The New Classic Trucks Magazine!

Tuesday:

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Royboy Review: Gears And Gals Magazine

Wednesday:

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1 Month Warning: Retro Rewind in Dubuque, IA

Thursday:

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New Royboy Book: 2013 Squared

 

Friday:

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Jonnie King Interviews Geno and Alan from Koolhouse Publishing

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

  • Sale!

    2018 Hot Rod Dirt Drags Book

    Original price was: $75.00.Current price is: $25.00.
    Add to cart
  • Sale! Roadster Shirt Back

    Mike Elmer Design 29 Model A Roadster Shirt

    $25.00$27.00
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    48 Cars In 48 States Book Order Page

    Original price was: $100.00.Current price is: $50.00.
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  • Todd Jones Kustom Chevy Shirt

    $20.00
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  • Sale!

    Austin’s 1932 Ford Roadster Poster

    Original price was: $15.00.Current price is: $10.00.
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  • No Tell Motel Keychain

    $5.00
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  • Royboy Coozie

    $5.00
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  • Royboy Productions Embroidered Beanie

    $20.00
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  • Limited Edition Poster #1

    $25.00
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  • Sale!

    rb Embroidered Flexfit Hat

    Original price was: $25.00.Current price is: $20.00.
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Jonnie King Interviews Geno and Alan from Koolhouse Publishing

Hi again to everyone here checking-out my friend Travis’ Website ! I’ve got a real treat for you this time around…

For the first time GENO DIPOL, Publisher of Ol’ Skool Rodz & Car Kulture DeLuxe, AND, ALAN MAYES, Managing Editor of both those titles, talk about how these two extremely influential rod & custom magazines were created…and how they got together to get the job done !

 

We got together at Darryl Starbird’s 48th Annual Rod & Custom Show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, turned on the recorder,  and, as the story unfolded, I was amazed at how these two not only “found” each other, but how similar their visions were to achieve the same end result.

Each with a long-time background in their love of rods & customs, and a crew that helps keep everything running smoothly, means that both Ol’ Skool Rodz & Car Kulture DeLuxe will continue to entertain readers for years to come!

Simply Click-On Here , listen, and, enjoy !!     JK

New Royboy Book: 2013 Squared

It’s time for a new book! I’ve gone through and picked out my 120 favorite Instagram photos from the Royboy Productions Instagram feed and I’ve put them in this new book called “2013 Squared” The book is available as a hardback, softback or as a pdf version for your tablet or smartphone.  Here’s a 15 page preview!

1 Month Warning: Retro Rewind in Dubuque, IA

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It may seem odd to some to already be looking forward to the start of the 2014 show season but the truth is, it’s literally 1 month away here in the Midwest! On January 11th in the Five Flags Arena in Dubuque Iowa the Retro Rewind goes down in conjunction with the Fuel Injected Film Festival.

From the announcment of the show on the H.A.M.B.

A while back we were presented with a chance to coordinate a car show in Dubuque. But we didn’t want to do just another cookie cutter event that shows off the local Camaro club or some tricked out 2012 Mustang….
Our proposal was to bring back a distinct time.
A time before muscle cars dominated.
In effect, take the basic concept of a traditional hot rod show and throw it indoors.

This has been done with great success with Jalopyrama in MD, Grand National Roadster Show, and the World of Wheels extreme areas in Indy, KC, Chicago, and the best one – Detroit.
But even some of those events tend to let beaters in….(like mine)

What we are trying to create is a show that would bring the standard up a bit.
A show that celebrates those that take the time to get a display together the way they did back in the 50′s and 60′s.
A show that combines two of the most iconic symbols of America.
Cars and Guitars.
The Retro Rewind is not really anything new, but what is different about the event is going to be the sheer volume of
things to do AT the event.

We hope this event will be successful because we can team up with several players in the community that would be able to make the
Retro Rewind special. Many out of town kustom car owners will display their cars. We already have commitments from cars in IN, MI, WI, KS, IL, and IA.

