Monster Jam World Finals 2020 - diecast design
The Monster Jam World Finals XX truck wrap is one of the most memorable design projects I worked on during my time with Monster Jam. From 2…
Emoji Strong - by Calvin
Project Gallery
Emoji Strong - by Calvin
Project Overview
This project showcases my work in 3D asset creation, technical art, and production workflows.
The St. Jude charity truck is one of the most heartfelt and meaningful projects I worked on during my time with Monster Jam. In 2019, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital partnered with Feld Entertainment and Supercross to raise funds for childhood cancer research. That same year, Monster Jam joined the effort with a charity auction, and I was tasked with creating several custom fleet assets specifically for the event. These included crew shirts, helmets, an ATV wrap, and other promotional materials — all featuring a collage of drawings made by children undergoing treatment at St. Jude.
Every drawing in that collage was beautiful in its own way. Some were playful, some were emotional, some were abstract, and all of them carried the weight of what those kids were going through. As I worked more closely with the artwork, one drawing in particular stood out. It was Monster Truck, adorned with a variety of emojis. This piece was created by a young patient named Calvin. According to Calvin, the emojis represented the emotional rollercoaster of his cancer diagnosis and treatment — the fear, the hope, the confusion, the strength, and everything in between. His drawing quickly became a favorite among everyone in the office.
I wanted to do something special for him. Something beyond the standard event assets. So I took the initiative and began experimenting with his artwork, applying his truck design to a texture template for our standard Ford F‑150 Monster Jam truck model. The first version was a rough draft — a simple render to show how Calvin’s art might look if it received the full Monster Jam treatment.
I showed the render to my bosses, who showed it to their bosses, and suddenly the idea started gaining momentum. What began as a small personal gesture for Calvin was turning into something else. We iterated on the design, refined the layout, and explored how best to honor Calvin’s drawing while keeping the truck visually cohesive.
Then the pandemic hit, and everything came to a halt. Events were canceled, production slowed, and it seemed like the project might never move forward. But two years later, I received news that made me genuinely emotional: the truck design had been revived as part of Monster Jam’s ongoing fundraising efforts for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Monster Jam released a limited edition diecast used to raise awareness and support for children fighting cancer. Here's the best part, Calvin was invited to a Monster Jam event where he was surprised by the reveal of a full Monster Truck sized version of Emoji Strong!
Seeing that truck come to life was one of the proudest moments of my career. It wasn’t just a design project; it was a collaboration between Monster Jam, St. Jude, and a brave young artist whose creativity helped inspire thousands of people. This truck is a reminder of why art matters, why storytelling matters, and why design can be more than aesthetics — it can be a vehicle for hope.
Every drawing in that collage was beautiful in its own way. Some were playful, some were emotional, some were abstract, and all of them carried the weight of what those kids were going through. As I worked more closely with the artwork, one drawing in particular stood out. It was Monster Truck, adorned with a variety of emojis. This piece was created by a young patient named Calvin. According to Calvin, the emojis represented the emotional rollercoaster of his cancer diagnosis and treatment — the fear, the hope, the confusion, the strength, and everything in between. His drawing quickly became a favorite among everyone in the office.
I wanted to do something special for him. Something beyond the standard event assets. So I took the initiative and began experimenting with his artwork, applying his truck design to a texture template for our standard Ford F‑150 Monster Jam truck model. The first version was a rough draft — a simple render to show how Calvin’s art might look if it received the full Monster Jam treatment.
I showed the render to my bosses, who showed it to their bosses, and suddenly the idea started gaining momentum. What began as a small personal gesture for Calvin was turning into something else. We iterated on the design, refined the layout, and explored how best to honor Calvin’s drawing while keeping the truck visually cohesive.
Then the pandemic hit, and everything came to a halt. Events were canceled, production slowed, and it seemed like the project might never move forward. But two years later, I received news that made me genuinely emotional: the truck design had been revived as part of Monster Jam’s ongoing fundraising efforts for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Monster Jam released a limited edition diecast used to raise awareness and support for children fighting cancer. Here's the best part, Calvin was invited to a Monster Jam event where he was surprised by the reveal of a full Monster Truck sized version of Emoji Strong!
Seeing that truck come to life was one of the proudest moments of my career. It wasn’t just a design project; it was a collaboration between Monster Jam, St. Jude, and a brave young artist whose creativity helped inspire thousands of people. This truck is a reminder of why art matters, why storytelling matters, and why design can be more than aesthetics — it can be a vehicle for hope.