there's no one source of info that can be interesting... and things can be found in the strangest places that are often random, and this post is an example of the cool things I love to discover, and research into, that makes a information and historical connection surprise, like the one between neon signs and cars that you probably would never guess

The inventor of neon signs and neon lighting, was French engineer and chemist Georges Claude, who 1st demonstrated the glowing red-orange neon tube publicly at the Paris Motor Show in December 1910.

After a successful display at the Paris Art Show in 1910, Claude conceived the idea of bending glass tubing in order to form letters, developing the first neon sign.

Neon signs weren’t introduced to the US until the 1920s when Earle Anthony is believed to be the first US business owner to use neon signage – in 1923, he ordered two signs reading ‘Packard’ to be used by two car dealerships in Los Angeles. 

Neon sign usage quickly caught on after this throughout the rest of the country.

In 1924, the first neon sign was installed in New York’s Times Square advertising automaker Willys-Overland.

the coincidence that Neon Signs were given a public debut at a Motor Show, then that the 1st in the USA were for a Packard dealership, and the 1st in Times Square were for Willys Overland? Amazing

https://www.facebook.com/CBSSundayMorning/posts/sundaymorning-almanac-neon-lightson-january-19-1915-french-inventor-georges-clau/10163070288136337

https://neonmuseum.org/news/the-evolution-of-neon-signs-from-vintage-to-modern/

https://patents.google.com/patent/US1125476A/en

https://www.invent.org/inductees/georges-claude

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/almanac-neon-lights/

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=244569953192382

https://www.neoncreations.co.uk/blogs/blog/history-of-neon

https://www.facebook.com/allagashwildonline/posts/december-3-on-this-date-in-1910-georges-claude-demonstrated-the-first-neon-light/1318180516777111/

https://www.nist.gov/nist-museum/luminous-script-signs-origins-neon-sign

that random strange place that I learned of this in? 

An artist's book that I got at Comic Con, Ryan Claytor: One Bite at a Time, 20 Years of Elephant Eater Comics

https://elephanteater.com

https://www.facebook.com/ryan.claytor.3

and there are OBVIOUS reasons that this book is an Eisner Award nominee, and I can't imagine what some other book had that would outshine this in the award competition, this book is an outstanding example of fantastic publishing, overlays, foldouts, comfortable exterior fabric, heavy paper pages, great illustrations. 

coolest thing I saw today, Slices Of Life, by Qu Tianran, up for the Eisner Award for Best Painter/Multimedia Artist!

with a one page, or two page piece of art, Qu conveys a cool or beautiful moment that many people see, but don't pause and enjoy. 

you can save a lot of money by simply looking at the art on Instagram, 

https://www.instagram.com/qu.comics

https://www.instagram.com/qu.draws/

I've only shared the vehicle ones, that's what's relevant here, but I heavily recommend you look at the tribute to Monet's lily pond. If you know someone who loves art, then get them some of Qu's books, for birthday or Xmas gifts. Click the links, you'll be impressed, and see why

the most outstanding race car stuff I've seen in a long time, is FASTER by Jesse Lonergan

I didn't post the page with the "F"

https://www.jesselonergan.com

if you want to enjoy a cool noir mystery, in comic book / graphic novel form, try Blacksad. a noir comic series created by Spanish authors Juan Díaz Canales and Juanjo Guarnido, it has OUTSTANGING watercolor art - nominated for three Eisner Awards in 2004, and winner of two Eisner Awards in 2013

Blacksad is constantly up to his ears in trouble. Sticking his nose into mystery after mystery, often getting involved with women almost as dangerous as the criminals he thwarts. Be it solving the murder of a famous actress or keeping nuclear weapons out of terrorist hands, Blacksad's grim work often provides a mirror for real world conflict and human issues, never turning a blind eye to racism, political tensions, or brutally sudden violence.

Canales and Guarnido redefine the standards for graphic storytelling, carving striking characters that are both animalistic and intimately human. Guarnido's sumptuously painted pages and rich cinematic style bring the world of 1950s America to life, earning high praise from comics legends like Will Eisner, Stan Lee, Jim Steranko, and Tim Sale!