Many will want to
come out to break up the winter monotony.
Example:This past Super Bowl Sunday there were 100 gearheads meeting in a parking lot in 14 degree weather while snow was flying.
This meeting was a Facebook event…..no ads. Bare Bones have positive word of mouth on their events they have done in the past, and we think Torque Fest and Iron Invasion do as well.
It is this dedication to the hot rod lifestyle that we will capture at Retro Rewind.

Our message will be spread around the midwest at car shows, antique shows, and CD, vinyl, and guitar shows with the help of several dealers that attend shows from Ohio to Kansas City.
Currently there are NO guitar shows in Iowa! This is an obvious hole that needs to be filled.
Guitar and hot rod fans will want to stay around to see the talent of JB (a big name that we are in current contract negotiations with.)

The proposal is that there would be a discounted price for going to both events – but people could go to either event by
purchasing tickets for the concert that night or just pay for the event the day of the show.
In order to get maximum exposure for the event, ads will be placed in Vintage Guitar, Guitar Player, Ol Skool Rodz,
Rod & Kulture, as well as the usual blitz of propaganda we give out to all the fans around the midwest.

Art Auction – There will be a smaller version of the Vintage Torque Fest art auction held at the Retro Rewind. The thing
that will distinguish this auction from others is the fact that half the proceeds from the auction will go directly to the artist and the other half will
go to Hannah Wells Medical Trust. Invited artists will have the ability to set up and sell their wares. This
will give the public a chance to see their items for sale as well as what the artists may be working on at the show.

7 Sins Section – Performing different feats throughout the day, 7 Sins Sideshow Circus act will amaze the crowd with their
daring stage act. Do NOT try these things at home!

Pin Up Contest – Ten girls will be chosen to get onstage and give the crowd a taste of vintage cheesecake. Get your cameras ready for the poses!

Mileage for invited cars – Retro Rewind invites any historic, kustom, cover car, or vintage show rod to take a part of the festivities. We are trying
to keep the quality of the cars higher since this is exactly what was done at indoor shows in the late 50s and early 60s.

Peoples Choice Award – $500 to the winner! The public will pick the car they think is best. If we can get a sponsor, we will try to make the
second and third place winners happy as well.

Model Display Area – Scott Baldauf will round up the usual suspects to bring out some miniature rods and customs! If you have something you would like displayed – go ahead and bring it!

Motor Matinee – Step inside the Five Flags Theater – adjoined on the east side of the building. This is an 1800′s
opera house that has been updated in the 1980′s to bring in choice acts to the stage. We will be using this theater throughout the day
showing documentaries, vintage racing, and perhaps some highlights from past years Torque Fests.

Bands 3 on the Tree will wow the crowd with their mix of original and swingin favorites Rumble Seat Riot will hit the stage going 90MPH and won’t stop
til everyone has danced their feet off!

Indoor Swap – 8 foot tables will be available for approximately 40 dealers that would like to come to the show to sell their old vinyl, vintage motorcyle or car parts, or used music instruments.

Admission will be $10 and this gets you into BOTH the film festival and the car/cycle show.
Show hours are 9-7

Return to Five Flags Theater at 8pm
opening band open at 830pm
JB at 930pm
We are trying to keep a price point of $18-$20 for the headliner.
AND
we are going to give a discount of $5 for those that come to both events.

We have other announcements we will make later on to make this event even better, but know that this is going to be a
good time, and those looking for a good time in the winter will want to attend.

Scheduled to Appear:
Chuck the Barber
National Motorcycle Museum
Ed Tillrock
Rock N Roll Land
V8 Custom Guitars
Dubuque Tattoo Co.
Flying Weasel Garage
Retro Relics
Todd Jones
Wrenchin’ Wendy Walker
Retro A Go-Go
Hot Rod Honeys
Hetz
Nate Ullrich – Lyfebehindbars.com
Wisconsin Hot Rod Radio
Broken Cherry
Relic
P’Gosh
John Berry
Ol Skool Rodz
Scott Takes – Underground Art Studios
Kansas Demilitarized Zone
Jimmy Flintstone Studios

We hope you will join us for the Retro Rewind January 11, 2014
more info is at www.retrorewinddubuque.com
or find us on facebook

 

I’m looking forward to attending and I’m hoping to debut some new stuff on my Galaxie that weekend, I’ll see you there!

