When I first went to work for Easyriders on the third issue out of college and Vietnam, it was a rare time in Biker history. For some reason extreme talents emerged to support the biker movement, such as David Mann, Lou Kimzey, JJ Solari and Hal Robinson.
To say Hal Robinson hit the nail on the head would be an understatement of the highest order. He was a master, a genius, and a dude with a wild imagination to say the least! The early ‘70s were a rare time. But just recently we were introduced to Ann Robinson, a retired schoolteacher and Hal’s last wife. She loved his work even before she met him. She saw his work around 1973 on a magazine stand. It was the wonderful detailed ability that stood above everything else that caught her eye, and she had never seen anything quite like it before. She bought the magazine right away knowing it was a real treasure.
Ann approached Bikernet.com™ and 5-Ball Racing recently and we assembled a team to help her share some of his art with riders all over the world. We chose three specific pieces to kick off this program. They are offered in three ways: As limited edition prints, as T-shirts and as a package. In the case of 5-Ball Racing™ each order will also contain a signed book from K. Randall Ball.
These are limited edition Robinson prints which will not be repeated again in this form. They are signed by Hal’s wife, Ann M. Robinson, and numbered. Hal Robinson™ products will not be for sale at events or even shops unless we get bribed.
Hal Robinson (1928-1984), from Bellingham, Washington, started out as a sign painter, worked for GTE as an illustrator for the Yellow Pages and became a freelance cartoonist and illustrator. His motto was “publish or perish.” His work went international in such countries as England, Germany, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Asia for more than half a century. Robinson drew for Easyriders Magazine from 1971-1984. He was well known through his drawings of such characters as Miraculous Mutha, Red Rider and Little Beaver, etc.
He masterfully illustrated hundreds of custom Harley-Davidsons for Easyriders Magazine. He was a classic political cartoonist as well and is known for his clever and hilarious panel jokes and very detailed illustrations. Robinson was also published in Iron Horse, In the Wind, Cycletoons, Cartoons, Buzza Cardoza, and many other magazines. He was the originator of detailed caricatures of towns or cities such as Seal Beach and Avalon, California.
Following are our first Hal Robinson™ offerings. Enjoy the master’s line art, and we will hopefully bring you more samples of Hal’s work in the near future. He was amazing and will be forever missed.
–Bandit
This Panhead Engine has a few screws loose and is on the verge of having its long awaited 19th Nervous Breakdown, “Rolling Stones 1966.” It’s coming unglued and is not long for this world or anywhere else except in the big pile on the garage floor – for now.
Only Hal Robinson can depict the breakdown action and bring back memories of these experiences. But no Panhead ever dies. They all come back to life with hard work, quality parts and perseverance. Every biker who knows the Code of the West and has the tools can make it happen.
T-Shirts are 100% cotton and are discharged printed. Discharge printing is a top quality process of bleaching out the background and then reprinting. Resulting in a print that looks tattooed into the garment with very little hand feel. Printed 5-Ball neck label.
T shirts: 100% Cotton, traditional fit, crew neck tee. Printed in USA.
We made just 75 archival prints of each piece of art, which are 9-by-12 inches and come with signed certificates.
A Magnificent Classic Weed Design from the early ‘70s by Hal Robinson. No one could paint Bikers and Freedom like Hal did. He made you feel especially high just looking at his superlative art work. Biker Power grew crazy in the ‘70s when Bikers protested Helmet Laws and overturned more than half of the restrictive state laws throughout the country.
Bikers felt the power, felt the freedom, and felt the courage especially during this era.
Hal Robinson, the master with pen and ink, drew The Stein for Easyriders magazine in 1973. Robinson a man of vision, was able to take Red’s lifestyle and sexual fantasies to the limit in this cartoon masterpiece. Hal never drew a solitary drawing with just a few lines. He stepped into each piece and lived with each finely inked line. This would be Red’s Stein of Steins.
No one on the planet could depict the detail, the sex, the high or the feeling portrayed in this drawing like Hal. To drink from this Stein would be a brother’s ultimate experience.
Special Thanks to Creative Design Technician, Marie Ysais.
Special Thanks to Andrew Calogero at Crank and Stroker.
