Gas Monkey Garage
Gas Monkey Garage
Illustration, Apparel Design, Branding
Illustration, Apparel Design, Branding
Price:
Price:
$15,000 USD
Price:
$15,000 USD
Timeline:
Timeline:
2 Years
2 Years
Timeline:
2 Years
Role:
Role:
Freelance Illustrator
Freelance Illustrator
Role:
Freelance Illustrator
Engagement:
Engagement:
Hourly Contract
($125 / HR)
Engagement:
Hourly Contract
($125 / HR)
Project Outcomes & Highlights:
Project Outcomes & Highlights:
30+ Shirt Designs
Across several projects
30+ Shirt Designs
Across several projects
15,000+
Shirts printed and sold to fans
15,000+
Shirts printed and sold to fans
1 World Record
The worlds fastest street legal car
1 World Record
The worlds fastest street legal car
Gas Monkey Garage
As a freelance illustrator for Gas Monkey Garage from 2022-2023, I delivered comprehensive design solutions that directly contributed to their merchandise sales and brand expansion. Over this two-year partnership, I created custom illustrations and branding for their product lines, world-record celebrations, and community events.
My work included designing 12-15 unique t-shirt concepts for their artist merchandise line, developing promotional materials for their world-record achievement, and creating event branding that strengthened their automotive community presence. Each project balanced mass appeal with collectible value, ensuring strong sales performance while maintaining brand authenticity.
Gas Monkey Garage, featured on Discovery Channel's "Fast N' Loud" until 2020, has established itself as a premier custom car and hot rod brand. Collaborating directly with their team and founder Richard Rawlings, I helped expand their brand identity beyond television into profitable merchandise ventures and community-building initiatives.
Challenge:
Gas Monkey Garage needed premium merchandise designs that would appeal to their diverse fanbase while serving dual purposes as collectible items and marketing tools for high-value giveaway campaigns.
The challenge was creating designs that captured their authentic automotive culture while driving measurable business results across multiple product lines and events.
Solution:
I developed a comprehensive design strategy that balanced artistic creativity with commercial viability. By working directly with Richard Rawlings and the marketing team, I created illustrations that maintained brand consistency while adapting to different contexts—from limited-edition world-record commemoratives to community event merchandise. Each design was optimized for both immediate sales impact and long-term brand value.
Services:
• Custom Illustration & Digital Art
• Apparel Design & Production Management
• Brand Identity & Logo Development
• Event Marketing Graphics
• Limited Edition Merchandise Creation
Role + Team:
Lead Freelance Designer | Collaborated directly with Gas Monkey Garage leadership team, Gorilla Glue marketing division, and Johnny Brohmer Marketing Group across multiple high-impact projects spanning two years, managing relationships with various print vendors throughout the production process
Key Phases:
• Strategic Brief Development & Concept Planning
• Custom Illustration Creation & Iteration
• Apparel Design & Vendor Sourcing Management
• Production Oversight & Quality Control
• Brand Integration & Digital Marketing Support
Gas Monkey Garage
As a freelance illustrator for Gas Monkey Garage from 2022-2023, I delivered comprehensive design solutions that directly contributed to their merchandise sales and brand expansion. Over this two-year partnership, I created custom illustrations and branding for their product lines, world-record celebrations, and community events.
My work included designing 12-15 unique t-shirt concepts for their artist merchandise line, developing promotional materials for their world-record achievement, and creating event branding that strengthened their automotive community presence. Each project balanced mass appeal with collectible value, ensuring strong sales performance while maintaining brand authenticity.
Gas Monkey Garage, featured on Discovery Channel's "Fast N' Loud" until 2020, has established itself as a premier custom car and hot rod brand. Collaborating directly with their team and founder Richard Rawlings, I helped expand their brand identity beyond television into profitable merchandise ventures and community-building initiatives.
Challenge:
Gas Monkey Garage needed premium merchandise designs that would appeal to their diverse fanbase while serving dual purposes as collectible items and marketing tools for high-value giveaway campaigns.