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

 

Royboy Review: Gears And Gals Magazine

Two or three years ago a friend of mine was talking to me about another photographer that he wanted me to meet. He was really talking this guy up so when we finally crossed paths later that year I really felt like I kinda already knew Steve Giangreco. Our mutual friend Herb had filled me in on many of Steve’s kool projects but one that I didn’t know about was Gears and Gals Magazine. A year later I see the first issue of Gears and Gals and to be honest I was a bit jealous, I wanted to do a magazine! But this was far beyond what I was capable of at the time, and even today. Steve has put together a great publication in Gears and Gals.

Now on it’s 11 Issue, Gears and Gals is an indie publication that is largely the work of just a handful of people. The text is large, the photos are large, the ads are sparse. It’s a great magazine for just visually perusing or for sitting to read some great articles. I’ve supplied show coverage for the magazine in the past and I’m planning on doing so again in 2014.

If you like beautiful tasteful pinups and great hot rods, kustoms, trucks and drag machines,  you need to check this magazine out. The majority of the vehicles featured are from the Kansas City area as that’s where the magazine is based out of but the feature vehicles are starting to be shot from farther and farther away from the home base. Issue 11 for example features Chicago area’s Voodoo Larry’s  newly redone Voodoo Kreeper and the lovely Collette on the cover and as the feature story.

 

So now that I’ve told you a bit about the magazine, let me tell you about the experience that this magazine gives me. The paper is thick, the magazine feels substantial in my hands, almost like it’s made to be a collectable. Throwing it away would feel like a waste. Gears and Gals is printed right here in the midwest too, not outsourced to China like so many other magazines.  The photography is all well done, the articles are informative and well written. The layout of the magazine is straight ahead and simple with many full page photos featuring some of the many beautiful pinups that Gears and Gals regularly work with. When I was going through the magazine looking for faults the only glaring one was that it was that I wanted more. I don’t know if that’s a fault but it did leave me a touch less than satisfied, meaning that I will patiently be waiting for the next issue to show up. This magazine features many of the shows that I attend and a handful that I don’t make it to as well. There’s great event coverage, feature articles, personality features and more in Gears and Gals.

To summarize, yes the magazine is published by friends of mine, yes I will have articles in it in the future, and yes I’m recommending the magazine to you. First I wouldn’t be submitting articles to this mag if I didn’t believe it was a good product, and second this is as indie as it gets, no corporate politics, no big publishing company games, this is one small teams’ vision and effort going into making a great magazine that shows off some of the Midwestern car show scene. THAT’S something I can get behind. A subscription would make a great Christmas gift, even if you’re getting yourself a gift!

Head over to Gears and Gals on facebook and like their page, go to their site and pick up an issue or better yet subscribe!

See you at a show,

Royboy

20 copies remain! Order today to get yours!trucks 2014

 

Royboy Photo On The New Classic Trucks Magazine!

Well folks I had a whole different post planned for today but my furnace went out last night (tonight I as write this). So instead of having time to write the post I wanted, I have been trying to MacGyver it back to working through the night, no such luck as of now (12:15 am). Soooooooooo, I thought that I’d share this with you.

On newsstands now is the new issue of Classic Trucks Magazine the February 2014 issue, featuring a cover that I shot of Ryno Built’s Unibody. This is my 22nd time being published in a magazine and the 2nd time that one of my photos has been on the cover of a magazine! I’m feeling pretty blessed! Congratulations (for the 20th time from me) to Ryno Built on earning the cover! Get a subscription to Classic Trucks here!

