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Texas Statues (page 1)

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Popeye
Crystal City, TX		 Fisk
Tire Boy [gone]
Forney, TX		 Knight [gone]
Austin, TX
The original, eight-foot-tall Popeye statue was installed in 1937. That figure now stands inside City Hall to protect it from vandals. This six-foot-tall statue is a replacement created in 2007. These photos are from 2008. By 2013, a canopy had been installed over the statue. Crystal City calls itself the "Spinach Capital of the World." For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

There are other Popeye statues in Chester,IL, Orlando, FL, Long Island, NY, Springdale, AR [gone], and Alma, AR.

This Fisk Tire Boy was located behind De Ridder Antiques when this photo was taken in 2011. The business has closed and the statue is gone now. These statues were mass-produced for Fisk Tire stores. They are very rare now. For more about them, see this example in Rural, NC.

The Knight in Austin, nicknamed Rusty, stood in front of the Saxon Pub. I believe it had been here since 1990 when the club opened. It was removed in 2017. These knight statues were mass-produced and can be found at different places around the country.

Pinner Carpets
Odessa, TX		 Buddy Holly
Lubbock, TX
Pinner Carpets opened in 1961. I assume this king on a flying carpet has been there since then. These photos are from 2012. In 2013, the king was repainted. For more, see this website. [map]

This bronze statue of Buddy Holly is 8 1/2 feet tall. It was produced by Grant Speed in 1980 and installed here in 2011. Buddy Holly was born in Lubbock. [map]

Baseball Player
Corpus Christi, TX		 Devil [gone]
Corpus Christi, TX
In 2005, this bronze Baseball Player statue was installed in front of Whataburger Field, a minor league baseball stadium. The 18-foot-tall statue is entitled "For the Love of the Game". [map]

This Devil statue was installed in front of a recycling business. It came from the Hell Hole ride at the Conneaut Lake Park amusement park in Conneaut Lake, PA. It was moved to Corpus Christi around 1995. It was put in storage for several years before being installed here. In 2023, an arsonist burned the statue beyond repair. There was another one of these statues at a Hell Hole ride in Coney Island, NY.

"For Sale"
Corpus Christi, TX
This "For Sale" concrete sculpture was created by Danny O'Dowdy. It has been located at the Hamlin Shopping Center since 1984. The life-size figures represent and husband and wife shopping for a car. [map]

Magic Island
Houston, TX
The Magic Island restaurant opened in 1983 and featured dinners, magic shows, and music. The original location opened in 1981 in Newport Beach, CA. That location closed around 2008. Both of the venues were for members only with steep initiation fees and annual dues. There were plans to build locations all around the country but that never happened. After a couple of fires, the Houston location closed in 2008. There are many intact interior features like disco balls, sarcophagi, painted murals with Egyptian and magic details. In 2018, it was announced that there were plans to revive the Houston location. However, nothing had happened in 2021. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Art Guys
Houston, TX

2011:
2018:
The approximately 14-foot-tall Art Guys statues were built in 1998. The statues were made from metal, wood, and polyurethane. The statues were previously both painted a moss green color. They were created by, and represent, Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing, aka The Art Guys. The statues were displayed in Tampa, Scottsdale, and other cities in Texas. They were then installed at the location for which they were created when the place was known as the Safe Way Motors used car lot. The statues have been repainted several times. In 2019, the business and statues were moved to a new location in Houston. By 2021, the statues were moved to another car lot. [map]

Astronaut
Houston, TX		 Mr. Pollo #2
Fort Worth, TX		 Atlas
Austin, TX
This fiberglass Astronaut statue holds an order of French Fries. He was installed on the roof of a McDonald's which was next to Space Center Houston. The statue was built by John Knott. It had been there since at least 2007. In 2021, a new McDonald's opened nearby. This statue is supposedly inside. [map]

This Mr. Pollo #2 chicken restaurant statue was installed around 2014. [map]

This Atlas statue was originally produced for Jack LaLanne Fitness Centers. There are still many of these statues, adopted by other businesses, scattered around the country including these in California. This statue in Austin has been advertising for this Chuy's restaurant since at least 2007. The chain was established in 1982. I don't believe any of the other locations have an Atlas statue. For more, see this website. [map]

Genie
Austin, TX
This Genie statue was installed on the roof of the Blue Genie Art Bazaar building in 2016. The art sculpture company was founded in 1999. This statue was previously installed on the roof of the company's Springdale Rd. location. It had been there since at least 2007. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Baby Devil
Austin, TX		 Tin Soldier
Waco, TX
This revolving Baby Devil was installed in 2014 at the Torchy's Tacos on E. 51st St. It was produced by Blue Genie Arts which has made several of these statues for different Torchy's locations. The devil mascot came from the company's slogan "Damn Good." For more, see this website. [map]

This 80-foot-tall Tin Soldier was created in 2014. It conceals an abandoned incinerator in a parking lot. [map]

Murle's Gunsmith Shop
Granbury, TX
Murle's Gunsmith Shop was established in 1973. This statue was originally installed here when the building housed a Shotgun Sam's Pizza Palace. The chain was established in Tulsa, OK in 1967 and there were 12 locations in Oklahoma, Texas, and Missouri. It appears that this statue revolved originally. I don't know how many of these statues were produced but there is another one in Oshkosh, WI at M. Schettl Sales and another one in a private collection. [map]

Texas
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