In the coming weeks things get very busy for Royboy Productions. The website is long overdue for an overhaul, that will be happening soon. The 2014 calendars will be announced in the first week of October, which seems like a long ways away but will be here before you know it.
Website Redesign
Since January of this year the daily Monday through Friday blog posts have really been a focus of mine. I strive to bring you something of value daily. I want to take that to another level, not only by going to a 7 day a week schedule but also by making the blog the basic foundation of the site. When you go to royboyproductions.com you will be greeted with the blog, where I plan on having the same show coverage that you’ve become used to but also add in shop visits, car features, car club features and special interest stories.
Advertising
Yes the new site will have advertising. While the car show coverage and other photos on the Royboy Galleries are all for sale, let’s be honest, they don’t come close to paying the bills. The same holds true for all of the magazine coverage. I want to continue to offer you all of this coverage for free which means that I’ll be looking to add advertising to the main site, but care will be taken to make it blend in and flow with the content instead of distract you from the purpose of the site. If you own a business that would like to be in front of the Royboy audience’s eyes, use the contact form here to get ahold of me. Since the blog has gone to the daily format it’s gone from around 2,500 views to over 40,000 and the photos on the gallery page have jumped to over 9.6 million views recently.
Shows
Starting next weekend August 17th with the H.A.M.B. Drags I will be pretty busy doing a show or event every weekend almost until Thanksgiving. You will be able to get the full rundown of all of the shows that I plan on attending by going to the schedule section of royboyproductions.com There will be some shows on the schedule that I want you to know about because I support them but I just can’t make it, those will be denoted with a simple “not attending” after their name in the listing. Just because I can’t make it there doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t, if it’s on the list, it’s an event you should attend.
Email Newsletter
Since social media like Facebook likes to hold content back from users in an effort to get businesses to pay to promote their content I’ve been toying with the idea of taking the most popular blog posts and photos each week and compiling them into a newsletter that would be delivered to your email. This will not be fresh content but rather a “best of” delivered right to your inbox. If I go through with the newsletter project it will include something like a background image for your desktop or cellphone as a free bonus.
Â
Photo Shoots
Photo shoots and magazine articles are where Royboy Productions makes it’s money. The magazine articles pay decently for the effort it takes to do them but there are often many months between the work and the pay since they do not pay until the magazine goes to publishing with your article in it. The shoots are something I’ve really not pushed enough, but especially starting in 2014 (and some this fall) I want you to know that it’s really more economical than you think to get some fantastic quality photos of your ride created. I will try to work in shoots while I’m at shows that you’re also at, where we leave the show or just go to a less populated site for some amazing images, thereby saving you money by not having to cover travel expenses for me. Sitting around and talking with Wichita kustom legend Dave Stuckey has really driven the point home to me that decades from now the photos that you have of the cars you used to own will be the biggest reminders of memories that otherwise may stay hidden in the back of your mind. Yes that sounds corny, but Dave has very few photos of all of the cars that he’s built due to a house fire and other circumstances. He’s really opened my eyes up to how important it is to document all of this. Let me help document your ride so you can pass the stories down to future generations. If you’re interested in a custom photo shoot use the contact form here to get ahold of me and we can talk about your project.
For the last 6 or so years I’ve been traveling to Kansas City each Labor Day weekend for the Greaserama. The show is put on by a group of folks that have become friends of mine called Los Punk Rods. The show is basically about home built hot rods, good music, kustom kulture, low brow art, and just about anything else that’s cool. For the entire time that I’ve been attending the show it’s been held at the Boulevard Drive In, for 2013 that changes, the show will be moving to the Platte County Fairgrounds.
So if you’ve been following along with my stuff at all lately you know that this weekend is the 2013 KKOA Leadsled Spectacular in Salina, KS. Since Salina is basically my hometown, I figured I’d give everyone a bit of a list of some notable places in town. Click on the links to go to the location on google maps, if you are viewing this on your phone you should be able to then navigate to the location. First off, registration for the show is now at the Ramada Inn on West Crawford.
Thursday
Officially the show starts on Thursday, many early comers are at the park and hanging out on Thursday before the official festivities begin. Come out and enjoy the Open House at Bright Built Hot Rods that evening.
After the Open House head back to Oakdale Park to line up to take part in the Cruise on Santa Fe Ave from 7:30p to 8:30pm. If you just want to hang out and watch the cars instead of cruising just find yourself a place along Santa Fe between Walnut St. and Ash St.
Officially that’s it for Thursday.
Friday!
