Convention - SDCC 2025 : Inside the Shag Store’s Retro Lounge of Rock and Pop Art

By Mulder, San Diego, Convention Center, 27 july 2025

San Diego Comic-Con 2025 once again proved to be a haven for pop culture aficionados, art collectors, and design enthusiasts, with Booth #3920 emerging as one of the most visually striking and nostalgically charged stops on the show floor — The Shag Store. At the heart of this creative oasis is Josh Agle, the artist better known simply as SHAG, whose distinctive blend of mid-century modern aesthetics, bold color palettes, and playful pop culture nods has been captivating Comic-Con audiences for years. This year, however, Josh Agle transported visitors back to a very specific point in time: the summer of 1986, when heavy metal reigned supreme, vinyl records spun late into the night, and bedroom walls were plastered with posters of rock icons who defined a generation. The booth’s design — an explosion of orange, teal, purple, and woodgrain textures — was less a shop and more a portal into Shag’s curated retro dreamscape, one that felt equal parts tiki lounge, art gallery, and backstage pass to a rock concert frozen in time.

The headline attraction this year was “The Summer of ’86,” a 13-color serigraph that perfectly encapsulates the heavy metal bedroom fantasy of the mid-1980s. Every detail, from the AC/DC and Judas Priest posters to the Van Halen skateboard leaning against the wall, spoke to a deep cultural memory shared by fans who lived through the era or discovered it through retro revival. Offered as a limited edition of 150 in both framed and unframed formats, the piece was already generating collector buzz by preview night, with some attendees strategizing to purchase it before it inevitably sold out. Alongside it, “The Summer of 666” presented a darker, edgier twist on the theme, also a 13-color serigraph but available only in a framed edition limited to just 50 copies — an instant holy grail for hardcore Shag devotees. The attention to detail in both works was unmistakable, from the crisp screen-printed lines to the perfectly balanced colors, each hue radiating with the vibrant saturation that has become a SHAG signature.

Adding another layer of collectible appeal were the Heavy Metal Fine Art Skate Decks, each one a piece of wall-worthy craftsmanship. Measuring 32 inches long and 8.25 inches wide, constructed from high-quality ash ply, and featuring the same cheeky cocktail-and-creature motifs found in much of Shag’s work, these decks were available individually for $125 or as a $450 set, each accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The designs were instantly Instagram-ready: octopus tentacles erupting from a tiki mug, a grinning skull sipping from a sinister cocktail, and a pumpkin-headed figure raising a toast. Limited to only 100 of each design, these decks blurred the line between functional skateboard and fine art, appealing equally to collectors who would hang them in a pristine frame and to skaters with a taste for the surreal. The fact that these skateboard graphics echoed elements from Shag’s serigraphs created a sense of cohesion in the booth’s offerings, as though each product was a tile in a larger visual mosaic.

Of course, a Shag Store booth wouldn’t be complete without the personal touch of Josh Agle himself, and this year he was present throughout the convention for signings, photo ops, and casual conversations with fans. Those lucky enough to meet him often remarked on how approachable he was, happily chatting about design inspirations, his love of mid-century architecture, and the music that inspired this year’s heavy metal theme. Some fans even brought vintage SHAG prints for signing, while others took the opportunity to have their newly purchased serigraphs personalized, adding a layer of provenance that makes each piece even more special in the collector’s world. The atmosphere around the booth during these signings had the same communal warmth as a record store on release day — fans swapping stories, debating favorite bands, and discovering shared connections through the art.

The experience extended beyond the booth to the “Art of SHAG” panel on Thursday, July 24 in Room 25ABC, where Josh Agle delved into his creative process, from the early days of developing his distinctive style to the meticulous layering of colors that gives his prints their depth and vibrancy. Anecdotes flowed freely, including stories of how certain pieces originated from late-night sketches or were inspired by obscure bits of tiki culture and kitschy Americana. He also shared insights into the delicate balance between paying homage to iconic pop culture imagery and reinventing it through his own stylistic lens — a tightrope walk that has kept his work fresh and relevant over decades. Attendees left the panel not just with a deeper appreciation for his technical skill, but with a clearer sense of the playful yet thoughtful philosophy that underpins his art.

By the close of SDCC 2025, the Shag Store booth had once again reinforced why Josh Agle remains a fixture at the convention. It wasn’t just about buying art; it was about stepping into a fully realized world where nostalgia, humor, and meticulous craftsmanship converge. Whether you left with a framed serigraph, a deck under your arm, or simply the memory of a brief but memorable conversation with the artist, the experience lingered like the last notes of a guitar solo fading into the night. In a convention teeming with spectacle, the Shag Store stood out by offering something rarer than exclusives — a sense of timeless cool, captured in ink, wood, and color, and shared generously with everyone who stepped through its retro-futuristic doors.

You can discover our photos in our Flickr page

Photos and video : Boris Colletier / Mulderville