The challenge was creating designs that captured their authentic automotive culture while driving measurable business results across multiple product lines and events.
Solution:
I developed a comprehensive design strategy that balanced artistic creativity with commercial viability. By working directly with Richard Rawlings and the marketing team, I created illustrations that maintained brand consistency while adapting to different contexts—from limited-edition world-record commemoratives to community event merchandise. Each design was optimized for both immediate sales impact and long-term brand value.
Services:
• Custom Illustration & Digital Art
• Apparel Design & Production Management
• Brand Identity & Logo Development
• Event Marketing Graphics
• Limited Edition Merchandise Creation
Role + Team:
Lead Freelance Designer | Collaborated directly with Gas Monkey Garage leadership team, Gorilla Glue marketing division, and Johnny Brohmer Marketing Group across multiple high-impact projects spanning two years, managing relationships with various print vendors throughout the production process
Key Phases:
• Strategic Brief Development & Concept Planning
• Custom Illustration Creation & Iteration
• Apparel Design & Vendor Sourcing Management
• Production Oversight & Quality Control
• Brand Integration & Digital Marketing Support
2-Year Freelance Creative Partner
"Nikolai delivered exactly what we needed when we needed it. When we broke the world record with our Bad GT, he turned around three killer designs in less than 24 hours - and those shirts became instant collector's items.
He gets our brand and our community, whether he's designing for our artist series that sold over 10,000 units or creating graphics for our Tacos and Tires events.
Working directly with him on video calls, I could see he understood what Gas Monkey is all about. He's the kind of creative partner every brand needs.
"Nikolai delivered exactly what we needed when we needed it. When we broke the world record with our Bad GT, he turned around three killer designs in less than 24 hours - and those shirts became instant collector's items.
He gets our brand and our community, whether he's designing for our artist series that sold over 10,000 units or creating graphics for our Tacos and Tires events.
Working directly with him on video calls, I could see he understood what Gas Monkey is all about. He's the kind of creative partner every brand needs.
Richard Rawlings
Richard Rawlings
Owner, Gas Monkey Garage
2-Year Freelance Creative Partner
"Over two years working with Nikolai, he proved himself as more than just a freelancer - he became an extension of our creative team.
From the artist series merchandise that drove serious revenue to event branding that captured our car culture community perfectly, he consistently delivered designs that looked great and performed even better.
His ability to work under pressure was incredible, especially during our world record project where he nailed the creative brief with almost no time to spare. He's reliable, creative, and really understands how to translate brand vision into results."
"Over two years working with Nikolai, he proved himself as more than just a freelancer - he became an extension of our creative team.
From the artist series merchandise that drove serious revenue to event branding that captured our car culture community perfectly, he consistently delivered designs that looked great and performed even better.
His ability to work under pressure was incredible, especially during our world record project where he nailed the creative brief with almost no time to spare. He's reliable, creative, and really understands how to translate brand vision into results."
Brandon DePrato
Brandon DePrato
Head of Creative & Video, Gas Monkey Garage
Gas Monkey Garage Artist Series
I developed custom illustrations and designs for Gas Monkey Garage's premium merchandise line, creating approximately 12 unique t-shirt designs from an initial scope of 15-20 concepts.
Eight to ten designs reached final production and were sold through their official website, with each design printed on roughly 1,000 units, resulting in 10,000-12,000 total shirts distributed to consumers.
These designs served a dual strategic purpose beyond traditional merchandise sales. Each shirt functioned as an entry point for Gas Monkey's high-value giveaway campaigns, which occurred every 4-6 months and featured prizes worth up to $100,000 in cash or custom vehicles built in their shop.
This approach transformed my designs into integral components of their customer acquisition and retention strategy, making each purchase both a merchandise transaction and a marketing engagement tool.
Working With GMG Team
My collaboration included both strategic marketing consultation and direct creative partnership with founder Richard Rawlings. Initially working primarily through their marketing executives, I gradually developed a direct working relationship with Richard himself, participating in video conference sessions where I presented design concepts and received immediate feedback from the brand's celebrity face.
