Mad Dog Madigan – Art Director | Creative Director

If you’ve been to an immersive event, an upscale gala, a warehouse party, or a festival in the past 25 years and walked away wondering “who the hell built this?”—there’s a good chance it was Mad Dog Madigan.

Mad Dog is an award-winning Art Director and Creative Consultant known for turning spaces into stories. His work includes everything from fully immersive movie performances and multi-projection installations to bespoke photobooths, 3D signage, and hand-painted murals. No matter the scale, his approach is always the same: world-building that leaves an imprint.

For over a decade, he served as Art Director for the world-famous Edwardian Ball, designing entire visual ecosystems that transported audiences. His collaborations with the Vau de Vire Society helped define the visual style of San Francisco’s underground arts scene, and his annual entrance sign at Burning Man has become a landmark—welcoming tens of thousands into Black Rock City every year.

Mad Dog’s roots trace back to Los Angeles, where he served as Art Director for Neal Adams’ Continuity Studios. There, he helped lead visual campaigns for some of the most iconic franchises in pop culture—including Batman, Men in Black, and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers—shaping what became one of the most successful global licensing machines of its era.

He’s worked side by side with visionaries like H.R. Giger (Species), Harlan Ellison (The Twilight Zone), and Oscar-nominated SFX artist Tom Burman (Planet of the Apes, Scrooged). His production design work has spanned everything from toy design and special effects to movie posters, style guides, and stadium-scale brand rollouts.

In 1996, he founded Rabble Rouzer Studios, offering creative direction and design services to clients across entertainment, hospitality, and lifestyle sectors. That led to his role as Creative Director at Rockefeller Center, where he rebranded and rebuilt the Top of the Rock observatory—reviving it as a modern destination with award-winning packaging, merch, and experiential storytelling.

Now based in the Bay Area, Mad Dog continues to build large-scale scenic environments, concept installations, and curated experiences for festivals, luxury brands, and private events. His portfolio includes landmark work for New Bohemia NYE, The White Party (Opulent Temple), Lagunitas Beer Circus, Sea of Dreams, and his (A)Live Immersive Movie series at San Francisco’s historic Great Star Theater.