Again head back to Oakdale Park for the show opening up at 9 am (officially, but many show up well before that, I usually hit the park at 8am). We hang out all day at the show until it’s time to head up to the Run What Ya Brung Drags held right next to Dean Evans Stadium on Markley Road. At 1pm on the stage in the park is the Pinup Contest. The drags officially start at 5, but I will try to leave the park for the drags around 4pm.
The drags are a blast. Last year there were some logistical issues with the layout, I hope that the city’s committee has it figured out this time. Its about an 1/8″ mile course, with flag men (or women) on each end of the track and it’s all about fun. Yes there are some true drag cars that come out, and to be honest I don’t agree with most of them being there but that’s a different discussion for a different day. If you want to make a pass or 12 in your ride, this is your chance to do it. If you just want to watch some fun drag racing action, come out and enjoy yourself.
Friday evening at 9:30pm at the Ramada Inn is the KKOA Tonite Show where the 2 2013 KKOA Hall of Fame Inductees are announced.
Also Friday evening at Calvins Customs on Santa Fe is a party open to all KKOA participants, to get your car into the party you must have the show registration displayed in your windshield and to get into the shop where there is typically free beer (to those 21 and over) and some good eats, you need to be wearing your show wrist band.
Saturday
Back to Oakdale Park for the biggest day of the show. The car counts and the crowds will be the biggest on Saturday. For those with kids coming along don’t forget that there is a really bitchin’ water park just east of Oakdale Park, this is a big show but sometimes you need something for the kids to do outside of the show, I understand. Also for the ladies, downtown Salina has a bunch of antique and unique shopping opportunities just a couple of blocks from the park.
Again at 1pm the Pinup Contest goes down, come and cheer on your favorite lovely lady.
All day Friday-Sunday an all star crew lead by Bill Hines will be chopping a top live in the park, its something to see for sure.
There is usually another major car mod going on in the park at the same time, the last couple of years it’s been a section job, stop by both spots and watch the cars get the kustom treatment all weekend long.
Saturday night at the historic Stiefel Theatre is the “One Night With Elvis” show. You can buy concert tickets at the registration booth or the T-Shirt booth.
Sunday
Sunday is usually a fraction of the cars that were at the show on Saturday, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a day to attend. Some of the best of the best kustoms around are all in the park on Sunday of the Leadsled Spectacular. Come hang out with kustom legends, see the awards ceremony and squeeze every last minute you can out of the KKOA weekend in Salina.
Good places to eat and drink in Salina.
Salina has a bunch of great places to eat.
BBQ:
Hickory Hut, routinely voted as one of the best in town.
Hog Wild Pit BBQ, technically a chain but a small one and VERY good for chain bbq.
(20 miles away in my hometown of Gypsum) Big D’s BBQ, this is some really good BBQ in a small town atmosphere that cannot be touched in the larger city. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive they are only open from 5-9pm on Saturday
Pizza:
There are 2 local pizza places fairly near to the show that both have great pie
Scheme (they do not accept plastic, so bring cash or a checkbook) you may want to make reservations, they do get busy.
And one a little farther from the show but still good stuff. Big Cheese Pizza
Burgers:
There’s a small KS chain called Spangles that has a great 50’s pop culture atmosphere and pretty good food for a fast food joint, two of them in town. One on South 9th St. and one on West Crawford.
One of 2 Salina institutions is Bogey’s, one of my personal favorites, if you want a great shake and a burger this is the place to go.
The other Salina institution for burgers in the Cozy Inn. You’ve probably heard about them, at some point in the weekend you need to go buy a sack (6 small sliders) they are pretty darn good, even if they stink so bad 🙂
Mexican:
I have 2 recommendations here, I can’t decide which is my favorite.
Cotijas, fairly new to town, and lots of authentic and some TexMex style, delicious every time I go
Lenore’s, been in town a long time and one of my favorite places to eat in Salina.
There are all of the normal chain restruants in Salina too but come on if you wanted to eat at a chain joint you can go to any city in the country right?
Â
Bars:
My all time favorite bar is the Paramount Bar just a block from Calvins Customs, the P has been in business since 1946 and it’s my favorite place to kick back and enjoy a drink, tell the girls that Travis sent ya and make sure you tip them well 🙂 enjoy the patio out back with the forecasted cool weather.
Another 2 blocks south is 111 Ultra Lounge, a nice little joint to enjoy some lively libations.
There’s also O’Malley’s in the Ramada Inn where a few of you are staying, decent bar, I don’t care for their food offerings but after a few you can’t tell that its not the best food ever
Out of the way a bit from where the show and hotels are is Speakeasy, nice bar with a patio and some decent food.
