Taj Mihelich Releases Book of Cartoons & Doodles: 'Back Before They Invented Open Face Helmets'
BMX legend and Pinkbike contributor Taj Mihelich is releasing a book of doodles and cartoons called Back Before They Invented Open Face Helmets. It's available for pre-order now, and they start shipping on November 25th.
 | This book is 164 pages of my cartoons and doodles. There is a bunch of bicycle comics (including a number from Sunday Comics with Taj series on Pinkbike), lots of low-brow humor, dad jokes, questionable puns, and some things that are probably only funny to me. There's a few things I'm actually serious about, but hopefully you can't tell, and even a few essays. I call it a collection of not-too-artsy-fartsy work I've done over the last few years (though, there are a few fart jokes). |
It's not often one of your childhood heroes cold calls you with a work idea. I grew up watching Taj Mihelich ride BMX, and even as I drifted over to the larger wheels of mountain biking, he was always one of the greats. He wanted to do some cartoons for Pinkbike, so it was a relief when his illustrated proposal was the best pitch deck I'd ever seen. It still is. Saying yes was easy, and "Sunday Comics with Taj" was a hit on Pinkbike.
Equal parts autobiographical introspection and self-deprecating witticism, Back Before They Invented Open Face Helmets is a remarkably poignant read. Some of the illustrations we originally commissioned have made their way into its pages alongside a collection of his other doodles. The book is incredibly funny, but it's also an inspirational roadmap for anyone trying something new. A beacon for staying motivated.
Paperback 0.46(h) x 5"(w) x 7"(d)
Pre-order the book here (ships November 25th)
Visit tajmihelich.com for more information.
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I remember hearing some rumours about him testing the grim Donut
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