There was a Deadpool Polaris Slingshot in the Gaslamp district during Comic con

see the video at https://www.facebook.com/100044548665350/videos/pcb.1611300697031537/1566046665068803

there was a photo op booth for Stranger Things fans, at Comic Con

the Godzilla Minus Zero display in the booth at Comic Con

 

if you'll pardon the seemingly slightly provocative company names, Titmouse and Meow Wolf, are working together to start a Meow Wolf location in the West LA Howard Hughes center mall, in the former Cinemark theater, with a chopper inspired by Ed Roth's Mysterion, and custom car paint design of layers and fades... but did you know there was a George RR Martin connection? (Game of Thrones author)

obviously the only headlight design that has ever been in the 3 bulb arrangement,

 

 was Ed Roth's Orbitron, I posted about it in 2009 https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2009/05/orbitron-coulda-been-yours-if-you.html

https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2025/05/i-kid-you-not-only-obstacle-in-my-way.html

the paint job instantly is recognizable, but I can't recall (very tired) the name of the outstanding painter I associate it with, from a car that was on display at the GNRS a couple years ago... legendary painter. 

of the 100s of people in room 25 ABC during the panel on the Titmouse and Meow Wolf collaboration in immersive art/entertaiment, when they announced this centerpiece, the "Space Chopper", I was very certainly the only one who saw the custom car world inspiration of Roth / Orbitron / Roth's choppers / and candy paint 

https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2026-07-09/meow-wolf-los-angeles-titmouse-animation

The two groups’ new collaboration includes co-development of an original animated series based on Meow Wolf’s interconnected story universe

Titmouse will also produce and direct animation for Meow Wolf’s upcoming Los Angeles exhibition, which is scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2026, while consulting on the attraction’s visual and narrative design. 

https://www.cartoonbrew.com/series/titmouse-meow-wolf-series-exhibition-264569.html

https://templeofgeek.com/sdcc-2026-why-meow-wolf-and-titmouse-are-the-animated-powerhouse-duo-we-needed

at Comic Con I stopped by the booth of artist Jose Emroca Flores to enjoy his newest art, I first found his art at the 2019 Comic Con

“Peach’s Secret” 

 "Kingdom of Krash" about Mario Kart.

https://www.artstation.com/emroca

https://www.instagram.com/emroca/?hl=en

https://www.facebook.com/emrocaflores/

for my 1st post about his art: https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2019/07/im-pretty-sure-youre-looking-at-art-of.html

Green Day made a surprise visit to Comic Con, and did a surprise performance... on their ice cream truck! (to promote their new movie) Thank you Marc!

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbMGnPDxKz7/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DbMhT6-No2X/

Way back 32 years ago, they used a Bookmobile as a tour bus

Sean Murphy's latest solo project (famous for outstanding comic book illustrations, graphic novels, and Batman) is published SIDEWAYS--a wider format helps capture all the car mayhem!

"In the future of America, cars have been outlawed. The people have gotten use to the comfort and convenience of PODS, giving power and control to the Money Barons who secretly control the cities. The only driver left is a man named CLUTCH--a smuggler (and retired stuntman/race car driver/overall badass) who's forced to get behind the wheel ONE LAST TIME in order to save his granddaughter. What starts out as a simple car chase quickly turns into a political upheaval as onlookers start seeing Clutch as a revolutionary hell bend on regaining the freedom that most Americans have surrendered."

Think "Escape from NY" meets "Vanishing Point".

Also, the book is published SIDEWAYS--a wider format will help me better capture all the car mayhem!

https://www.instagram.com/seangordonmurphy

I posted about Sean last August when I discovered his incredible art  https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2025/08/you-can-be-damn-sure-when-artist-has.html

when at Comic Con, stop by to see the latest from Magic Wheelchair (I do every year) and drop in a donation

looks interesting. Of course I bought a copy, just look at the cover!

 

but it will not get read for a little while... who has time? I get home around 6pm, I wake up around 6am, and have to stuff in blogging, catching up on email, facebook, commentary, posting, etc... 

I've heard SO MUCH about the new book series Dungeon Crawler Carl... and spotted this, the 8th book in the series, cover.... looks interesting! Fyi, Peacock is bringing a live-action television adaptation of DCC

 As chaos and mass panic spread outside the dungeon in the wake of Faction Wars, Carl and Donut find themselves on the tenth floor, where they’re forced to compete in a surprisingly normal set of tasks. Well, normal for the dungeon.

Races. Get from point A to point B, and don’t come in last. After each race, they pick an upgrade for their vehicle and the track gets more challenging. It all seems a little too normal, a little too simple.