Girl Skateboards vs Chocolate Skateboards: Which Brand Creates Better Skateboard Wall Art for Collectors?

Chocolate Skateboards archive featuring Evan Hecox's signature urban landscape graphics. Image: The Daily Board

Honestly, this is a topic I've been wanting to write about for months. When people come to me asking about skateboard wall art - and they do, pretty much every week at this point - there's one question that keeps popping up over and over. "Stanislav, what's the actual difference between Girl and Chocolate graphics?" And every time, I catch myself going on this long tangent because... it's complicated. Both brands share the same parent company, Crailtap. Both launched out of the same garage in Los Angeles in the early 90s. But their art directions? Completely different universes.

Let me back up for a second. When I first moved to Berlin from Ukraine about four years ago, I brought a small collection of skateboard decks with me. Half of them were Girl boards, half were Chocolate. And when I hung them on the wall in my new apartment in Kreuzberg, something clicked. These weren't just skateboards anymore - they were a conversation between two totally different artistic philosophies living on the same maple canvas. That's the moment I started looking at skateboard deck art differently. My background in vector graphics and branding - including working with Ukrainian streetwear labels and doing art events for Red Bull Ukraine - suddenly had this new lens.

So let me break this down for you properly. Because if you're looking to invest in fine art skateboard decks for your wall, understanding what sets these two apart is kind of essential.

Girl Skateboards graphic design process at the Crailtap creative studio. Image: The Daily Board

The Art DNA: Andy Jenkins vs Evan Hecox

Here's what most people don't realize about these two brands. Girl Skateboards was founded in 1993 by Rick Howard and Mike Carroll after they left Plan B. One year later, in 1994 (or was it late '93? I always mix up the exact timeline), Chocolate Skateboards launched as the sister brand, basically to give a home to skaters who didn't quite fit Girl's roster.

But the real difference isn't about the riders. It's about the artists behind the graphics.

Girl's visual identity has been shaped heavily by Andy Jenkins, who has been the creative force behind the brand for over 30 years. Jenkins brings this pop art sensibility - clean lines, bold colors, playful typography, and this retro 1950s illustration vibe that feels both nostalgic and fresh. When you look at a Girl board, there's an immediate graphic punch. The famous Girl "bathroom door" logo alone is one of the most recognizable marks in skateboarding history. His Pictograph series, for example, pulled directly from mid-century American design, and it gave Girl this unique identity that you couldn't confuse with anyone else.

Chocolate? That's Evan Hecox territory. Hecox, a Colorado-based artist and Mission School graduate, has been Chocolate's go-to art director since 1997. As covered in Huck Magazine's in-depth profile, his approach is completely different. We're talking muted color palettes, urban landscape paintings, hand-rendered typography, and these beautiful tonal compositions that feel more like gallery paintings than skateboard graphics. He's designed over 300 boards for Chocolate, each one transforming a photograph of city streets - Tokyo, San Francisco, New York - into these geometric, almost dreamlike scenes.

I mean, think about it. Same company, same production line, but two radically different creative visions. That's what makes collecting both so interesting.

Style Comparison: Bold Pop vs Urban Poetry

Let me give you the the breakdown in a way that actually makes sense if you're thinking about skateboard wall art for your space.

From my experience in branding and graphic design, Girl boards work amazing in spaces that need energy. I actually had a client in Berlin who hung three Girl decks in their startup office reception - it immediately made the space feel young and creative. Chocolate boards, on the other hand, have this quieter sophistication. They work in places where you want people to stop and actually look. Almost like hanging a fine art piece.

That's exactly the philosophy we follow at DeckArts when curating skateboard wall art. The idea that a deck can function as genuine art isn't new - both Jenkins and Hecox proved it decades ago - but translating classical masterpieces onto premium Canadian maple takes that concept even further. Our Botticelli Birth of Venus Skateboard Wall Art captures the same kind of artistic intention that Chocolate brings to urban landscapes: museum-quality imagery on a skateboard canvas.

The creative process behind Chocolate Skateboards art - where urban photography meets skateboard design. Image: WOOO Media

Why Both Brands Matter for Skateboard Wall Art Collectors

Here's the thing that gets me excited as both a designer and a collector. The Girl vs Chocolate debate isn't really about which is "better." It's about understanding two completely valid approaches to what skateboard deck art can be.

As The Daily Board's profile on Andy Jenkins puts it, Jenkins operates "like an orchestra conductor" guiding the artistic direction of major skateboard brands. That's a pretty accurate description. His work for Girl has this controlled chaos - there's always a system, a grid, a logic underneath the playfulness. Having worked with Ukrainian streetwear brands myself, I recognize that discipline. Good graphic design looks effortless, but there are always rules underneath.

Hecox's approach for Chocolate is more painterly. When organizing art events for Red Bull Ukraine, I would sometimes show his city series as examples of how commercial art can transcend its medium. People who knew nothing about skateboarding were genuinely moved by those boards. That tells you something.

