The Beatniks

The Beatniks of Koolsville car club was founded by Jack Rudy, Steve Bonge and a few other friends in 1992. According to an article about the club in Garage Magazine Number Six, the members wanted to form a club that stood out in the crowd and reflected their way of life. They officially donned the royal purple club color at the 1992 Paso Robles Memorial Day Car Show. Jack Rudy created the logo, complete with the “Kolsville” native city in his own patented style.

“I always liked the Beatniks from the late Fifties,” Jack told Garage Magazine. “They were all about being cool and we just thought that would be a great thing to base a car club on.” From the beginning, the club was populated by some heavyweight talents in the Low Brow art scene. Being an artist was not mandatory though. What was required, to be a member in good standing, was a car. A good car. You also had to be heavily tattooed and you had to live and look like a true Beatnik. According to Von Franco, the members like to live live like the original Beats; “No rules. We live the way we want to.” A bohemian lifestyle, as the bohemian lives moment to moment, without a care in the world.