Cartoon Drawing Started New Career
By Johnny McDonald

Artist, Bob McCoy. Photo by Darrel Kinney

The school art class assignment was to draw a vase but a bored Bob McCoy instead drew an auto racing cartoon.

The instructor looked over his shoulder, asking what that was and McCoy replied: "It's Stroker McGurk. So I was kicked out of the class."

Other than a free class offered at Disney stuios, the former Ramona resident has done it his way to become one of the most respected auto racing artists in the country. He now lives in Lakeside.

His career with the pen and brush was shaped, he said, by the McGurk cartoon, drawn with the talented hands of Hot Rod Magazine's Tom Medley.

"I used to buy Hot Rod magazines as a kid, not just for the pictures of the cars inside but for the latest McGurk cartoon," he said. "I don't think he knew it, but he was my art teacher."

While convalescing in a hospital from injuries he sustained in a rodeo, McCoy found he had plenty of time to draw. Hen had performed on the International Rodeo Association circuit on the West Coast for four seasons.

A high school dropout, McCoy has literally bounced around in life as a animal trainer, rodeo cowboy and sprint and midget auto race driver. He began by racing jalopies in the old Balboa Stadium in the 1950s. A sprint car accident prevented him from getting his only chance at qualifying

for the Indianapolis 500.

Thinking about the time he spent in the hospital after his last rodeo accident, McCoy said he broke more bones being bucked off broncos than he did in sprint car racing. However, he weathered several harrowing and violent flips and was critically injured three times.

"Whenever I draw a scene from an early '60s dirt track race, as soon as I'm done, I feel as though I've run the entire race myself," he said.

As a diversion, he painted a Victorian house in Thomas Kinkaid's style, and a 1940s drive in. Several years ago, he did a cartoon for Jay Leno of the comedian on a motorcycle with Billy Crystal. Another painting was for cowboy film star Roy Rogers.

"The nicest man I've ever met," he said of the late western actor.

His art creations consist of original oil paintings of famous hot rods as well as personalized portraits of cars with or without their owners. His work has been featured in hot rod magazines in the United States, Japan and Australia.

"I've always loved to paint and spend up to 12 hours a day doing them, getting up as early as 4:30 in the morning to start," he said.

McCoy has a steady stream of clients, who, at times might be impatient.

"I tell them, these take time and if you want your refund back, okay"" he said. "I guess it's a complement; none have asked for their money back."

Vacation? Well, in his case, what's that?

"My vacations are when I sell my stuff at the Del Mar Good Guys Show and at Pleasanton," he answered.

He prefers to do racing paintings of an earlier period, because he dislikes the cars today.

"They look like they have a barn door in front.

They're ugly."

McCoy sells his sculptures for several thousand dollars but critics tell him he should get at least $20,000.

He turned down a Disney job because, he said, "It's like working at an aircraft plant. They have 9 million people drawing copies, lines and motion stuff. Very boring.

"My wife, Lynn, turned my life around," he admitted.

"I was in a rut and wasn't improving. She's a terrific critic.

"I'd show her something and she'd say: 'That's nice.'

Wait a minute, no applause? Then, she'd suggest maybe a different color, here or there. I change it and It looks great."