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Sorry for the mess on my kitchen table, it was on my list tonight too…

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

Update: 7:30 am- the blower motor in the furnace is shot, I’ve gotten it to manually start a couple of times but she is kaput! Hoping to get another motor installed this afternoon and I’ll have time to get a proper post for you tomorrow! Thanks for your patience folks! -rb

Week in Review: Week of 12-2-2013

Here’s a list of links to all of the posts for this week. First up was the coverage from the Creme de la Chrome Rocky Mountain Auto Show in Denver, CO, then a shop visit at Jeff Myers’ Premier Body & Paint. Make sure to Subscribe at the top right hand corner of this page to get these stories sent to your email inbox every time they go live! In the upcoming weeks I’ll be featuring some reviews of some indie magazines that are out there, some feature articles on some great cars and announcements about upcoming shows. Sprinkle in some end of the year type posts and some new books, shirts and more that are being added to the Royboy store and I’ve got a lot of content coming your way to keep you going through these cold winter months. Right now we’re only about a month out from the first show of the 2014 schedule, I hope to make it there in my Galaxie but she may be getting some work done, so we’ll see. I hope to see a bunch of you next Saturday at the Mid Decembrrrr Run!

Monday

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Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 1

Tuesday

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Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 2

Wednesday

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Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 3

Thursday

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Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 4

Friday

Premier Paint & Body 4-23-11

Shop Visit: Premier Body and Paint

See you at a show,

Royboy

Calendar Update:

Hot Rods, Kustoms, Stray Kat Kustoms, Greaserama Editions all sold out!

There are only 20 copies of the Trucks Edition left! Order now to get it by Christmas!

Trucks 2014

Shop Visit: Premier Body and Paint

A couple of weeks ago when my weekend plans were changed due to a show being cancelled due to an impending ice storm I looked for alternate places to cover on the site. One of my favorites is my good buddy Jeff Myers’ Premier Body and Paint in Arkansas City, KS, so I decided to head down to AC and see what Jeff was up to. A couple of months ago Jeff bought out a former partner in the business and has been making some changes since then. Things are starting to look different around the shop and I see a new gleam in Jeff’s eye that’s telling me he’s got a renewed energy. I’m looking forward to seeing what Premier turns out in 2014. For those that don’t know Jeff took my car from stock to wild paint last winter, read more about that here, and it may be going back for a couple more kustom touches this winter if the timing works out:).

 1957 Ford under construction. The car was Jeff
1957 Ford under construction. The car was Jeff’s Dad’s back in the old days and now Jeff and his son are working on it for a customer.
This beauty is owned by a fellow Beatnik and is at Premier for a chop. Jeff says it\’s one of the nicest cars that he\’s had in for a chop yet.
Formerly this 1960 Ford Fairlane was owned by McPhail. Shortly after going to it\’s new home in NJ the car was sideswiped by a city bus. After being stored at Premier for awhile the body work has now been redone and the car is ready for the kustom fadeaway paint job.

 

Voodoo Jim\’s Corn Cobb Coupe is in for a freshened Nailhead. While the engine is out it\’s time to dress up the frame and firewall a bit.
This fastback Mustang is in the shop for a bit of frame straightening and is waiting it\’s turn on the rack.
The back shop at Premier is going to be transformed from storage to the Kustom Shop. The front shop will continue to be the collision shop and pay the bills allowing Jeff to do the kustom work back here. Pictured are a couple of cars that are in for some kustom touches.

 Jeff

Jeff’s own 63 Ford Kustom hanging out in the back shop. I’m partial to 63 Galaxie’s and this one is one of my favorites.

See you at a show,
Royboy

Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 4

Part 4 and the final post of the show coverage from the Creme De La Chrome Rocky Mountain Auto Show in Denver Colorado held over Thanksgiving Weekend. This post features a bunch of rides that were on display in the Hot Rod Hill Climb area as well as the Deluxe Speed Shop display. Some of my favorites of the show.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

If you just have to have some of this kool stuff (and you know you do) go to Hot Rod Hill Climb and they will hook you up!

