9 minute read
Giving Back: Remembering the Fallen
Remembering the Fallen
Wraps of Remembrance: Honoring 9/11 with Art and Heart
By James "Ruggs" Kochevar
Fueled By The Fallen is an organization geared towards keeping the memory of the events of 9/11 in the hearts and minds of all Americans. Their goal is to ensure that our children and grandchildren know what happened on that tragic day and take time to remember and salute
those who lost their lives. Kevyn Major Howard, better known as “Rafterman” from the movie Full Metal Jacket, has spearheaded this organization since 2007, using his celebrity and media contacts to further his mission. Kevyn has five wrapped “Angel” Camaros that display the names of the fallen. They are a rolling tribute
Designed by Ryan Sandoval, Glarb Design, FL
to the first responders, the people in the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon, and all the passengers of the flights associated with 9/11.
Kevyn and his wife Tiffanie approached me at WRAPSCON 2023 in Long Beach, California, and asked if I knew anyone who could help with the redesign and wrapping of the Angels. That morning, we hosted a Wraps Design panel discussion with whom I call the “Mount Rushmore of Design.” The members included the Pride of Portland, Casey Folk (PDX Wraps), Kentucky’s “DJ” Dallas Fowler (Digital EFX/ WrapToons), Nashville’s wrapper to the stars, Jamie “Mully” Mullican (Wrap Artist/School of Wrap), N’awlins’ own, Kevin “The Professa” Kempf (PG NOLA), and the magic man himself,
It only made sense to offer these amazing designers the first crack at this project, and they all eagerly signed on. Five designers, five cars, and only a few weeks to meet the deadline. This was a huge task and a significant commitment, considering these designers are all scheduled out for months, yet they still made time to squeeze in this special project.
Though these designers knew of each other, they hadn’t worked together, much less collaborated on a project like this. Over the next couple of weeks, we met as a team, going over design elements and coordinating ideas, templating, printing, and shipping. We decided to go metallic for printing, and 3M’s Marc Bagley
stepped up in a huge way, providing five full kits for the project. Without 3M’s generosity, we were sunk, so this was a big win. The final piece was lining up the right company for the install. Since the cars were already in NV, finding a local shop made the most sense, especially with the tight deadline, but this was a huge ask. Elliott Nail (5150 Wraps) in Las Vegas swooped in like Superman to save the day. Over the next couple of weeks, Elliott not only shut down his shop, but he and his team went above and beyond stripping, prepping, and wrapping the Angels with their new designs. The effort was nothing short of Herculean, and the finished lineup is breathtaking. As he summed up the project, Elliott said, “This was such an honor to be a part of!! The caliber of
people involved cannot be accurately described other than just AMAZING! Thanks everyone for letting me be a small part of a really big deal.”
This project involved a substantial contribution of donated materials, design efforts, and wrapping services, but the value is immeasurable. As Dallas stated, “For me, over 40 hrs of digitally hand-drawn art and Photoshop time was involved, and I would do it again without hesitation.”
The Angels were unveiled at this year’s WWWRAP event during SEMA, and the group took home the prize for 2023’s Wrap Project of the Year, making the reveal just that much sweeter.
The Fueled By The Fallen Angels will now begin a new circuit of parades, conventions, memorials, and appearances from California to New York, including the Statue of Liberty, the Military Influencers Conference, and the F1 circuit, to name a few. They will also be
featured in a Netflix documentary titled “A Modern Art Masterpiece - The Making of Full Metal Jacket,” currently in production.
Obviously, this project went WAY beyond the scope of most charitable acts within the wraps community. However, this was something extraordinary. Something that has and will continue to touch the lives of every American. For me, it was a chance to shine a spotlight on wraps design and installation on a national level, reaching the highest ranks of the military, the government, and beyond, and to pull together the wraps community’s resources and truly give these Angels a makeover that would honor the fallen.
Kevyn Major Howard summed up the project by letting me know, “You and your
talented team of artists have given America an amazing gift in creating the artwork for the 2nd Edition of the 9/11 Angel Tribute Cars and blessed the journey they are about to undertake throughout the nation. I am proud to show them off to the American people, with you, as our way of saying, ‘We Have Not Forgotten.’”
“Being able to give respect to the ones that were affected by 9/11 through what we do for a living is simply an honor!” said Casey.
Kevin added, “Death, misfortune, horror, etc… affect us all at one point or another in our lives, but 9/11 affected an entire nation instantly.”
“In Nashville, I’ve served up countless wraps to some of country music’s biggest names, but there are no stars bigger than the ones
on the flag. This was special,” said Mully.
For Dallas, this project especially hit close to home. He said, “As an artist, I felt that if I could strike some emotion and create a beautiful piece of art, it would be my way of giving back to my brother, Chief Warrant Officer 3, Ricky Fowler.”
Glarb drove home the main objective by saying, “As with most, I vividly remember the exact moment when I heard the first tower was hit and the impact it had on us as Americans witnessing our country being attacked. It seems that moment has been slowly forgotten as the
years go by, so being able to create a design to remind everyone of the “impression” 9/11 had on us as a country is a huge honor!”
Kevyn and Fueled By The Fallen, we hope we did you, America, and those who perished on 9/11 proud in our attempt to honor that day. We wish you and the Angels Godspeed on your journey and hope everyone who catches a glimpse of these beauties can take a moment to reflect, share a memory, and find peace through the imagery generously created by these wonderful, kind-hearted artists.
