Drawing Duke: How Artist Dougie Mann Brought the Wild Goose Capsule to Life

Intro

For artist and illustrator Dougie Mann, designing the Wild Goose capsule wasn’t just another project. It was personal. Raised around the waters of Newport Harbor, Dougie drew from a lifetime of Duke fandom and hands-on nautical experience to bring the collection to life. With every hand-drawn detail, he sought to honor not only the style of the yacht itself but the spirit of the man behind the helm.

Note: The following questions are from the John Wayne Journal and appear in bold. Answers are presented in Dougie Mann’s own words.

Meet Dougie Mann

Here’s why this project mattered to me and how I approached the artwork for the Wild Goose capsule.

Q: Please introduce yourself and your role in creating the Wild Goose capsule: I’m Dougie Mann, an artist, illustrator, designer, ocean enthusiast, and Dad of 4 living in Orange County, CA. I’ve designed the Wild Goose collection, the Gold Handle Mugs, and most recently, I got to recreate the Wild Goose life ring. Everything I do starts with hand drawings.

My dad loves John Wayne. I’ve been surrounded by his movies, posters, photographs and books my whole life. We would pop in a VHS and watch our little collection on repeat. El Dorado was always a favorite. When I had kids of my own, I made sure to carry on this tradition.

While I love the cowboy John Wayne, what I actually connect even more with is the man on the water. The Wild Goose is a fixture in Newport Harbor. Having spent so much time on the bay and in Catalina, I feel a real sense of connection to the man, the father, and ocean man, John Wayne. He absolutely optimized casual yachtsman style aboard his yacht. Everything he did, and everything done for him, was executed at the highest level of style. I’m simply trying to match the tempo he set.

I have spent a lot of time on boats. Two of the boats I first traveled to Avalon in had the book On Board with the Duke. I knew every inch of that book. During each channel crossing, I would dive into it. His style and the items and logos aboard the yacht were my greatest inspiration.

I knew every inch of that book and I would dive in during every channel crossing. His style and the items and logos aboard the yacht were my greatest inspiration.

It has been very empowering to be trusted by his son, Ethan Wayne to properly deliver a collection that would rise to his dad’s standard.

Creative Spark: A Style Without Shortcuts

Q: What aspect of the Wild Goose capsule inspired you the most as an artist, and how did that excitement guide your approach to the artwork?

John Wayne accomplished all that he did without computers. He curated the best of his world to create a personal style that was truly unique. No Google. He used his gift on earth to challenge and empower people to be at their creative peak.

He was an incredible leader and creative person who empowered people with a vision and then trusted them to deliver. He knew they would push themselves before ever bringing something to him, and he rewarded that. That’s why everything around him was so layered with excellence.

He never stopped pushing himself to be the most authentic version of who he was. Having this boat was not easy or comfortable, but he rose to the challenge.

Channeling Duke: Casual West Coast Refinement

Q: John Wayne’s Wild Goose was more than a yacht—it was a symbol of his adventurous spirit. What does Duke and his time on the Wild Goose mean to you personally, and how did you aim to capture that in your illustrations?

Picturing John Wayne hosting his family and friends aboard the Wild Goose brings a lot of incredible thoughts to mind. It is a testament to his style. At the same time, it’s understated and utilitarian. It allowed him a platform to escape all over the world, while immersing his kids into the ocean lifestyle, the rigors it creates makes people strong.

Each element on the ship was taken to its highest level of style. Together, it formed a kind of high art that defined the ultimate Pacific version of what the East Coast calls “preppy.” Instead of just going on a boat, John Wayne was establishing a completely unique style. A more masculine, more streamlined take than anything seen back East. A style all his own.

Making the replica life ring alone showed the lengths he went to in curating an aesthetic that went beyond what most people understand. Each ring was custom colored in a subtle orange, with hand-painted names, burgees, and intricate detail. There were many versions to ensure it always looked fresh.

John Wayne aboard the *Wild Goose* in Newport Beach, 1967.
*(Photo by Francois Gragnon/Paris Match via Getty Images)*

Archival Inspiration

Q: Which archival photos, documents, or stories did you draw on for this Project in collection, and how did you translate those historical references into your final designs?”

There’s a photo of John Wayne pointing above a life ring. That image stuck with me. I also studied an original ring still hanging at a local restaurant in Newport called Dory Deli on the peninsula. Slight differences in hand-painted elements told me they were likely made by prop shops, maybe even ones used in his films. That theory guided how I interpreted the designs.

He also had the home port marked as ‘LA,’ meaning Los Angeles. My theory is that he got them made in a prop shop from his movies. His audience would have connected him more to Los Angeles at the time. The production companies would probably have liked some exposure from him getting them made.