This bus is so dang wild, it makes snow fall from the sky in June.

While some people trick out their car with rims and tinted windows, others like to use paint to make their car look fly. That is what Steve Bateman and Brianna Capra decided to do nine years ago when they bought a Volkswagen van. On one side of the van they painted Max and his boat, from the popular children’s book, Where the Wild Things Are. On the other side, they painted a sea monster swimming in gigantic tsunami waves inspired by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai. Bateman and Capra are both prolific artists and continue to create art around the Chippewa Valley. “We hope the van will encourage other people to do the same thing,” Capra said. “It keeps the world from getting boring.” Bateman and Capra sold the van about three years ago to Eau Claire native Jes Meinholz. The first year she had it she took it to the Bonnaroo Festival. Meinholz has two children and said that while she takes the van to festivals, it’s also great to take camping. On the inside there’s a mini kitchen, the backseat turns into a bed, and the top can be raised to make another bedding area. “It’s like a transformer,” said Meinholz, “it’s pretty cool.” Whether it is being driven to festivals or campgrounds, the van gets a lot of attention. People take pictures of it and Meinholz gets a lot of comments about how Where the Wild Things Are is their favorite book. “I feel very lucky to have it, actually,” said Meinholz, “because it is so unique.” So the next time you spot Wild Things cruising the streets of Eau Claire or Altoona, don’t worry, you didn’t imagine it.

The other wild side (click for a biggie):