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New rb Embroidered hats are now in stock! Order yours today for a great Christmas gift 🙂

That’s it for my whirlwind trip up to Denver and back on Black Friday. After that last pic I hopped in my daily driver and high tailed it east for 422 miles, had some drinks with friends and family and called it a day. I hope you enjoyed the coverage of the show! More fresh content for you tomorrow morning at 9am Central!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

To see the daily Monday through Saturday blog posts in your email inbox as soon as they go live go to the top right hand corner of royboyproductions.com and enter your email address. On the last day of each month 1 subscriber will be randomly picked to win a prize, November’s prize was a rb Embroidered Hat. For December I’m working on getting a big bunch of prizes from different websites, including shirts, discounts and whatever else I can round up!

See you at a show,

Royboy

 

 

Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 3

Part 3 of the show coverage from the Creme De La Chrome Rocky Mountain Auto Show in Denver Colorado held over Thanksgiving Weekend.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Buy one today for the Christmas gift that gets used all year long, only $10!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

To see the daily Monday through Saturday blog posts in your email inbox as soon as they go live go to the top right hand corner of royboyproductions.com and enter your email address. On the last day of each month 1 subscriber will be randomly picked to win a prize, November’s prize was a rb Embroidered Hat. For December I’m working on getting a big bunch of prizes from different websites, including shirts, discounts and whatever else I can round up!

See you at a show,

Royboy

Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 2

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

Here’s another post stuffed with 40 photos from the Rocky Mountain Auto Show. The show featured all kinds of cars and like I said in post 1, most of them were new to me so I’m sharing them even if they don’t fit in the more traditional/old school style. There is a post coming that is chock full of vintage hot rods that were at the Hot Rod Hill Climb so stay tuned, to make sure you don’t miss it, subscribe by entering your email address in the top right hand corner of this page. Again thanks to Dan Greenberg for allowing me to borrow this lens, go check out his photography and buy something!

Enough of my gabbing let’s get to the photos!

Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.

The new Royboy Productions Embroidered Winter Hats are now in stock! Get yours today to keep that noggin warm this winter and help keep the site running!

beanie2

Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.
Click any photo to go to the entire gallery.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

 More to come tomorrow, don’t forget to subscribe in the top right hand corner of royboyproductions.com to get this blog delivered in your email inbox every time it goes live. 1 lucky subscriber at the end of each month will win a prize package, you have to be on the list to be eligible.

See you at a show,

Royboy

CALENDAR UPDATE!!!!

As of right now only 20 copies remain of the Trucks Edition, all others are sold out!

 

Event Coverage: Rocky Mountain Auto Show Pt. 1

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

For a couple of years I’ve been hearing about the Rock Mountain Auto Show in Denver, CO over Thanksgiving weekend, 2013 was finally the time to make it up and check the show out. One of the voices telling me of the show was my friend photographer Dan Greenberg, and once I saw that my friends from the Hot Rod Hill Climb were going to do a display featuring a bunch of the cars that ran the hill climb this year, I was all in.

Waking up at 5:30 am I rolled out for the 6 hour drive west on I-70 for the Colorado Convention Center on the south west side of Denver’s downtown. As soon as I arrived I ran into a bunch of friends from across the midwest, including Dan who had a lens for me to experiment with. I’ve been considering buying a certain lens and he had an older version of it and was kind enough to let me test his out. Thanks Dan! Here’s the first batch of photos from the event, click on any of them to go to the entire gallery. This show had a lot of quality cars that aren’t of the traditional or old school flavor but they were new to me and hopefully new to you so I’m including them in the coverage.

Thanks again to my buddy Dan Greenberg, please go check out his photography on his pbase page here!  Buy some of his fine art prints while you’re there!

To see the daily Monday through Saturday blog posts in your email inbox as soon as they go live go to the top right hand corner of royboyproductions.com and enter your email address. On the last day of each month 1 subscriber will be randomly picked to win a prize, November’s prize was a rb Embroidered Hat. For December I’m working on getting a big bunch of prizes from different websites, including shirts, discounts and whatever else I can round up!

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

See you at a show,

Royboy