Dave Mann Personal Photo Album

Anyone into Harleys has no doubt at some point checked out an Easyrider's magazine and been exposed to the exceptional artwork of the legendary Dave Mann. His imagination and creativity are top-of-the-line but this is something that his fans already clearly know.

David was born in Kansas City, Missouri and definitely received his illustration gene from his father who was a lifelong illustrator and an active member of the London Society of Scribes.

Dave Mann - Kansas City 1969

Dave Mann - Kansas City

Dave first began doing pencil sketches while still in high school and those launched him into his first job doing pinstriping at a custom car shop in 1957. He took formal art classes with his father in the late '50s at the Kansas City Art Institute but that didn't last long when both the students realized that they had more talent and abilities than the teacher.

Dave and a friend of his ventured to Santa Monica, California where they discovered a local custom car shop, Bay Area Mufflers. To Dave's amazement they had a number of wildly chopped and radically customized Harleys. He'd never seen such machines before and he was absolutely hooked!

He returned home to Kansas City and bought his first Panhead for $350.00. At the same time he created “Hollywood Run”. It symbolized the wild, unleashed, Hollywood outlaw lifestyle he had seen in California.

Riding his customized Harley, with his first painting tucked under his arm, he entered the 1963 Kansas City Custom Car Show. That car show launched Dave’s artistic/biker career. He had the only custom bike entry in the show, so for his creative efforts the judges initiated a new class and trophy specifically for Dave. It was also at that show that a Sioux City, Iowa, club member named 'Tiny' noticed Dave and befriended him. Before long, David became a club member.

Skip, Tom, Dave, Tiny and Turk

Dave - Kansas City - 1970

In addition, Tiny took a Polaroid snapshot of his first painting and sent it to the eccentric Ed "Big Daddy” Roth, the California custom car creator and publisher of the first chopper magazine. Dave subsequently painted several posters for "Big Daddy" Roth.

Dave was now the owner of the first chopped hawg in his state. Inspired by his new beast, Dave began painting Harleys set against surreal backgrounds and skylines of distorted proportions. That proved to be the move that would set the tone for his career as an artist.

In 1971, the same year that Dave left California for Florida, his brother-in-law told him about an ad in the back of a motorcycle magazine that had just come out. Easyriders was looking for an artist. Dave's reputation preceeded him and he was hired immediately beginning a career that is a legend to this day.

Clearwater, Florida - Mid-70's