George Davis
Country of origin: United States
Graphic title: El Maestro
Homepage: Geo’s Tiki Lounge Blog
Price:$35 U.S.
George Davis, a.k.a. Geo, is one of the most accomplished artists you’ve never heard of. This is in part because video game companies like to keep their creative talent classified. Also because in his free time he prefers attending to his Tiki garden and family rather than seeking fame. Geo’s ability to communicate ideas clearly through drawing, and at a jaw dropping speed make him invaluable as an art director. This combined with a fresh sense of humor that’s present in most of his work.
He is one of those artists that make you want to go home and draw. 
Tell us about your influences. It was all about the comics. Jack Kirby was one of my greatest inspirations as a boy, Jim Steranko, and later the underground comics artists like Rick Griffin and Robert Crumb. As I grew older I was drawn in by the dealers of rediculous detail: Michael Golden, Arthur Adams and Brian Bolland. The art featured on the soccer ball I did was influenced by the Day of the Dead style art of the amazing Jose Guadalupe Posada. He was a prolific illustrator who was active from 1871 to 1912 and known for his whimsical detailed engravings featured in Chapbooks or “cuadernos” in Mexico.
When did you become a professional artist? It depends what you deem professional. I have worked for companies doing art for well over twenty years, but was selling my art long before that.
What are some of your recent projects? I just finished a video game project, an open world western shooter called “Red Dead Redemption” for Rockstar games. My role was assistant art director on that one. Also my art was featured in Marvel Comics 70th anniversary artist sketch cards for Rittenhouse Archives and also for Iron Man2 cards for Upperdeck.
How did your fascination with Tikis begin? Raw cultural art of many kinds has always appealed to me. I was born at the end of the 50′s, so growing up in the sixties there were still remnants of the 50′s Tiki pop culture in and around San Diego. My first trip to Disneyland seeing the tikis and Masks at the entrance to Adventureland fondly re emphasized those memories. For awhile some years back I was doing T shirt designs for Hot Rod Car Culture type stuff. I encorporated some tikis into my designs and had fun with it, so it kind of stuck with me at that point. I began doing a series of paintings in that style and developed characters for a story idea as well.
If you were placed back into the 70′s with a customized van, what kind of mural would you paint on the side of it? Well it would have to be a replica of a Frazetta painting wouldn’t it? The Silver Warrior, (the dude on the sled pulled by polar bears). But I’d get my buddy Daren to paint it. That was his major Icon.
What are your musical influences? I love the Metal and other types of heavy music…but sometimes I’ll put on the classical or bluegrass if the mood strikes me.
Does music influence your artwork? Very often it does.
Number one front man for Black Sabbath. Dio or Ozzy? Well I love both versions of Sabbath, but as a singer I favor Dio’s style. Dragons and Wizards. That’s almost as tough as picking between Maiden and Priest, although of course I’d have to go with Priest.
