Post AYM1Tvu2PhPPCJaueW by blag@typo.social
(DIR) More posts by blag@typo.social
(DIR) Post #AYM1ToGmnEqrWYAy00 by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T07:16:48Z
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Here's an #introduction to me, Sam Roberts, reposted to typo.social now I'm here...I produce BLAG (Better Letters Magazine, https://bl.ag), the world's only publication dedicated to #signpainting / #signwriting.A born and bred Londoner, I moved with my family to Sant Pere de Ribes in Catalonia, Spain, in 2019. I've also lived in Bristol as a student, and Cambodia as a VSO volunteer.Here I am with my Lockdown Letterheads portrait by Mark Oatis: https://bl.ag/behind-the-panel-alf-becker-at-lockdown-letterheads/1/
(DIR) Post #AYM1TpIEzJbqhLrduC by EvilSandmich@poa.st
2023-08-03T12:54:26.236090Z
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@blag >he/himAnd here I was hoping that you weren't gay, ah well...
(DIR) Post #AYM1TqHZJIfLlYYcUq by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T07:19:16Z
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Back in 2006, I was working in the advertising industry when I first noticed a fading sign painted on a brick wall.This is it, on Stoke Newington Church Street in North London.I was struck by the idea of painting a sign at this scale, but also the alien notion of having a pen repaired.My curiosity piqued, I set about finding and documenting more of what I later learned were called #ghostsigns.A blog followed (https://ghostsigns.co.uk/blog) and an obsession was born.2/
(DIR) Post #AYM1Ts84RaFzUg83yC by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:41:49Z
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In the 15 years that followed, I led a number of #ghostsigns projects: https://ghostsigns.co.uk/projects/.I have also written and published books on the topic, both academic and for the general reader: https://ghostsigns.co.uk/publications/.I curated a national archive at the History of Advertising Trust (https://www.hatads.org.uk/catalogue/search.aspx?Kwrd=ghostsigns) and led a project to document London's remaining street signs with the N.E. postal code (https://ghostsigns.co.uk/projects/nesigns/)3/
(DIR) Post #AYM1TtufoMjF1hsOMi by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:43:04Z
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On my return from Cambodia, I wanted to do something different with my life, and set about some experiments.One of these was researching and launching my #ghostsigns walking tours (https://ghostsigns.co.uk/tours).Another was hosting the London screenings of the Sign Painters film in 2014. I had been following its progress while overseas, and it was an honour to bring it to London.Without realising it at the time, this launched my fledgling concept of Better Letters.4/
(DIR) Post #AYM1Tvu2PhPPCJaueW by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:43:52Z
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After hearing that I was screening the film, Ash Bishop of Brilliant Signs got in touch. He suggested that I invite one of its stars, Mike Meyer, to come to London and teach a workshop.I rolled the dice, put some tickets on sale, and a couple of months later Mike joined me for three nights of the film at The Roxy, followed by a weekend workshop at Sarah Hyndman's Type Tasting studio.This was the first of what would be over 200 workshops organised in 50+ cites around the world.5/
(DIR) Post #AYM1Txrz6IxFIWeIjI by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:45:43Z
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We did so many workshops, and Mike painted so many promotional showcards, that during the pandemic we collated these and published The Showcards Book (https://bl.ag/showcardsbook).This shows the work with Mike's reflections on each showcard.I was also the ghost writer for the definitive contemporary 'how to', Sign Painting (https://bl.ag/signpainting), harnessing Mike's expertise. This was then illustrated by Jasper Andries.Another publishing endeavour were the two Morgue File books.6/
(DIR) Post #AYM1Tzn5xSERFwNQO0 by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:47:20Z
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In 2016 I received an email from someone called Karen in Bristol. She told me that she was caring for an elderly gentleman that painted one of the local #ghostsigns in the 1950s.You can read the full story at https://bl.ag/cliff, but one thing led to another and we produced a short film about this 96-year-old former #signpainter.Sadly Cliff died before we had finished editing the final cut, but his was the first in the 'When Better Letters Met...' series.RIP Cliff.7/
(DIR) Post #AYM1U1pIOFBFZLQD5s by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:49:42Z
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The reaction to our film about Cliff (previous toot in thread) led to producing three more about retired sign painters: When Better Letters Met...- Josef Samuel, Vienna, Austria;- Stan Wilkinson, Wokingham, UK;- Barbara Enright, Sydney, Australia.https://bl.ag/tag/when-better-letters-met/Funding for these productions came from Colossal Media and Right Way Signs of Chicago, and my time was voluntary—I'd love to commission more via BLAG in the future.8/
(DIR) Post #AYM1U3eNbndZE4KWMC by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:55:40Z
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Over the years I have also helped numerous agencies and their clients to find and collaborate with #signpainters and #lettering artists around the world.This is a sampling of some of the projects that I worked on as producer, and I'm always open to new briefs where my skills and network could be beneficial.I don't really plug this page of my site, but it has a load more images of projects I've worked on: https://bl.ag/portfolio/#signpainting #signwriting #signwriters 9/
(DIR) Post #AYM1U5cgH5SzLNYBzE by blag@typo.social
2023-07-19T09:56:29Z
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During the pandemic, I rediscovered my passion for researching and writing about #signs and #signpainting—I got the #ghostsigns book into print, and The Showcards Book (see earlier toot in thread).With no print magazines serving the sign painting trade, I developed the idea of a new print and online publication.BLAG was born, and is now on its third issue: https://bl.ag/03. It takes an international view of the trade, and every article/issue is a pleasure to produce.10/