In the 1970s, John Lamb's early animation debuted with surf and skateboarding cult films like Five Summer Stories and Spinnin' Wheels. Lamb's self-taught animation style was rough and colorful. In 1976, he co-invented the Lyon Lamb Video Animation System (VAS), which revolutionized animation production, being utilized by studios and schools alike, including Disney and California Institute of the Arts. In 1979, Lamb conceptualized and directed Tom Waits For No One, a pioneering American music video. In 1980, Lamb was honored with an Academy Award for co-invention of the Lyon Lamb Video Animation System. Today, Lamb's artwork is on permanent installation at the California Surf Museum in Oceanside, and his animated sequence "Secret Spot" was included in the "Surf, Civilization and Barbarism" installation as part of the 13th Annual SurFilm Festival in San Sebastian, Spain.
