VCJ?

An original rare Powell-Peralta VCJ poster

Everybody that skated back in the 80's remembers the classic Powell-Peralta graphics drawn by Vernon Courtlandt Johnson, such as the Ray 'Bones' Skull & Sword, Ripper, Hawk, McGill, Welinder, Caballero, Guerrero, Mountain, Vallely and so on. As the 80's were coming to a close and the industry began to change, the 'skate-consumers' were looking for new shapes, graphics, and image. VCJ's reign as Powell-Peralta  graphic artist was ending and it was time to pave the way for the new up-and-coming artists such as Sean Cliver and John Keester. As time went on, there was rumored to be some kind of falling out between VCJ and Geroge Powell, and so VCJ left and went on his way.

VCJ returns to Powell-Peralta

It's now 20 years later VCJ has returned to the Powell-Peralta camp upon the reformation of the company. I had the question in mind wondering what he was doing after he left and before he returned... I knew that he was doing some artwork for Pocket Pistols along with Jim Phillips and Matt French, but after doing a bit of research I found a few graphics I hadn't seen before, including a couple collabs and some stuff (the Hippo) for a Japanese collaboration  (Neighborhood x Challenger). Here's some sweet VCJ graphics to whet your whistle upon the release of the new Powell-Peralta graphics - hopefully they'll be bangin'... Enjoy!

Collaboration VCJ & Matt French

Pocket Pistols - Joker's Pool - VCJ

Remy Stratton Fish Tux - VCJ

Joker's Pool T-Shirt - VCJ

Pocket Pistols - Porker - VCJ

Inked black & white Neighborhood x Challenger Hippo graphic (Japan) - VCJ

Colored version of the Neighborhood x Challenger (JP) Hippo graphic - VCJ

Pocket Pistols - Jason Mitchell - graphic collab by Matt French & VCJ

Laser wood-cut deck collab - Matt French & VCJ

Pocket Pistols - Lyle's Burger Bowl deck

Pocket Pistols collab - Jim Phillips & VCJ

Neighborhood x Challenger (Japan) deck - artwork by VCJ

Pocket Pistols - Indian longboard - VCJ

Pocket Pistols - Bible Bowl -VCJ

Pocket Pistols - Lee Ralph - VCJ

Pcket Pistols T-Shirt - graphics by VCJ

 Thanks to the following for archivals: We Bring Justice, Skate and Annoy, Disposable, Skip Distribution, Retro Skate Stickers, Old Skate Stickers, Art of Skateboarding, and Vapors Magazine.

Time Machine

In the 1980's skateboard graphics lasted a lot longer than the quarterly cycles that permeate today's market. Maybe that's what made them so much more timeless... The only things that seemed to change back then were a slight alteration in the shape, or maybe the concave would get updated. In some instances the graphic would get slightly expanded or contracted in order to cover the board more effectively. Featured here are three different artists on three different brands. Rodney Mullen's 1985 freestyle model on Powell-Peralta done by Vernon Courtlandt Johnson (VCJ), Jeff Grosso and his 1986 Schmitt Stix rig with the John Lucero treatment. (I had one in a blue stain!), and the 1988 Santa Cruz Claus Grabke done by none other than Jim Phillips. (I really wanted this deck but when I finally saved up enough money to get it, it was gone so I settled for a Lucero Street Thing, which was still a good shape!)

Credit should be given where credit is due.... Sean Cliver - Disposable

Definitely a huge resource!