On Location - "The Karate Kid" Mural

Let's Talk - Cobra Kai
Episode 152: On Location - "The Karate Kid" Mural

Jason Connell and Sal Rodriguez visit and discuss "The Karate Kid" mural in Encino, CA, created by artist Jonas Never.

Credits: Jonas Never
https://www.instagram.com/Never1959/

Recorded: 08-18-23
Studio: Just Curious Media
https://www.JustCuriousMedia.com/

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Transcript

Jason Connell: 0:01

Whoa, just curious. Welcome at this curious media. This is let's talk Cobra Kai. I'm Jason Connell.

Sal Rodriguez: 0:11

And I'm Sal Rodriguez.

Jason Connell: 0:12

All right, so we are back with another on location episode.

Sal Rodriguez: 0:19

Jason I'm shocked that I haven't been here with you before we've we've never had me here before.

Jason Connell: 0:24

No, never hinted at anything talked about it. But why don't you tell our audience our fans where exactly you are right now?

Sal Rodriguez: 0:34

I am in Encino, California, corner of Ventura Boulevard and Texoma oak Avenue. All right. This intersection is famous for a supercell market which is a an Israeli market,

Jason Connell: 0:50

not your market. I take it

Sal Rodriguez: 0:52

you know what no relation Surprisingly so. But I think it's yet another sign yet another sign that this is Supercell because I'm seated in my car outside of a Floyd's barbershop Floyd's barber shop has on its wall, the famous Encino 84 All Valley Karate Kid mural featuring Johnny Lawrence squaring off against Daniel Russo and Daniel Russo is in the crane at the very moment. And it says Sweep the leg on the left sides and get them a body bag. Yeah, on the right hand side. It's a beautiful mural done by Jonas never

Jason Connell: 1:29

Yes. And to be clear, you're at or to be exact. 17622 Ventura Boulevard, Encino, California 91316. I've been to that very mural before gorgeous. I actually used to go to Floyd's barbershop, not that one though. Oddly enough other ones. And then I switched to Rudy's and whatever. They're kind of a competitor, but beautiful indeed. And Sal, we were talking about before we jumped on here to record and you were telling me the temperature is very fitting what right now,

Sal Rodriguez: 2:02

you know, I had to verify this because I thought, wouldn't it be cool? If because it's in the 80s. I knew it was in the 80s. But I said let me just make it certain. And I checked, it is 84 degrees. in Encino right now.

Jason Connell: 2:18

It's 84 degrees for the classic 1984 movie, and a depiction of the 1984 all Valley karate tournament championship all at once. You were meant to be here, right here and right now.

Sal Rodriguez: 2:35

Yeah, it was meant to be. And by the way, I thought of something else. And that is this is the intersection of Ventura Boulevard and Texoma. And what do you what did you learn for a long time, I could still call the emcee of the original April Bell

Jason Connell: 2:48

texts.

Sal Rodriguez: 2:49

There you go. Another sign

Jason Connell: 2:51

it is and I just really wanted you to go by here because we hadn't covered it. We both been by there individually. And also just to give props to Jonas, never. His Instagram, I have it up here is never 1959 I highly recommend people check it out his work. It is stunning. And in fact, if this was a video episode, I would have it behind me over my shoulder. But you are going to get some sort of small video, whatever you can grab with us, Sal Rodriguez in front of the mural today, so we can post it on our YouTube channel.

Sal Rodriguez: 3:24

Yeah, definitely want to do that. I want to I want to commemorate the moment because, yeah, earlier I was thinking I can't believe Jason. I haven't. I mean, I haven't been here for let's talk Cobra Kai. And I was besides myself wondering why I haven't been out here yet. I've been to a number of other places. You've been to a number of others. Yes. But haven't been here.

Jason Connell: 3:41

We were do in fact, when I was in LA last summer, I even thought maybe you and I will go by there and do an on location Live episode together. It may be noisy. You're in the car right now. But we didn't do that we recorded in studio, the orange dog studio and stead for the epic The Next Karate Kid episode. But you're here. It's amazing. Does the mural look faded? Do you think Jonas has combined touched it up at all? Because it's been there for several years now.

Sal Rodriguez: 4:10

Okay, I'm gonna tell you something that I I think I may have mentioned it to you. Or maybe just mentioned it to one other person. But something happened about a year or two ago. I was driving by here. And I said to myself, the mural needs to be touched up. I distinctly remember thinking that the mural needs to be touched up that very day. I looked at Jonas Nevers, I think it was his Instagram. And he had a picture of this very mural and he said something to the effect of I should probably touch this up. He said that that very day that I thought that so I talked about Kismet

Jason Connell: 4:44

that is Kismet. Well, does it look like it still needs it? Or did Jonas combine touch it up?

Sal Rodriguez: 4:49

Well, no, it has not been touched up. Probably shouldn't be touched up. And if anything I think also have more have greater definition. I think like this mural was painted before Cobra Kai So therefore what he can do today is go in like, I think for example, Mr. Miyagi is kind of obscured by the ref. So he could probably cheat Miyagi over a little bit and get a full Miyagi behind the ref. You could see Ali is kind of hidden behind Daniels. Daniels here is in front of Lucien space. Jonas never could probably come and touch those up, and actually recreate the scene so that we can see more Lucille Seymour Ali see more Miyagi and get a clearer view also of our friend Darryl widow.

Jason Connell: 5:32

Well, I love all of that all you sound like George Lucas, if I could just go back and make some

Sal Rodriguez: 5:38

revisions, can

Jason Connell: 5:39

we get an Ewok?