These direct collaboration opportunities provided valuable insights into high-level creative decision-making at a major automotive brand. Richard's hands-on approach to the design process was notable, as many celebrity brand owners delegate creative decisions entirely to their teams.
The ability to pitch concepts directly to him and observe his response to different design directions was instrumental in refining the final products and understanding what resonated with Gas Monkey's core audience.
This dual-channel approach—working with both the strategic marketing team and the brand founder—ensured that my designs met both commercial objectives and authentic brand representation standards.
Gas Monkey Garage Artist Series
I developed custom illustrations and designs for Gas Monkey Garage's premium merchandise line, creating approximately 12 unique t-shirt designs from an initial scope of 15-20 concepts.
Eight to ten designs reached final production and were sold through their official website, with each design printed on roughly 1,000 units, resulting in 10,000-12,000 total shirts distributed to consumers.
These designs served a dual strategic purpose beyond traditional merchandise sales. Each shirt functioned as an entry point for Gas Monkey's high-value giveaway campaigns, which occurred every 4-6 months and featured prizes worth up to $100,000 in cash or custom vehicles built in their shop.
This approach transformed my designs into integral components of their customer acquisition and retention strategy, making each purchase both a merchandise transaction and a marketing engagement tool.
Working With GMG Team
My collaboration included both strategic marketing consultation and direct creative partnership with founder Richard Rawlings. Initially working primarily through their marketing executives, I gradually developed a direct working relationship with Richard himself, participating in video conference sessions where I presented design concepts and received immediate feedback from the brand's celebrity face.
These direct collaboration opportunities provided valuable insights into high-level creative decision-making at a major automotive brand. Richard's hands-on approach to the design process was notable, as many celebrity brand owners delegate creative decisions entirely to their teams.
The ability to pitch concepts directly to him and observe his response to different design directions was instrumental in refining the final products and understanding what resonated with Gas Monkey's core audience.
This dual-channel approach—working with both the strategic marketing team and the brand founder—ensured that my designs met both commercial objectives and authentic brand representation standards.
Worlds Fastest Street Legal Car
In 2022-2023, Gas Monkey Garage achieved the world record for fastest street-legal vehicle using their modified 2005 Ford GT "Bad GT," reaching 310 mph at NASA's Cape Canaveral facility in Florida.
I was commissioned to create commemorative merchandise illustrations for this historic achievement, developing designs that would capture the significance of this milestone for their brand and automotive community.
I developed three distinct illustration concepts showcasing the vehicle, technical specifications, and world record details.
These designs were produced as limited-edition apparel selling for $60-80 per piece. The exclusivity and historical significance of these items has created a secondary collector's market, demonstrating the long-term value and cultural impact of the designs beyond their initial commercial purpose.
24 Hour Turn Around
Gas Monkey contacted me on the day of the record-breaking achievement. Due to the confidential nature of the project, I had less than 24 hours to complete the entire design process and prepare for production. With Guinness World Records officials present and a coordinated YouTube release scheduled for days later, Gas Monkey needed merchandise ready to coincide with their announcement.
The challenge required designing three complete shirt concepts, managing multiple revision rounds, and securing production approval within an extremely compressed timeline. Working late into the night to refine details and perfect each design, I successfully delivered all assets within the deadline while maintaining quality standards.
This project exemplified high-pressure creative work where strategic time management and efficient client communication were essential to success. Few designers have the opportunity to work on world-record merchandise with such demanding deadline constraints, making this a unique demonstration of rapid delivery capabilities without compromising creative quality.
Worlds Fastest Street Legal Car
In 2022-2023, Gas Monkey Garage achieved the world record for fastest street-legal vehicle using their modified 2005 Ford GT "Bad GT," reaching 310 mph at NASA's Cape Canaveral facility in Florida.
