The Man Behind The Magic Lone Star Rally’s 6th Annual Drive In Car Show shared from lonestarrally.com

The Man Behind The Magic

The Man Behind The Magic Lone Star Rally’s 6th Annual Drive In Car Show “A gear-head is a gear-head” said Lone Star Rally’s 6th Annual Drive In Car Show chief organizer, Mark “Magic” Higdon when asked about the relationship between cars and bikes at what is largely known as a motorcycle rally. “Most guys that have a hot rod also have a motorcycle so they can go riding with their biker friends. Lone Star Rally is a great place to show and see hot rods and bikes. You have all the restaurants, shops and vendors on Harborside and you can walk to see all the bikes on The Strand.”Magic, as he is known as, has been working with Lone Star Rally organizers since it’s inception in 1999 and lives up to his namesake within his own niche line of work as a master motorcycle and car custom pinstriper and painter. With 4000 square feet of shop in Alvin, Texas it’s barely enough for the man who grew up in Tennessee and found his passion for paint at 14 years of age. “I met my mentor, Jim Norris, at a car show and was in awe watching him pinstripe. On the second day of the show he grabbed me by the shirt and said, ‘Come here kid. If you ain’t got nothin’ better to do than stand around here all day, the least you can do is help,” said Magic, who also does restorations and modification work on motorcycles and cars. This year’s Drive In Car Show will take place on Pier 21 off Harborside Drive at 21st St. Saturday, Nov. 3rd and Sunday Nov. 4th 10am-3pm. With room for 120 cars (pre-1972 models) and prizes for the top-ten people’s choice, the show draws everything from classic muscle cars to highly modified hot rods dating back to the 1930’s. Registration is $30 (first come first served) and includes a T-shirt and goody bag along with prizes for best in show. High quality custom painted toolboxes are given in place of trophies to award winners. Working alongside Lone Star Rally organizers Magic has seen the event evolve from the early stages and praised Galveston as a host city. “Galveston provides a great island atmosphere. From the Seawall to Harborside, it makes for a great four days,” Magic said. Magic acquired his nickname after painting a truck named Midnight Magic in the 1970’s while still living and working in Tennessee. In 1982 he moved to Texas and set up shop in the Clear Lake area just outside Houston. In 2001 a tropical storm flooded his building and forced relocation to Alvin where Magic worked with his father, Bill Higdon, to build his current shop. Being a freehand artist may not be as common in the computer age as it once was but Magic remains committed to his craft and a tradition he learned as a teenager. “The computer is a great tool but it killed a lot of artists,” Magic said. The high demand for his work is evidence of the “magic” he creates with a simple paintbrush. To register for the 6th Annual Drive-In Car Show contact Magic at 281-286-2106 [email protected]

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