On the way to some of the south of town hotels is the Blind Pig, some basic bar food is available as well, and a nice patio.
I’m sure I’ve missed something. Please comment below if I have and I’ll try to find something for you. I’m damn proud at how the show has grown since coming to Salina and I hope to get more and more traditional kustom and hot rod folk to attend every year. Stop by the Royboy Productions booth and say hi, buy something if you want to, book a shoot if you can, above all safe travels and I’ll see you at the show.
Heading to Wichita tomorrow Saturday July 13th for the 2013 Automobilia Moonlight Car Show here’s a slideshow from the last trip I made to the show.
If you are at the show and want some photos of your car look for a big guy in a red hat with a big ‘ol camera. You can’t miss me.
Sunday it’s off to Winfield and Mulvane for some photo shoots for the Marauders, book a shoot for your club today by using the contact form. Club shoots are a great way to get photos for a club calendar, or just create some great images to promote the club or print and hang on the wall.
I can’t believe the year is half over already, it seems like just a few weeks ago I was picking my car up from Jeff Myers’ Premier Body & Paint in Arkansas City, KS and headed home with my new old school paint.
Of course on that very trip home the generator finally gave up the ghost. I’d been nursing it for awhile and it was just time to finally do the upgrade, read all about the nightmare that turned into here.
The first event of the year was about 2 weeks after I picked up the car from Jeff, and I was going to be showing the Galaxie for the first time at an indoor show. The legendary Starbird show in Wichita, now the Starbird-Devlin show, but still pretty damn cool for someone that has been going to that show for 30 years. The show was a lot of fun, parking my car with some of the legendary Fundamentals cars was a huge honor. See the show coverage here Part 1, Part 2, Part 3Â and Part 4
The show was just too much fun.
February 2013
February is always a bit busier than January around here. Kansas City hosts the World of Wheels Autorama, Darryl Starbird does his show in Tulsa, and The Chill goes down in Park City, KS.
Going to KC always means seeing my buddies of Los Punk Rods. They are always working on something interesting. KC WOW Show Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
March is always a bit slow in the area here. This year I went down to The Chill in Denton, TX, it was worth the trip and I plan on going again and again. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Then a couple of weeks later it was time to head back to Texas for the Goodguys Spring Lonestar Nationals Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5
The first trip of April is typically the Lonestar Roundup in Austin, TX. This was the first time the Galaxie went and it was awesome! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6 and Art Shots
A couple of weeks later we gathered for the HAMBBQ
The next day I took advantage of a chance to go hang in the pits for the #20 Matt Kenseth car for the NASCAR Sprint Cup race.
Then it was off to Mulvane, KS to Chaotic Customs for their Open House. Chaotic has been responsible for helping me sort out some of the mechanical issues that were out of my mechanic knowledge or out of my time frame. Thanks! Part 1, Part 2
Â
 May 2013
The first Friday in May is always Stray Kat 500 time in Dewey, OK. It rained, it sleeted, it may have snowed a touch but it was still perfect. Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6
Then the Galaxie and I headed off to Springfield, MO for the Queen City Riot Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4
Father’s Day weekend is always the time to take Dad to the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure’s Father’s Day Show Part 1, Part 2
Big Brothers Big Sisters held a small 100 car show at the JC Penny’s parking lot in Salina, KS
Winfield Garage Car Show was a lot of fun, hanging out with some great friends at a nice event, we need to make this a 200 car show next year! Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
Thanks for going along with me for the ride so far, there’s still a ton of events left to go for this year so get yourself out to one and say hi. If you want some custom photos of your car, give me a yell using the contact link above.
Each year I try to make this show, but last year was the first one where I was happy with my photos from it. The show attracts all manner of rides from the region and a huge amount of people. Getting there early for photos was the only way to go.
I’m a sucker for Caddys
All the way from WI I believe for this 60 El Camino, we crossed paths again at Iron Invasion later in the year as well.
This wasn’t the first or the last time seeing this great little hot rod pickup last year. I really dig it.
A row of alligators.
This 49 Ford Coupe was new to me.
John Sinfellow’s gasser is just too kool of a barn find.
I should have come back and shot this again in the dark.
Those are some of my favorites from the show from 2012. The 2013 show goes down in Downtown Wichita on July 13th.
On the way home I stopped by Fast A.L.’s Upholstery in Dewey, OK and hung out for a bit. Krobe brought his “ol Blue” over.” alt=”On the way home I stopped by Fast A.L.’s Upholstery in Dewey, OK and hung out for a bit. Krobe brought his “ol Blue” over.