I was commissioned to create commemorative merchandise illustrations for this historic achievement, developing designs that would capture the significance of this milestone for their brand and automotive community.
I developed three distinct illustration concepts showcasing the vehicle, technical specifications, and world record details.
These designs were produced as limited-edition apparel selling for $60-80 per piece. The exclusivity and historical significance of these items has created a secondary collector's market, demonstrating the long-term value and cultural impact of the designs beyond their initial commercial purpose.
24 Hour Turn Around
Gas Monkey contacted me on the day of the record-breaking achievement. Due to the confidential nature of the project, I had less than 24 hours to complete the entire design process and prepare for production. With Guinness World Records officials present and a coordinated YouTube release scheduled for days later, Gas Monkey needed merchandise ready to coincide with their announcement.
The challenge required designing three complete shirt concepts, managing multiple revision rounds, and securing production approval within an extremely compressed timeline. Working late into the night to refine details and perfect each design, I successfully delivered all assets within the deadline while maintaining quality standards.
This project exemplified high-pressure creative work where strategic time management and efficient client communication were essential to success. Few designers have the opportunity to work on world-record merchandise with such demanding deadline constraints, making this a unique demonstration of rapid delivery capabilities without compromising creative quality.
Tacos N' Tires
I developed comprehensive branding, graphics, and merchandise for Gas Monkey Garage's "Tacos and Tires" community events, which occurred 1-2 times annually as cornerstone community-building initiatives. These gatherings combined automotive showcase opportunities with social experiences, featuring classic cars, hot rods, and custom builds alongside food, drinks, and direct interaction with Richard Rawlings and the Gas Monkey team.
The design challenge extended beyond traditional merchandise creation. These events prioritized community building over sales, requiring graphics that captured the authentic blend of automotive passion and relaxed social atmosphere. My designs needed to reflect the genuine car culture celebration while encouraging participation and belonging within the Gas Monkey community.
GMG Car Meet Culture
Gas Monkey Garage has established itself as a premier destination for automotive community and car meets. Their brand philosophy centers on the love of custom cars, restoration projects, and hot rod construction. The core experience they create is "show up to our garage, showcase your vehicle, enjoy drinks, and connect through shared automotive stories and passion."
This community-focused culture was essential to capture in my designs because it differentiates Gas Monkey from purely transactional automotive brands. Rather than simply selling cars as objects, they foster genuine community connections among enthusiasts who share similar passions. Attendees participate in Gas Monkey events because they seek belonging and want to share their automotive enthusiasm with others who understand and appreciate the culture.
My illustrations needed to authentically represent this sense of belonging and celebration that defines the Gas Monkey experience, ensuring the designs resonated with the community values that drive event attendance and brand loyalty.
Tacos N' Tires
I developed comprehensive branding, graphics, and merchandise for Gas Monkey Garage's "Tacos and Tires" community events, which occurred 1-2 times annually as cornerstone community-building initiatives. These gatherings combined automotive showcase opportunities with social experiences, featuring classic cars, hot rods, and custom builds alongside food, drinks, and direct interaction with Richard Rawlings and the Gas Monkey team.
The design challenge extended beyond traditional merchandise creation. These events prioritized community building over sales, requiring graphics that captured the authentic blend of automotive passion and relaxed social atmosphere. My designs needed to reflect the genuine car culture celebration while encouraging participation and belonging within the Gas Monkey community.
GMG Car Meet Culture
Gas Monkey Garage has established itself as a premier destination for automotive community and car meets. Their brand philosophy centers on the love of custom cars, restoration projects, and hot rod construction. The core experience they create is "show up to our garage, showcase your vehicle, enjoy drinks, and connect through shared automotive stories and passion."
This community-focused culture was essential to capture in my designs because it differentiates Gas Monkey from purely transactional automotive brands. Rather than simply selling cars as objects, they foster genuine community connections among enthusiasts who share similar passions. Attendees participate in Gas Monkey events because they seek belonging and want to share their automotive enthusiasm with others who understand and appreciate the culture.
