“Java” John Goldacker

By: Tobin Bennison

Article Category: Skilled Labor

Ask artist “Java” John Goldacker to name a central visual influence on his work, and his answer is as unequivocal as it is unusual: Music.

One of music’s most extraordinary qualities is the way it can conjure images through seemingly unrelated sensory organs. That it inspired Goldacker to invest in a quiver of pens and pencils and a drawing pad, rather than the expected source instruments, is even more extraordinary.

At first reckoning, events in Goldacker’s New Jersey early childhood might have seen him adopting a wholly different artistic path. He remembers his father drawing cartoons for him as a kid, ones peopled with characters like Popeye and Superman, and Goldacker recalls tracing some of these images as early as 4 or 5. “I don’t ever remember art not being a part of my life,” he says. “I used to go straight to the art section of the library whenever I went there. Books on the masters, graphic design manuals, lettering books — anything and everything to do with art was what I went for.”

But by the time he turned 10 around 1970, Goldacker became hooked on music and, by extension, that era’s exemplar of music-inspired poster art, Peter Max. Emulating Max’s clear, meandering lines for renditions of his own favorite musicians, Goldacker began sowing the seeds of a style he now recognizes as “contemporary retro.” Around the same time, the Goldacker family relocated to Florida, and after a brief spell in Miami, Goldacker himself moved to Brevard County, where he opened a café called Java The Hut in Indian Harbour Beach. This venture, and another called Kool Beanz he ran in Cocoa Village until 1998, earned him his “Java” sobriquet. Both cafés were bohemian havens for local art and coffee lovers, and through them, Goldacker and his wife sold handcrafted jewelry and t-shirts he designed along with prints of his pen-and-ink drawings. It was then that he made a name for himself doing graphic design side work for businesses and individuals, all while paying homage to his idol, Max.

An avid concertgoer, Goldacker has, through the years, created a series of portraits of rock musicians based on iconic photographs that are unique for the way in which they came about. Working his way backstage to famous performers (either legitimately or otherwise), he presented his heroes with their likenesses for autographing along with another copy to keep as their own. The practice proved successful, if nerve-wracking, as an ‘87 meeting with Elvin Bishop in Miami illustrates.

Showing Bishop his portrait, Goldacker remembers him scratching his chin doubtfully and passing the image back before uttering: “Welp. I’ll tell you what, son. I’m not quite sure about the likeness. Looks more like Rod Stewart.” Undeterred, Goldacker, with the help of some “liquid courage,” approached Bishop again with his portfolio after the show, and by evening’s end, Bishop had accepted the offer and the two became quick friends. Among the many Goldacker’s done (he’s collected over 100 autographs on original pieces) are likenesses of Ringo Starr, Alice Cooper, George Carlin, Joe Cocker, and Wolfman Jack.

But a recent meeting with Peter Max in Boca Raton eclipses all every one of these backstage run-ins. Ever the music fanatic, Goldacker interviewed Max for his own recently resurrected radio show, now available worldwide on the Tropic Wave Radio Network. Max enjoyed the discussion so much and was so impressed with Goldacker’s ability that he invited he and his wife up to his New York home/studio. There, Max presented Goldacker with a double portrait that features both artists’ respective images of each other. It’s Goldacker’s prized possession and one that echoes the mind-bending themes of much of his work, particularly a 30-foot indoor trompe l’oeil mural of rock royalty at Dalino’s Pizza in Merritt Island. Along with some clever visual tricks, the mural is also packed with allegorical symbols and inside references that continue to stump even the most devoted music fans.

Goldacker’s swirling, intricate designs have garnered him a strong local following, and over the past 12 years he’s designed three official t-shirts and accompanying posters for the South Florida Folk Festival and two for the Cocoa Village Jazz Fest. He’s also designed dozens of band logos and CD covers for groups like Acoustic Alliance and Taylor Made, and he most recently created a striking poster for the classic ’60s psychedelic band The Electric Prunes. The image is currently being sold at their live performances and was featured as a standout in PhotoShop Creative Magazine last year. Other Goldacker works are featured in two mass-market books: “PhanArt: The Art of Phish Phans” and “HOPE: A Collection of Obama Posters and Prints.” Goldacker also illustrated local author Diane Carr’s “River Dragon,” a children’s book based on the crumbling Merritt Island landmark, and he’s just been contracted to illustrate another, “Bud The Spud” by Adam Byrn Tritt, set for national release in 2010.

Local music lovers and radio show junkies may know Goldacker as host of “An Acoustic Record,” which airs Monday nights on WFIT. Now set to host “On The Flipside” on Tropic Wave Radio Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Goldacker will draw from a three-year archive of interviews he conducted with international recording artists, regional performers, and pop culture icons, including Jewel; Ian McLagan of The Faces; Ray Manzarek; Ian Gillan; Dave Davies; Larry Coryell; Charlie Daniels, and Peter Max himself. “On The Flipside” will also feature themed programs built around the music of artists like Pete Seeger and Arlo Guthrie.

As with everything Goldacker creates, the thematic thread leads back to the music he loves. It’s a source of unending inspiration for his drawings, paintings, graphic designs, logos, and a stellar radio show. It’s also one that continues to feed both the eyes and the ears.

Visit “Java” John Goldacker online at these sites: www.koolbeanz.com; www.splitbeanz.blogspot.com; www.myspace.com/acousticrecord; www.javajohn.etsy.com. Beginning December 1, tune into “On The Flipside” Monday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tropic Wave Radio — www.tropicwaveradio.net.