Sal Rodriguez: 5:40

Just changing them? No, I would give more. What I think would update the mural is what it would because of Cobra Kai, if there was never Cobra Kai, the murals, fine. But because we have Cobra Kai, I think that this mural could be not only updated as far as paint itself, but also the characters greater defined.

Jason Connell: 5:59

Fair enough, well, maybe we will drop Jonas a line on Instagram with a link to this episode. But I'm not here to say anything critical or bad. We love this mural. And if he never touches it up, it's part of history. And maybe he'll do another one somewhere else, not depicting this particular shot, but maybe he'll do a Cobra Kai, or something else who knows, but I love it. Love it. Love it. And I love that we're here doing this today. Fact next time I'm back in LA. I'm gonna go by and visit it and do on location. And you can be with me or you can be in studio, it doesn't matter.

Sal Rodriguez: 6:32

Well, either way, it'd be fantastic. Yes. Join us if you do hear this beautiful arrow. We love it so much. I mean, I see it at least once twice a week when I'm driving by Yeah, if you could if you could touch up this one or yeah, do a brand new Cobra Kai one. Somewhere on another flights Because apparently, it seems like never. i By the way, I'm using the word never because he signs his work. No. Oh, so

Jason Connell: 6:55

got it. Never Never.

Sal Rodriguez: 6:56

I know. I just learned about a Conor McGregor, one in Santa Monica. And then you remind me of the outsiders in Sherman Oaks stay

Jason Connell: 7:04

gold. beautiful mural. And yeah, he did do that. Now there is a Cobra Kai mural to be clear. We've talked about it before. But yeah, I'm not sure who did it. I'd have to find out if it was Yeah, it is. It is I'm looking this up now. It's in palms. 3387 motor Avenue Woodbine Street. I'm just looking at this off the internet. And apparently Jonas never did this great Cobra Kai one which it has Daniel and Johnny in the middle of looking at each other and between them as crease on the right side Cobra Kai and three students, three cast members and on the left now on the right side it was Miyagi dough on the left, it is Cobra Kai students. It said Cobra Kai on the right. So there it is there it he has done a strike hard strike first no mercy mural for Cobra Kai already. So Jonah, sorry, never sorry about that. I wasn't trying to insinuate you hadn't. I just was unaware but looks beautiful. And this guy, he's all over the place. This guy is pop culture. He's got such a unique style. And back to the state gold very close to my heart because I grew up in a town called Tulsa, Oklahoma. And that's where the outsiders was filmed. So very cool effect next time I'm in LA. I'm just gonna do the never tour. Just hit them all. You know, just see them with my own eyes because many of these I have not seen in person.

Sal Rodriguez: 8:29

Jason I'm very excited to hear about the Cobra con mural. I did not know about that. And that sounds like somewhere probably near Culver City area maybe. But definitely over the hill outside of the San Fernando Valley. I definitely have to check that out. I that is something I got to see.

Jason Connell: 8:43

Yeah, go now. We'll just stay with you.

Sal Rodriguez: 8:45

I should drive over there right now. By the way, Jonas never was. His honor. Schwarzenegger, Venice Beach mural was just shown in the recent Arnold mini series on Netflix,

Jason Connell: 8:55

scam talent. It's amazing. Back to the quickly on the Cobra Kai when it's the garage on motor Avenue, and palms and the address again 3387 motor Avenue in Los Angeles. So yeah, I love the documentary on Arnold Schwarzenegger. I've actually read his book, Total Recall, fantastic. And I saw it and I saw the mural and it just didn't even register. So never is everywhere, which is great. We want to give credit where credit's due because this mural has been up for many years and it predated Cobra Kai the show, by the way, which makes it even cooler to me. Like he just figured, hey, I'm going to do this. It is the classic shot it defines all and I'm glad that we could do this today. I mean, no other reason than just bouncing around talented doing Sal on location, but maybe a reason to go back and watch the original movie again.

Sal Rodriguez: 9:43

There's always a reason to go back and watch the original movie. I feel like I really do. I mean to me the original movie is look you know I love Karate Kid Part Two, you know, I love it. It's in my heart but I do have to give the props and respect to the original motion picture that started at all the Karate Kid. It is also was again to my Every one it was actually required watching in the sixth grade. My sixth grade teacher required her students to watch the Karate Kid in the classroom. She brought in the monitor brought in the TV. Put the I guess it was a Yeah, VHS, I suppose. And had everybody watched The Karate Kid.

Jason Connell: 10:16

Love it. Love it. What was her name again?

Sal Rodriguez: 10:20

Mrs. minks? Mrs. Terry minks

Jason Connell: 10:22

I quickly looked at Jonas nevers never 1959 Instagram and there indeed is Arnold and the flesh wearing a leather jacket sunglasses. And he's got a shirt on of himself like young Arnold pumping you know, doing the two arm flex bicep flex and behind him is the mural over his head. So it is awesome. Yeah, Arnold Schwarzenegger is right there. Love it. So you're so right this guy. Keep an eye on nevers work. But in the meantime, while you're doing that, or beyond doing that, watch the Karate Kid again. Take that journey. Maybe it'll spawn you to want to watch the sequel, The trilogy, The Next Karate Kid and do a deep dive with us on Let's Talk Cobra guys, we break them down and every single episode of the show Cobra Kai,

Sal Rodriguez: 11:14

I'm here man. I'm with you. I'm with you all the way.

Jason Connell: 11:16

Awesome. Anything else out any final thoughts as we depart and you go get your video?

Sal Rodriguez: 11:22

No, it's 84 when we started but it's probably about 87 now so I'm gonna go ahead and get out of here because I am hotboxing in my car and not the kind of hotboxing I like to do.

Jason Connell: 11:31

Fair enough. All right, so and what is your famous words that you share with crease?

Sal Rodriguez: 11:37

No Mercy