Book excerpt: Chopped, slammed, channeled, blown . . . in the late '50s and early '60s all of these features lent themselves nicely to the rise of hot rod art that caricaturized the already severe design traits associated with these cars. Usually, the rods and customs in this art were piloted by slobbering, snaggle-toothed "monsters" with bulging, bloodshot eyes. Thanks to the iron-on T-shirt boom of the '70s and a raft of younger artists working today, hot rod monsters have persevered. Now award-winning car-designer Thom Taylor and legendary kustom culture figure Ed Newton reveal the tricks and techniques used by masters past and present to render these whack rods and their warts-and-all drivers. Beginning with a brief history of the form, the authors examine figures like Stanley Mouse, Ed Roth, and Newton himself, then reveal how those pioneers influenced modern artists like Keith Weesner, John Bell, and Dave Deal, to name a few. In addition to offering chapters covering topics like equipment, perspective, light sources, and other technical considerations, Taylor expands on the cartooning, proportion, and color chapters from his previous works, applying them to the subject at hand. Also includes dozens of examples of the form from many of the above-mentioned artists and more.