474 - David Brooks of Custom Vanner Magazine

Customization starts at the psychology of the craftsman's and David Brooks' mind is half in the past and half in what could be. As the dying art of metal fabrication slips farther into the dark ages it takes someone with a real passion for the craft to pull it out of obscurity by creating a gullwing for the world of vans. David has spent his life as an apprentice to the masters of their day and age who could make everything from an entire car to a custom tail light and he joins Mark on Adventures In Design to reveal all their secrets and how to bring them into the growing van culture. Step into the party vehicle of your dreams and remember what it was like to make something with your hands that can take you places... literally. The sub culture of van clubs, the mobile artwork they create, and the science behind it all is what makes David Brooks the man he is today and the reason his alternate route through education is one we can all take note of as we progress towards our own passion.

Talking Points

Stumbling into a culture forty years too late.
Finding design in the mean automotive world and Matchstick's favorite era.
Uncovering the origins of the party vehicle.
How the EPA killed the muscle car.
Vanning Clubs and Punk Shows.
Demystifying DeNoto and his favorite color.
From bikes to cars to vans.
Making your first products and selling machined parts.
Getting involved at Monkey Drive.
Passing down the rules of Louisville Rock and Roll.
The growth of the van culture over a decade.
Showing off your rig to other guys and embracing your past for what it is.
The paths our fathers paved for us.
Living in a van (which may or may not have been down by the river).
A jack of al trades master Craftsman you hunt down to learn from.
Using science to understand art.
Living in a disposable culture and passing the torch on.
Starting at the psychology of a craftsman and seeing yourself in what you make.
The importance of having a mentor and one day becoming one.
Reflecting your culture.
From saddle stitch to perfect bound: A Custom Vanner journey,
Becoming a part of a culture to develop a business within it.
Why media misses the mark on what's cool.
Everything that comes along with making a product that you don't want to do.
The benefits of steel over fiberglass that will significantly raise your prices.
Deep pockets. Short arms.
David makes his first kit... reluctantly.
Rising above the expected standards of your industry.
Finding the right carrot that gets you to pull the cart for the right person.
Understanding through creativity.
A totally different technical school that actually pays you to learn.
Giving up on excess to follow your passion.
The new institutionalized youth and the end of summer.