Aaron’s Ford is just about back on the road again.
Aaron’s ride waiting her turn, lots of new mods have been done to the car, just needs a little time to button them all up  and smooth some stuff out.
A 37 Ford in Fast A.L.’s Upholstery for a full kustom interior.
Already collecting bugs, only 2 hours into the trip.
Clear weather as I rolled east for Springfield, MO.
Saturday morning I got to the show early so I could have plenty of time to see all of the cars roll in. This sedan was cleaaaaan.
Doug was kind enough to make some room for the Royboy shirts, posters and hats in his booth. Thanks Doug!
Right next door was the RJay’s Speed Shop booth.
I took a break from the show to head into the VFW where the show was held. This ham & cheese omelet came with hash browns & biscuits & gravy for $5. I was full.
Â
So then it was back out to the show.
Bret’s 40 Ford.
More to come of it later
Anyone know what engine this is off of the top of their heads? I can’t put a name to that “face”
Here are some from the Vendors area
Â
That’s it for this first post, more tomorrow or click on any of these photos to see the entire gallery.
The easiest way (which costs you nothing) is to share this post! IF you like this post, share it with your car friends using the social media sharing buttons below or just by sending them the link to this page. Every set of eyeballs on the site helps!
Or if there’s something you need to buy from Amazon, click here to go there. Drag that link to your menu bar for quick and easy access. It costs you nothing extra and Royboy earns a small commission.
Don’t forget the Royboy Merch!!!! I have keychains, coozies, stickers & hats for sale. Every piece you buy gets me further down the road to bring more show coverage and podcasts to you.
All Royboy photos on this site are available as prints up to poster sizes. Buying them not only makes your walls cooler it puts gas in the tank to get me to another car show or feature shoot. Please consider buying a print, if you can’t do that, I understand. Or just hit the Store page and buy something or make a donation!
Although I’ve been to the AutoFest twice before (2011 and 2012) this was the first time I’d taken my car. Some of my friends were competing in the BBQ contest so we all rolled into town on Friday. I did not take part in the poker run but I saw quite a few cars that did. All of the photos are in the gallery here if you want to see them all.
The cars started showing up early! This was about 7am.
Open to all makes and models this show draws in a nice variety of cars.
My Galaxie
Visually a car show is much better when the hoods and trunks are all shut but since this show does have a couple of teams of judges that come through I understand how some people would rather leave their cars open for the judges.
Flame Jobs From 2006-2009
These are some the flames I’ve captured at car shows, this first post is 2006-2009, starting with the very first show of the Royboy Galleries all the way to the end of 2009.
Pinstripe flames
Body colored flames faded into off-color tips
full yellow flames
Another variation on the pinstriped flames
The color of these kinda set them in the 90’s to me, what do you think?
Crazy airbrush flames
Red House painted surf board
Long long flames (always gave me the idea that the vehicle was in motion)
There is a great story behind these flames, but Don tells it best so if you see him at a show, ask him.
Fadeaway yellow to red with body color flames on top.
Basic flames on a shoebox, I like the style where the tips cros each other.
White fade into yellow flamed Cadillac
Flames as an accent
Multi-color seaweed flames
Airbrushed “real-fire” style flames
I’ve dug this flamejob since I first saw it.
Another white fadeaway flame job
After an accident on the streets this one time “rat” was redone to this finished state.
Got wood?
All over flames
Embossed flames on the bottom side of the bed cover match the painted flames on the body
More RedHouse Custom Paint work
Fade-in flames
Classic white into yellow into orange with 2nd layer of body color flames
“Real-Fire” style airbrushed flames coming out of the engine compartment
Long narrow licks on this surfboard
Iconic, long narrow flames with white-yellow-orange fade.
The Yellow to Orange fade flames with the white outlines look great on this Ford pickup
More of the airbrush “real-fire” style
Looks racey doesn’t it?
Historic flames.
Short seaweed style
Body color flames with highlights and outline
Long narrow flames with a seaweed style repetition.
Hot Rod Dan’s flamed Ford
Jetter Flames
Outline Flames
Comment below and tell me your favorite style.
That’s it for part 1, next time we’ll do 2010-2011!
