Honoring Alton Kelley, Pat Ryan, and Dave Sheridan
In the mid-1970s, three legendary Bay Area artists — Alton Kelley, Pat Ryan, and Dave Sheridan — ignited a creative spark that became The Artista Gang. What began as a loose circle of friends and collaborators around the Marin and Sausalito art scenes evolved into one of the most colorfully mythic art collectives of its time — part poster movement, part social happening, part Family.
At the center of it all was Alton Kelley, the visionary designer best known for his psychedelic rock posters for the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jefferson Airplane. Within the Artista circle, Kelley was affectionately called “El Presidente.” His humor, aesthetic discipline, and Love of hot-rod and car-club culture inspired the idea of the “gang” — artists with satin jackets, a dragon logo, and a shared irreverence for creative boundaries.
“It was basically Alton Kelley’s baby. He was into hot rods and car clubs, and he thought if we wore these jackets, we could be like a gang.” — Pat Ryan (Alton Kelley below image)
Alton Kelley (El Presidente)
Pioneer of psychedelic poster art, Kelley brought both organization and rebellion to the gang. His instinct for design and branding gave the Artista its identity and style.
Pat Ryan
Poster artist and illustrator, Ryan co-created the Artista Dragon and was instrumental in defining the gang’s graphic language. His hand can be seen in countless iconic prints that bridged the underground comix scene and the rock poster tradition.
Dave Sheridan
Underground cartoonist, known for Dealer McDope and Mother’s Oats, Sheridan infused humor and underground comic energy into the Artista mix, pushing its wild edge before his untimely passing in 1982.
Together, these three made the Artista Gang more than a name — they made it a living, laughing community of visual outlaws.
Painted in oil by Pat Ryan, Dave Sheridan, and Alton Kelley, the Artista Dragon was created in 1980. The piece became the gang’s banner and appeared on walls, posters, jackets, and studio doors across Marin. In time, it evolved into a symbol for creative brotherhood — the West Coast’s answer to the East Village art collectives of the same era.
The Artista Gang remains alive today — in art, in memory, and in spirit. Social-media communities, art shows, and retrospective exhibits keep the stories alive: the jackets, the parties, the posters, and the brotherhood of artists who lived by one rule — No Rules.
Many of the original Artistas continue to produce work, teach, and inspire new generations of Bay Area creatives. The dragon still breathes in Sausalito, Fairfax, and beyond — wherever art is made in the spirit of freedom and fellowship.
The Birthplace for the Artista— the Sausalito Food Company
The Sausalito Food Company, located at 305 Harbor Drive, served as the Artista Gang’s unofficial clubhouse and world headquarters. The restaurant, perched on the working waterfront, was a gathering spot for artists, musicians, and the creative misfits of Marin County. Late-night parties, art shows, and wild brainstorming sessions gave birth to the gang’s identity.
This was where the first Artista jackets appeared — black satin, embroidered with the now-famous Artista Dragon, designed collaboratively by Ryan, Sheridan, and Kelley in 1980. The dragon, oozing from a paint tube and wrapped in a rainbow arc, became the visual heartbeat of the Artista ethos: vibrant, handmade, unbound, and unmistakably West Coast.
An untold chapter of Bay Area art and laughter
If you walked into The Sausalito Food Company in the mid-1970s, you might’ve thought you’d wandered on to a movie set — part bohemian café, part artist hangout, part rock-and-roll backroom. In truth, it was all of those things.
Before he was Mork from Ork or the comic genius the world would come to love, Robin Williams was a busboy at the Sausalito Food Company. Between clearing tables, Robin was already performing down the street at Gatsby’s on Caledonia Street, doing fast-fire improv that left locals doubled over. Those early nights shaped his rhythm and wit.
The Food Company wasn’t just a restaurant; it was a launchpad — a meeting point for the wild, the witty, and the weird. The Smothers Brothers dropped in when they were in town. Shel Silverstein scribbled verses and sketches over coffee. Van Morrison was a regular presence, at a corner table. Neil Young, working on his tour bus nearby, popped in almost daily. Even Y.A. Tittle, the legendary 49ers quarterback, made appearances — proof that the Sausalito scene had room for everyone.
Among the regulars were Alton Kelley and Stanley Mouse — the iconic rock-poster artists behind the visual style of the Grateful Dead, Journey, and Steve Miller Band. Their art wasn’t just decoration; it was the pulse of an era.
It was here, at the Food Company, that Kelley surrounded by friends, laughter, and possibly some cannabis— decided to form The Artista Gang, declaring the restaurant our International Headquarters.
In truth, it was less about running an organization and more about throwing unforgettable parties — gatherings of artists, musicians, and mischief-makers who lived by one rule: No Rules.
Kelley, forever dubbed “El Presidente,” led the charge with his quick wit, fearless creativity, and eye for beauty in chaos. From this unlikely headquarters, the Artista spirit spread across the Bay Area art scene — a mix of psychedelic color, irreverent humor, and camaraderie that still echoes through poster art and local lore today.
The Big Five; Rick Griffin, Victor Moscoco, Alton Kelley, Wes Wilson, and Stanley Mouse Miller
You never knew who’d walk through those doors: a poet, a rocker, a comedian, or a cop with a sense of humor. The Sausalito Food Company’s regulars became a constellation of talent and stories.
Special thanks go to Officers Robert Klein and Michael Patrick of the Sausalito Police, who had more than ample opportunities to haul us off — but didn’t. They kept the peace and the laughter rolling. As far as we were concerned, they were honorary Artistas.
Out of the laughter, music, and late-night art sessions came a lasting creative bond. From that waterfront café grew a culture that celebrated the Bay Area’s best instincts — art without limits, friendship without boundaries, and humor that still rings true.
The Artista Gang remains part of Marin and Sausalito folklore — born of Kelley’s vision, Mouse’s mastery, and the shared energy of a scene that could only have happened there.
So here’s to the Sausalito Food Company — the world headquarters of chaos, creativity, and camaraderie. Long may its stories be told.
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