Devon drives the car, Chief: Fan decorates her car with over 100 pieces of JAWS insignia
You can catch The Shark Is Broken from 25th July 2023 at the Golden Theater, New York, NYC.
Over the last near half-century, us JAWS fans have continue to find unique ways to show our love and appreciation of JAWS. Some of us collect the movies on every physical format while others buy merch and wear more JAWS t’shirts than Quint could wave his harpoon gun at. However, one JAWS fan is showing and sharing her love for JAWS in a fin-tastic way. Devon Brogan has decoratedher car with over 100 pieces of JAWS insignia which only makes her want to drive it everywhere! We caught up with Devon to learn more…..
Tell us about the first time you watched JAWS….
I don't know how old I was, probably around 10 or 11. I remember pulling that afghan that my grandma made up over my eyes but I could still peek through the holes. It was thrilling and scary and intriguing. Growing up, I lived in a community where there was a lake for swimming and boating across the street.
As absurd as it is, I had this nagging fear of what was swimming where I could not see. I could almost hear that music playing in my head. I tended to keep my legs tucked up, thinking that would keep the fishes with sharp teeth from nibbling my toes. Swimming in the ocean after that? Forget it! I still don't go deeper than my ankles even now, unless I am in the clear waters of the Bahamas where you can see what lurks beneath.
What does JAWS mean to you?
It is my favorite movie but it's more than that. It is still thrilling after watching it easily, over 100 times. It still makes my heart skip a beat at the duh..nuh scenes. Right before something happens - you don't even need to see the shark, the implied horror... no other movies I can think of master that the same way. The characters make it special. Chief Brody, Hooper, Quint, Vaughn.... the interactions between them is superb. It's totally honest and genuine. They could be real people that I know. I think in some way we can all picture ourselves as one of those characters. The humor underlying the whole movie is glorious! I quote JAWS and most of the time no one knows. Well.... maybe they will start to catch on since my favorite quotes are now plastered on my car! Because of this movie, I also just love sharks. I find them so fascinating. I never miss shark week! I even dream of becoming a half-assed astronaut and going into a shark cage one day. Sharks really need our protection.
Why do you think JAWS has such longevity?
Fearing the unknown, what you can't see, that's what makes this movie so good and so realistic. The characters and how relatable they are. This is what I think: There are three kinds of people: Those too scared to watch JAWS, those that pay too much attention to how "fake" the shark looks (BITE YOUR TONGUE!) and those like me that totally get the characters and feel like they are part of us.
Do you have a favorite character and / or moment?
Hooper is my favorite (in the movie). His personality and sense of humor are so much like mine. He's so quick witted, and a total smart aleck. It is hard to pick a favorite scene - Shark autopsy. Pretzel? When Hooper crushes the plastic cup! Hooper and Quint talking about their wounds and drinking to their legs. The swings..... The swings are Dangerous!
Tell us about your JAWS-ome car….
It's a 2012 Nissan Rogue (the kind that swims alone). I have owned it for about 5 years. Nothing too special. Pretty common vehicle, something had to be done because I was born to be different, stand out and make people smile.
What inspired you to JAWSify your car?
Why drive around in a boring plain "ol car? I used to have lacrosse stickers plastered down both sides for my son's teams. He decided he didn't want them on the car anymore. I already had the Louisiana license plate on the front and would laugh every time someone asked me if I was from Louisiana. I'm not of course, but my response is always "Yep, I came up with the gulf stream! " I decided I should show the world what I think is awesome. When you drive a Rogue and your favorite movie is about the most famous rogue ever! I think it's pretty obvious what had to happen. JAWS CAR!! I LOVE the reactions that I get to my car. I will see people stopped at lights and in traffic reading my car and they will usually smile and react in a positive way. I have had people take pictures of it and even come into my work asking who owns it to tell me that their favorite movie is also JAWS and they love my car. When we went to the drive-in to see Meg 2, people were posing for pictures with my car! It was so fun! The shark lovers were out that night!
How did you do it?
I spent about 3 months designing, measuring and laying out the design on the computer. Choosing the quotes that were my favorite was difficult. I think I could easily cover the entire car. That would have just been out of control and my son would never ride with me to school again. lol! I think I have just the right amount. It's all die cut from permanent sticky vinyl.
Do you have a favourite piece of decor?
I could no sooner choose a favorite star in the sky! ummmm.... I put a lot of love into all the elements. I think I would say the autopsy license plate. Since that took the most time to design and is one of my favorite scenes. I am also pretty proud of my mini hidden scenes on three of the windows.
Any advice to anyone looking to do something similar to their car / vehicle?
Measure 5 times and then another 4 before cutting your decals! Do your research, there are people who own their own small businesses who can cut the smaller pieces for a lot less expense than going to a larger decal company. I cut a lot of the pieces myself on my die cut machine. The JAWS logo can only be done well by a company that has a large vinyl cutting machine and let them install it! If you are going to install any of the vinyl yourself, practice applying on other smaller items before trying to do this on a vehicle. Stick all the decals on with blue painters tape before applying to make sure they are all arranged and spaced correctly. Step back and look! Don't line the decals up with the edge at the windows - they are slanted. Ask a steady handed friend to help you! You can't do this alone! Don't install on a windy day! It will not turn out the way you want!
I added a few elements since posting to facebook. I was going to get new hubcaps (wheel covers) but its more fun to tell people they were eaten by a tiger shark when it attempted to eat my car.
Devon Brogan was interiewed by Ross Williams for The Daily Jaws
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