Welcome to a Seriously Rad Newsletter

That’s right, Rad fans.

Twice a month, check your inbox for a sizzlin’ fresh newsletter, stuffed with art, comics, spitballs… and perhaps a few Radical Rick giveaways.

Need more Rad Gland?

Check out the merch, Damian’s story, and the Radical Rick blog at RadicalRickBMX.com

Did we mention there’s a Radical Rick book in the works?

Stay tuned.

Radical Who?

Fair question.

In a nutshell, Radical Rick is simply a humble BMX loving kid who’s irresistibly drawn into “rad” situations because of an over productive rad glad. His story began in comicstrip form in 1979, stretched over the course of 13 years in BMX Plus! Magazine, and then was picked up in reruns for another 5 years in the 2000s.

A someone who refuses to miss an opportunity for radness, Rick has competed in every major BMX championship (usually winning when not interrupted by the nefarious forces of Mean Inc.), battled crazed Ayatollahs and overzealous schoolmarms, survived man-eating sharks and giant meat grinders, loaned his services to the US military, and always managed to get the girl.

Rick and his cowardly but loyal sidekick, MX Mug were created in November 1979 by Damian Fulton at his parents’ house in Irvine. The first episodes hit newsstands December (the January ’80 issue) as a black and white one-page strip.  By the time artist and writer Damian closed the book on Rick’s career in 1993, it was a full-blown color two pager, inspiring young riders around the globe.

“There was just so much going on back then. BMX went from backyard dirt tracks to full blown stadiums. Rick lived through the rise of pool riding, freestyle, and the emergence for extreme sports.  Along with us, he experienced the birth of new wave, rap, hip-hop just as pop culture seemed to explode. The Soviet Union fell and the Internet was born. Rick helped me see it all with a smile and a wink.”

-Damian

Despite the passage of time, Radical Rick is still as popular as ever.  Multiple generations share “rad” experiences through memories of the boy radster’s colorful past, uncover long-lost imagery from BMX’s pioneering years, and discover new pop-up appearances around the action sport communities. Rick continues to remind us of that unbridled joy of childhood in all of us and the need to keep pushing against the slow decay of our lust for life.

His motto is as relevant for us today as it’s every been, “Stay RAD, don’t be a wimp!”