I collected them, but never knew who made them. I just liked them. And then I hated them. And now they are classics of pop culture. They are decals by Monté. And now they are an eponymous book published by Last Gasp. Just run under water.
“For five decades, mystery surrounded the identity of Monté, the reclusive master of cartoon monster decals. Now, the remarkable and poignant story of Don “Monté” Monteverde is revealed, from his early roots pinstriping cars and motorcycles in Los Angeles to his eventual rise and fall as America’s decal king, including Monté’s team-up with Ed ‘Big Daddy’ Roth to create the iconic Rat Fink.
“Often imitated, but never surpassed, Monté’s process is explained, along with hundreds of full-color examples of his work: retro eye-candy guaranteed to raise a smile and satisfy even the most hard-core Kustom Kulture retro jones. There’s even a reproduction bonus pack of Monté decals included! 5-1/2″ x 7-1/2”, softbound, full color.
Order ’em here. Learn more about and see Monté here.
And speaking of comics: Animator J.J. Sedelmaier will be speaking about, among other things, the translation of print artists into film at the Society of Illustrators on February 24.
