[7] Kozik spent his earliest years living with his mother in Spain, where the fascist regime of Francisco Franco and its iconography would later serve as an influence in his art.

[9][10][11] After leaving the Air Force, Kozik worked as a doorman at an Austin nightclub, becoming part of the city's underground-rock scene.

He first gained attention as a self-trained underground artist in the early 1980s, making flyers and posters for Austin punk bands.

[8] According to Josh Homme of Queens of the Stone Age, getting a poster done by Kozik became a "stamp of approval" into the alternative scene.

[9][10] The album covers designed by Kozik in his career include Queens of the Stone Age's 1998 self-titled debut and the Offspring's Americana, though the latter was released by Columbia Records.

"[26] As a toy designer, Kozik created the popular Smorkin' Labbit, an unshaven rabbit that smokes, inspired by the Japanese Hello Kitty character around 1996.

[12] In 2003, Kidrobot began making Labbits, which would start a long-term partnership between the producer and retailer of designer toys and Kozik.

[28] Although Kozik was primarily known for his screen prints, a rare painting of the Labbit sold on the TV blind auction show Four Rooms for £4,000.

[9][12] In 2008, Christie's auctioned sets of multi-colored busts of Ludwig van Beethoven and Ho Chi Minh that were designed by Kozik, valued at between $3,000 and $4,000.

[4] Regarding Kozik's untimely death, the artist Emek wrote on Facebook: “RIP to a true giant of the scene- art, cars, toys, sculptures, underground art, music, rock posters, album covers, record labels, music videos… he did it all, he influenced all, larger-than-life yet down-to-earth hero to many.