Mutilators   

Coming out of the American Southwest and a childhood full of art, James Cleveland, AKA Jimmy C, is now a resident of San Clemente, California. Signage, design, products, sculptures, giant dinosaur robots, paintings, illustration, and pinstriping all emerge from Jimmy C’s small storefront headquarters. He is a creator of fine art, commercial and custom work, with a “to do” list that would make many artists blanch and go running home to their mothers.

     As a kid in Arizona, Jimmy was nuts for off road racing but he also absorbed as many courses in art as he could. Through his younger brother, he met a sign painter named Michael B. in Parker Arizona. Michael gave Jimmy a job and Jimmy’s love affair with One Shot lettering Enamel began. At this point Jimmy was just starting out and lettering was the main gig. Even though he was aware of the art and cars of “Big Daddy” Roth, pinstriping and “Finks” weren’t on the menu yet.

     In 1984 Jimmy and a friend attended one of the legendary “Rat Fink Reunions”. Jimmy saw Roth painting trashcans and witnessed the striping of Von Dutch for the first time. Inspired by what he saw, Jimmy went home and burrowed into his art. In 1993, Jimmy was asked by Greg Escalante to provide artwork for the catalog of the “Kustom Kulture” show at Laguna Art Museum. Jimmy’s striping on the show’s catalog cover and his take on Rat Fink, Cootch Cootie and Dutch’s flying eyeball placed Jimmy and his art in the public eye for good.

     Since his “debut” on the covers of the “Kustom Kulture” catalog, Jimmy has stayed incredibly busy and in demand. He’s done bicycle designs for Electra bicycles and worked with toy car legend Hot Wheels. His work re-creating the cars of Ed Roth and offering them in kit form is an amazing feat of artistry and dedication to the memory of Ed Roth.

Above Jimmy Sculpts the Nose of  Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Orbitron

Gretsch® and renowned Southern California hot rod
graphic artist JimmyC have joined forces to produce
a limited quantity of guitars.