My illustrations needed to authentically represent this sense of belonging and celebration that defines the Gas Monkey experience, ensuring the designs resonated with the community values that drive event attendance and brand loyalty.
Lone Star Rally
I designed custom merchandise for Gas Monkey Garage's collaboration with Gorilla Glue at the Lone Star Rally, one of Texas's premier motorcycle events comparable to Sturgis in scale and reputation. The project involved developing a t-shirt design that would represent both brands at this major motorcycle gathering, requiring 2-3 design iterations to achieve the perfect concept.
The final design featured a skeleton rider inspired by Ghost Rider imagery, which successfully captured the edgy motorcycle culture while maintaining brand recognition for both partners. These shirts were distributed through both retail sales at the event and promotional giveaways to attendees, maximizing brand exposure across the rally's diverse audience.
Gorilla Glue
Gorilla Glue sponsored Gas Monkey's presence at the Lone Star Rally and conducted a custom truck giveaway during the event. My shirt design supported Gas Monkey and Gorilla Pro's product line launch, serving dual purposes as both a marketing piece and promotional giveaway item for rally attendees.
This collaboration held special significance due to my background as a carpenter who regularly used Gorilla Glue products in previous work. The personal familiarity with their product quality and brand reputation enhanced my ability to create authentic, relevant designs that would resonate with the target audience.
Lone Star Rally
I designed custom merchandise for Gas Monkey Garage's collaboration with Gorilla Glue at the Lone Star Rally, one of Texas's premier motorcycle events comparable to Sturgis in scale and reputation. The project involved developing a t-shirt design that would represent both brands at this major motorcycle gathering, requiring 2-3 design iterations to achieve the perfect concept.
The final design featured a skeleton rider inspired by Ghost Rider imagery, which successfully captured the edgy motorcycle culture while maintaining brand recognition for both partners. These shirts were distributed through both retail sales at the event and promotional giveaways to attendees, maximizing brand exposure across the rally's diverse audience.
Gorilla Glue
Gorilla Glue sponsored Gas Monkey's presence at the Lone Star Rally and conducted a custom truck giveaway during the event. My shirt design supported Gas Monkey and Gorilla Pro's product line launch, serving dual purposes as both a marketing piece and promotional giveaway item for rally attendees.
This collaboration held special significance due to my background as a carpenter who regularly used Gorilla Glue products in previous work. The personal familiarity with their product quality and brand reputation enhanced my ability to create authentic, relevant designs that would resonate with the target audience.
Gas Monkey Primos Cantina
In early 2023, I developed comprehensive branding for Gas Monkey Primos Cantina, a planned tequila-focused restaurant concept. Gas Monkey approached me to create logos and brand identity design, specifically requesting simplification of their existing logo to make it more suitable for this new venture centered on tequila and Mexican cuisine.
I developed approximately 10 logo variations and created a complete branding kit for the business concept. Although the restaurant was ultimately canceled due to licensing challenges beyond the design scope, the project demonstrates my ability to adapt established brand elements for new market segments while maintaining core brand recognition.
Branding & Logo
For the Gas Monkey Primos Cantina identity, I adapted their iconic monkey head and signature long tongue, incorporating festive elements like sombreros and agave leaves to connect with the Mexican restaurant concept.
The design process involved experimenting with various lockup patterns optimized for different applications including t-shirts, marketing materials, and official restaurant signage. The project required approximately 10 revision rounds to achieve the final brand marks, ensuring each variation maintained brand consistency while serving specific functional purposes.
Gas Monkey Primos Cantina
In early 2023, I developed comprehensive branding for Gas Monkey Primos Cantina, a planned tequila-focused restaurant concept. Gas Monkey approached me to create logos and brand identity design, specifically requesting simplification of their existing logo to make it more suitable for this new venture centered on tequila and Mexican cuisine.
I developed approximately 10 logo variations and created a complete branding kit for the business concept. Although the restaurant was ultimately canceled due to licensing challenges beyond the design scope, the project demonstrates my ability to adapt established brand elements for new market segments while maintaining core brand recognition.
