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Sticker Bomb and the Geeky Art of Cartoon Car Wrapping

The car world is full of some really awful stereotypes and catch phrases. We often hear that X or Y model is "the car for you", "has been designed specifically for the young demographic" and "packs loads of youthful character". To my understanding, making cars specifically for young people is as dumb as making them specifically for female customers. Every buyer out there actually wants the same thing: cheap, reliable, cool and efficient transportation.
CFC Beetle Stickerbomb 45 photos
Photo: CFC
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On top of that, the youngins also want to add their personal touch, something that says something relevant about their generation. If you lived in the late 70s, that meant a big bird on the hood of a Pontiac, like in Smokey and the Bandit, but if you live in the 2010s, it's got to be cartoons.

I don't know about you kids, but the never-ending flow of cars with cartoon characters on them has got me thinking this is the symbol of a generation. I first stumbled upon this trend back in 2012 (I think?!), when BBM, a well known German tuner, did a Golf 6 GTI with cartoons.

The trend even has a name, "Stickerbomb" or "Sticker Bomb", depending where you look,  from the company which seems to be responsible for this crazy, colorful melange of cool things. Stickerbombs are, as you guessed, stickers. Of course, you can't put a monopoly on any good thing, especially when you're dealing with the download generation. Unlike a full paintjob, they're easy to get in the mail and apply over any panel you want, making them ideal for drifters who want to protect their wings from stones flying off the wheels.

You can get it with a Japanese theme of superheroes, graffiti, in white and black or full color. I like the ones that are like a page out of Cartoon Network in the 90s, but my favorite Stickerbombs borrow from Internet pop culture: memes, hashtags and even the mighty Pedobear added in there for good measure.

The most popular place for Stickerbombs is the front fender, but people are placing them everywhere: wings, petrol caps, spoilers, even the dash or the wheel well. Door handles, wheel spokes, chrome trim and just about every flat surface can be Stickerbombed. But it doesn't even stop there, as the fine folks in the custom car scene are doing everything they can lay their hands on, including laptops, phones, fridges, scooters, snowmobiles and motorcycles.

Below, dozens of styles and examples are showcased. Most are designed as solid vinyl, but there are a few which are transparent, allowing the paint underneath to be seen.

It's so cool, I might actually do it to my car in a few more years when the rust starts to bubble up on a fender and I can't afford the respray. I leave you with a couple of videos to show how people are decorating their cars using Stickerbomb. Hope this post has given you some epic ideas for what you could do to your tricked out ride.

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
Mihnea Radu profile photo

Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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