REAL FUN, WOW! is the moniker of Ojai, CA based illustrator, muralist, and designer Daren Thomas Magee. Masterfully blending elements of natural, supernatural, and human connectedness, Daren's work is both a perfect commentary and a welcome antidote for our modern times. In his own words, Daren explains "The aim of my work is to speak to the space between imagination and reality." If you've ever been to Ojai, you've undoubtedly seen Daren's work either hanging in or painted on the side of local restaurants, breweries, hotels, and shops. Even if you haven't, there's a good chance you've seen his work. Daren's prolific list of collaborators includes REI, Vissla, CAMP, Christy Dawn, Tank Garage Wines, and Little Blind Beer Co., among many others. When BANDITS made the move to Ojai in December of 2019, Daren was one of the first people we reached out to in town. Having adored his work from afar for almost 2 years, he was basically a celebrity in our minds. Needless to say, we were nervous, giddy, and a little starstruck when we first met him for a beer at our favorite local pub. Not only was he even cooler than our expectations, he was kind, thoughtful, welcoming, and graciously put up with way too much talking on our part. Working with Daren has been a dream come true, but we're even more honored to have him as a new friend and neighbor. In addition to "Forever Blooming," Daren also created our "Life In Flight" design and contributed his "Deep in Nature" design to our exclusive collection available at REI. Click the links below to check out his irreverent, always eye-catching Instagram feed and his website where you can find a whole catalog of for-sale prints, wearables, wall hangings, tattoo permits, and more!