Branding & Logo
For the Gas Monkey Primos Cantina identity, I adapted their iconic monkey head and signature long tongue, incorporating festive elements like sombreros and agave leaves to connect with the Mexican restaurant concept.
The design process involved experimenting with various lockup patterns optimized for different applications including t-shirts, marketing materials, and official restaurant signage. The project required approximately 10 revision rounds to achieve the final brand marks, ensuring each variation maintained brand consistency while serving specific functional purposes.
Solution:
Throughout my two-year partnership with Gas Monkey Garage, I delivered comprehensive design solutions that balanced brand authenticity with measurable business impact. My approach consistently aligned creative vision with strategic marketing objectives across multiple project types and deadlines.
For merchandise development, I created designs that successfully balanced collectible appeal with mass market viability, ensuring strong sales performance while maintaining exclusivity for dedicated fans. The world record project demonstrated my ability to deliver exceptional creative work under extreme time constraints without compromising quality standards.
Community event graphics like Tacos and Tires emphasized Gas Monkey's authentic car culture and community-building mission, strengthening customer engagement beyond transactional relationships. For brand extension projects such as Primos Cantina, I successfully adapted established brand elements to new market contexts while preserving core brand recognition and equity.
Every project involved close collaboration with Gas Monkey's team to ensure creative solutions supported their broader marketing strategy and business expansion goals, resulting in designs that functioned as both artistic expressions and strategic business tools.
Results:
• Designed 12-15 t-shirt concepts for the artist series, with 8-10 reaching final production and generating significant revenue
• Approximately 10,000-12,000 total merchandise units sold featuring my custom designs and illustrations
• Created three world-record commemorative designs that achieved collector status and secondary market value
• Successfully delivered complete design packages within 24-hour turnaround under high-pressure conditions
• Developed community event branding for Tacos and Tires that enhanced customer engagement and brand loyalty
• Designed exclusive Lone Star Rally merchandise representing both Gas Monkey Garage and Gorilla Glue partnership
• Created comprehensive restaurant branding system with 10+ logo variations for Gas Monkey Primos Cantina
• Gained valuable high-profile client management experience while working under deadline pressure and maintaining creative excellence
Solution:
Throughout my two-year partnership with Gas Monkey Garage, I delivered comprehensive design solutions that balanced brand authenticity with measurable business impact. My approach consistently aligned creative vision with strategic marketing objectives across multiple project types and deadlines.
For merchandise development, I created designs that successfully balanced collectible appeal with mass market viability, ensuring strong sales performance while maintaining exclusivity for dedicated fans. The world record project demonstrated my ability to deliver exceptional creative work under extreme time constraints without compromising quality standards.
Community event graphics like Tacos and Tires emphasized Gas Monkey's authentic car culture and community-building mission, strengthening customer engagement beyond transactional relationships. For brand extension projects such as Primos Cantina, I successfully adapted established brand elements to new market contexts while preserving core brand recognition and equity.
Every project involved close collaboration with Gas Monkey's team to ensure creative solutions supported their broader marketing strategy and business expansion goals, resulting in designs that functioned as both artistic expressions and strategic business tools.
Results:
• Designed 12-15 t-shirt concepts for the artist series, with 8-10 reaching final production and generating significant revenue
• Approximately 10,000-12,000 total merchandise units sold featuring my custom designs and illustrations
• Created three world-record commemorative designs that achieved collector status and secondary market value
• Successfully delivered complete design packages within 24-hour turnaround under high-pressure conditions
• Developed community event branding for Tacos and Tires that enhanced customer engagement and brand loyalty
• Designed exclusive Lone Star Rally merchandise representing both Gas Monkey Garage and Gorilla Glue partnership
• Created comprehensive restaurant branding system with 10+ logo variations for Gas Monkey Primos Cantina
• Gained valuable high-profile client management experience while working under deadline pressure and maintaining creative excellence
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