See you at a show,
Royboy
Don’t forget the Royboy Merch!!!! I have keychains, coozies, stickers & hats for sale. Every piece you buy gets me further down the road to bring more show coverage and podcasts to you. See you at a show, Royboy
PS: All Royboy photos on this site are available as prints up to poster sizes. Buying them not only makes your walls cooler it puts gas in the tank to get me to another car show or feature shoot. Please consider buying a print, if you can’t do that, I understand. IF you like this post, share it with your car friends using the social media sharing buttons below or just by sending them the link to this page. Every set of eyeballs on the site helps! Or just hit the Store page and buy something or make a donation!
Wow, talk about ruining all of the lines of the car by having everything open… I should have looked to see if the damn gas door was open too.
That’s it for what I saw at the Motor Mania show.
See you at a show, keep our friends in Oklahoma in your thoughts, prayers, mojo, good vibes, postive energy, whatever it is that you believe in. Those folks need any good stuff they can get.
For the 2nd time I made the long drive (okay it was only 30 miles) over to Abilene, KS for their MotorMania show. Most of the cars had their hoods and a few trunks open, which means I don’t really want to shoot photos of them. Here are a few shots of what I saw.
Two years ago a bunch of my hooligan hot rod and kustom family got together for a great run through the Flint Hills of south eastern Kansas. I recently went through some of the photos and updated them with a new edit this week. Here’s the blog about that day.
And here are the photos:
Original
New Edit
It was more fun than I can accurately convey, I highly recommend that you get together with your friends and go out and enjoy your ride!
It was by complete random chance that I ran into the AutoFest show in Marysville, KS a couple of years ago. I had made a 4 hour trip each way to check out a shop I’d heard about outside of Omaha, NE and on the way home while I sat waiting for a pilot car for some road construction I was told of a car show just down the road.
I figured what the hell, and went to have a look. Here are the photos from that first visit.
So last year I went back. This time I ran into some old friends. Here are the photos from that visit.
And this year I will return. As part of the same event there is a BBQ competition and I happened to mention that to my BBQ buddies. Well, they decided that we were going to compete at this one, so we’re loading up the smoker, a camper and we’ll make a weekend out of it. Should be a heck of a trip.
The show goes down over the first weekend in June in Marysville, KS. Here’s the only link I could find for info on the show. Come join us!
I love when I see an awesome car at a show and pass it on the way home, driving and not on a trailer. I understand that not all cars would be good drivers but would make kool show vehicles, for most, you should drive them if at all possible!!!
I know I share a lot of photos of The Toad, but its a fantastic car. Aaaaand Doug drives the Toad all the time.
I’ve seen the Weavers all over the region in this ride, never once saw it on a trailer.
Mickey’s Merc loves the open road.
The stuff legends are made of. Hammann’s 58 has been unchanged since ’76 and has been driven everywhere.
I think Jeb said he’s at about 230,000 miles on Nadine.
Alex Gambino drives the craaaap out of this car, just like all of the Beatniks that I’ve met.
Johnny Torres is a member of the Beatniks as wekk,
Driven from CA to Austin for the LSRU
Nick is no stranger to the backside of the windshield in this ride.
Ryno has put a ton of miles on the Unibody.
Driven from Amarillo, TX to Bartlesville, OK in the rain no less
Kevin’s 64 rolls wherever he wants to go.
The point of this is to say, look some of these are DAMN nice rides that most would think lead a pampered life, but their owners built them to drive. Get out there and drive your cars, get on the open road, enjoy the 2 lane blacktops the way that they were meant to be enjoyed. Inspire someone else to build something kool and come join ya!
From the first shows that I attended with my cameras I’ve always been attracted to pinstripes. From the long lines pulled down a scallop paint job to the fantastic scroll work done to accent so many cars across the hot rod and kustom world.
Here are some of my favorites from this year’s shows so far. If you are a pinstriper and I’m featuring some of your work below, let me know so I can give you credit and steer people to you for some lines on their ride.
These stripes over the patina’d paint make a statement.
This 60 Chevy had some great paint and some way kool lines.
Okay so this is metal cut to look like stripes, still super bitchin’. This was one of the awards at the 2013 Lonestar Roundup. Â
More of the same type for sale in the Acme Speed Shop booth at the LSRU
I’ve always loved the tasteful elegance of the lines on the Toad.
Here are some of the usual hooligans taking advantage of the heat in the back of TwoTall’s shop at the Stray Kat 500.
A Legend in his own mind. Ron Myers. Actually he’s an honest to God legend. The man has striped just about everything that you could imagine and I’m sure a few things that I shouldn’t.
A bunch of the pinstripers decided to decorate TwoTall’s shop door. I will steal this door.
Find a pinstriper at a show, buy some of their art, pay them to create art on your ride, support kustom kulture artists if you enjoy it’s existence!