For collectors building a skateboard wall art display, mixing both brands creates this incredible visual tension. The bold energy of Girl plays off the contemplative mood of Chocolate. It's like hanging a Warhol next to a Hopper - totally different, but they make each other better.

At DeckArts, we bridge similar contrasts when we put something like our Bosch Garden of Earthly Delights Triptych next to our Caravaggio Medusa - one is maximalist chaos, the other is focused intensity. Same maple, totally different energy. We covered similar brand comparisons in our Element vs Santa Cruz Skateboard Art article, and the feedback from collectors was overwhelming.

Which Brand Should You Collect for Wall Art?

People always ask me this. And honestly, it depends on your space and your taste. If you're building a gallery wall in a modern apartment, Chocolate decks with their muted landscapes create this unified, gallery-like feel. If you want something that pops and brings personality to a creative space, Girl's graphic punch is hard to beat.

But here's my actual advice from years of working with interiors and branding: collect both. The magic happens in the contrast. And if you want to take it even further, add some classical art skateboard decks into the mix - Renaissance masters on a skateboard canvas create this wild dialogue between centuries of art history and contemporary street culture. That's something you can't fake, and that's something I explore more in our guide on Art Decks vs Skateable Decks.

Living in Berlin taught me that the best art spaces are never about one style. They're about conversations between styles. Girl and Chocolate have been having that conversation for over 30 years now, and it's still one of the most interesting ones in skateboarding... at least that's how I see it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the main difference between Girl Skateboards and Chocolate Skateboards art?

A: Girl Skateboards features bold, pop art-inspired graphics driven by art director Andy Jenkins, with bright colors and retro 1950s illustration style. Chocolate Skateboards leans into muted urban landscapes by artist Evan Hecox, with geometric abstraction and earthy tonal palettes. Both brands operate under Crailtap but maintain completely separate creative visions - making them complementary choices for skateboard wall art displays.

Q: Are Girl and Chocolate skateboard decks good as wall art?

A: Absolutely. Both brands have art directors with gallery-level credentials. Girl's bold graphics work great in energetic spaces like creative offices and living rooms. Chocolate's quieter tonal landscapes suit minimalist interiors and formal galleries. Collectors often mix both for visual contrast. Premium skateboard wall art from specialty makers like DeckArts takes this concept further with museum-quality classical art prints on Canadian maple.

Q: Which brand has higher collector value - Girl or Chocolate?

A: Both hold strong collector value. Chocolate decks featuring original Evan Hecox artwork tend to command higher prices in the secondary market because of his fine art reputation - he's designed over 300 boards since 1997. Girl boards with Andy Jenkins graphics are equally prized for their iconic pop art status. Condition, edition rarity, and featured rider all affect individual deck value.

Q: Can I mix Girl and Chocolate skateboard art in the same room?

A: That's actually the best approach in my experience. The energetic pop graphics of Girl create a dynamic contrast with Chocolate's atmospheric urban scenes. Think of it like hanging a Warhol next to a Hopper. The visual tension makes both pieces stronger. I recommend grouping 2-3 decks from each brand on opposite walls.

Q: How do Girl and Chocolate compare to classical art skateboard decks?

A: Girl and Chocolate represent modern graphic design excellence, while classical art skateboard decks bring Renaissance and Baroque masterpieces onto premium maple. All three styles work beautifully together - the pop energy of Girl, the urban poetry of Chocolate, and the timeless composition of classical masters like Botticelli or Caravaggio create a multi-layered gallery wall that spans centuries of artistic tradition.

Q: Who are the main artists behind Girl and Chocolate skateboard graphics?

A: Andy Jenkins has shaped Girl's visual identity for over 30 years with his pop art and retro illustration style. Evan Hecox has been Chocolate's primary artist since 1997, bringing his Mission School-trained eye for urban landscapes and geometric abstraction. Both artists have fine art careers beyond skateboarding, which elevates the collector value and artistic credibility of each brand.

About the Author

Stanislav Arnautov is the founder of DeckArts and a creative director originally from Ukraine, now based in Berlin. With over a decade of experience in branding, merchandise design, and vector graphics, Stanislav has collaborated with Ukrainian streetwear brands and organized art events for Red Bull Ukraine. His unique expertise combines classical art knowledge with modern design sensibilities, creating museum-quality skateboard art that bridges Renaissance masterpieces with contemporary street culture. His work has been featured in Berlin's creative community and Ukrainian design publications. Follow him on Instagram, visit his personal website stasarnautov.com, or check out DeckArts on Instagram and explore the curated collection at DeckArts.com.

Article Summary: This article compares the art styles of Girl Skateboards (Andy Jenkins' bold pop art) and Chocolate Skateboards (Evan Hecox's urban landscapes) through the lens of skateboard wall art collecting. Drawing from a decade of graphic design experience and curatorial work, Stanislav Arnautov examines how both Crailtap brands offer distinct yet complementary approaches to skateboard deck art that translate beautifully to gallery-quality wall displays