1964 Rick Griffin Challengers Surf Band Original Art

Heres a glimpse into the early work of psychedelic poster virtuoso Rick Griffin. This lot offers a very early (1964) commercial job given to then Surfer artist, Rick Griffin. This work would begin to develop the artist's greatest skill, his incomparable lettering style. Griffin would go on to be revered for his psychedelic typeset style that set the bar for all others. The most recognizable example of this would be the indelible masthead created by Griffin for Rolling Stone Magazine.

Griffin at the time was the cartoonist that chronicled the LA surf culture of the day in Surfer Magazine. The cartoonist injected his surfing alter ego character, Murphy into the magazine's pages. Around that time Rick was getting surfing instruction from his friend Randy Nuart, Randy was a founding member of a band named the Challengers. The Challengers were an instrumental surf rock band that formed in Los Angeles in the early 1960s. They were largely responsible for introducing surf rock to the rest of the U.S. outside of California. Griffin designed a comic for The Challengers titled "The Challengers Cartoon Book" in the mid-1960s, as well as the lettering style associated with the band.

These pieces are hand-inked on paper and taped to illustration board. The art was mailed to the Challengers band leader Richard Delvy. The original address is written in Griffin's hand! The 3 pieces measure 16.75 x 19 inches and the 2 pieces measure 13.25 x 12.5 inches.