Influential graphic artist and designer Frank Kozik dead at age 61
SAN FRANCISCO -- Iconic San Francisco-based graphic artist and designer Frank Kozik, who rose from making punk rock posters and flyers in the early '80s to running his own record label and eventually pursuing fine art and toy design, has died at age 61, according to a family announcement on social media.
The announcement attributed to Kozik's wife came Tuesday afternoon on Kozik's Instagram account, which said he died unexpectedly on Saturday, May 6.
"He dramatically changed the industry he was a part of. He was a creative force of nature. We are so beyond lucky and honored to have been part of his journey, and he will be missed beyond what words could ever express," the statement said.
Born in Spain and raised in Sacramento, Kozik first came to notoriety in the underground art world after the self-trained artist began creating show posters and flyers for punk bands in Austin, Texas, where he had settled after being stationed there during a stint in the U.S. Air Force.
Known for putting pop culture characters frequently drawn from cartoons and comic books and placing them in surreal, subversive, irreverent and sometimes violent scenarios, Kozik's posters and flyers earned him a local following that would grow as his unique work was recognized nationally and internationally. In the late '80s and '90s, his reputation and eye for startling imagery would lead to commissions to produce posters and other artwork for such notable music acts as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Queens of the Stone Age, the Offspring, the Melvins, the White Stripes and the Beastie Boys.
In the early '90s, Kozik relocated to San Francisco and established a print shop and eventually started his own Man's Ruin record label, an imprint that would release over 200 records for a variety of Bay Area and international acts. In the early 2000s, Kozik was forced to shut down the label after losing the lease on his workspace during the dot-com boom. He switched his focus to creating fine art and the increasingly popular field of collectible toy design with the SF-based company Kidrobot, where he served as the chief creative officer. One of the company's signature items is Kozik's famed "Smorkin Labbit," a plump rabbit figure that usually has a cigarette dangling from its mouth.
No information regarding the cause of death was released. Kozik is survived by his wife Sharon and their pet cats. Information regarding a public memorial will be released at a later date.
