BLAG (Better Letters Magazine)

BLAG 08: See bl.ag/08 and join today via the link in bio to get yours sent to wherever you are in the world. Specs - 80 full-colour interior pages, no advertising. - Silver foil on masthead. - Limited edition ‘Flamboyant Fairground Tuscan’ poster and how-to. - 172 x 250 mm (6.8 x 9.8 in). - Printed with eco-friendly HUV inks on 100% FSC certified recycled paper. Contents Ye Olde Sign Shoppe American craftsman B.S. Rearick’s legacy now extends to four generations. Ghost Sign Corner Five favourites from the Ghost Signs of Melbourne book. Shop Talk Lettering in dusty fields on the festival circuit with Greta Lindsay. Adventures in Letter Carving Tap tap tap: Listening to letters, and learning from them. On the Brush Art Deco, acid etching, an annual report, and more projects from around the world. Inside Letterform Archive Chewing over the designs of Dorothy and Otis Shepard. Revisiting Hong Kong’s Signs Hunting down traces of Hong Kong’s rich sign heritage, and questioning what the future holds. Lettering Location Keeping it strictly hand-painted in Lamu, Kenya. Russ Thomas: A Life In Signs Fairgrounds, stock cars, and loving memories of a humble craftsperson. Alphabet Regular, condensed, and extended treatments of an alphabetic workhorse. The Fine Art of Painting Signs Five fine artists seeking out signs as subject matter. The Untraceable Hands of Seoul’s Industrial Signs Investigating a vernacular style on the brink of extinction. Meet the Letterheads The movement flourishes worldwide as it reaches 50 years. Interowriting Writing on the run with cursive and ‘stylewriting’ (graffiti). The Secrets of Fileteado Porteño The decorative majesty of the swan, Fileteado style. Exhibitionism Four sign and sign painting shows from across the USA. Book Club Designs by David Doyle Butler, sign painters at the American Sign Museum, and more tempting tomes. Sundries Don’t listen to Dave, the Kitbox Krew, plus all your favourite regular snippets. bl.ag online Highlights from six months of online articles. Thanks Contributors, patrons, and sponsors.

BLAG 07, the Letterheads special: See bl.ag/07 and order from bl.ag/shop while stocks last. Specs - 128 full-colour interior pages, no advertising. - Guest edited by Mark Oatis. - Limited edition 2-sided commemorative poster by Noel B. Weber. - 172 x 250 mm (6.8 x 9.8 in). - Printed with eco-friendly HUV inks on 100% FSC certified recycled paper. Contents They'd Love to Talk Original Letterhead Mark Oatis reflects on the miracles that have peppered his adventures in the craft. Ye Olde Sign Shoppe How did the movement begin? Meet Denver’s Jerry Albright, father of the Letterheads. Ghost Sign Corner A faux ghost sign with a trompe-l'œil at the American Sign Museum. Shop Talk How Noel B. Weber’s Classic Design Studio embraces technology to elevate the craft. On the Brush Interpreting the Letterheads motto: 40 translations into 35 languages, lettered. Eye Appeal Showing off with showcards: the immense talent that was Mike Stevens. A Journey That Changed Everything The Letterheads have been Gustavo Ferrari’s passport to the world. Safe Spaces and Mighty Meets A brief history of women in the trade, and how community serves as a balm for the continuous push for change and equality for marginalised members. Doing it the Right Way What does it take to host a Letterheads meet? Alphabet Carl Rohrs revisits his 1982 Boise BBQ lettering. 50 Big Ones Moments, memories, and magic from the movement’s five decades. Lettering Location Mazeppa, Minnesota: a small town transformed by its many meets. Meet the Letterheads Legends of the movement: Rick Glawson and Keith Knecht. Book Club Vintage volumes, timeless inspiration: five essential tomes. A Magazine About Letterheads The movement’s quarterly from 1996–2006. Sundries A mighty mahl stick, the Sign Police, Letterheads Chili, and more. PS. IOAFS Indulge Our Additional Fun Section. Thanks Contributors, patrons, and sponsors. #IOAFS

BLAG 06: See bl.ag/06 and order from bl.ag/shop while stocks last. Specs - 80 full-colour interior pages, no advertising. - Gold foil on masthead. - Limited edition 'Pillow Gild' poster and how-to. - 172 x 250 mm (6.8 x 9.8 in). - Printed with eco-friendly HUV inks on 100% FSC certified recycled paper. Contents Ye Olde Sign Shoppe The first advertising graphic designer in Caltanissetta, Sicily. Ghost Sign Corner Secret palimpsests in San Francisco. Shop Talk The history of Oregon’s Studio Sign Co. On the Brush Gilded barbers, sign painter portraits, a mural school, and more. Inside Letterform Archive A look at Japanese design from 1928–1930. Seeing is Believing: Sign Painting for the Silver Screen On set with the cinematic sign painters. Lettering Location Thousands of DIY street signs in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Magic on Main Street at the American Sign Museum Behind the scenes of the museum’s new wing. Alphabet A unique alphabet fit for carved signs. Quality Over Quantity: 75 Years of A.S. Handover Brushmakers of distinction celebrate a major milestone. Peeling Back the Layers: Celebrating 20 Colossal Years Mural advertising is back. For good. On the Tiles: Adventures in Mosaic Making Taking inspiration from Ireland’s mosaic heritage. Under the Influence of Chicago’s Beverly Sign Co. The national and international impact of a single sign firm. Interowriting Negative space and quantum physics. Meet the Letterheads Meets in Surrey, England, and Peace Farm, Wisconsin. The Secrets of Fileteado Porteño Learn how to paint dragons in the Fileteado style. Book Club Publications from Argentina, Belgium, Costa Rica, India, and the Netherlands. Doing it the Right Way Pricing for quality, craft, and experience. Sundries Humble tools, offensive signs, and more. Lost But Not Forgotten Honouring those that have passed. bl.ag online Highlights from six months of online articles. Thanks Contributors, patrons, and sponsors.

BLAG 05: See bl.ag/05 and order from bl.ag/shop while stocks last. Specs - 80 full-colour interior pages, no advertising. - Limited edition sticker sheet with ten Dapper Signs tributes. - 172 x 250 mm (6.8 x 9.8 in). - Printed with eco-friendly HUV inks on 100% FSC certified recycled paper. Contents Ye Olde Sign Shoppe An ode to Henry Coley Smith’s twenty years as a Midlands signwriter. Ghost Sign Corner Nayab Ahmed’s psychogeographic map of London ghost signs. Shop Talk A mega commuter sign painter working for Disneyland and his own shop. Heritage, Hand-Painted Restoring ghost signs, and painting new murals to last. All Aboard Secret Santa’s Sleigh Christmas sign swaps around the world. Adventures in Central America Sign spotting and slinging paint in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Panamá. Dapper’s Delight Words and signs to honour the brilliant life of James Cooper. Inside Letterform Archive The analog process of lettering legend Michael Doret. From Hobbyist to Handcrafter of the Year Winning the top craftsperson prize, while holding down a day job. Marginal Gains Embracing negative space for a positive piece. Art with a Purpose and a Past: The Durham Bannermakers Hand-painted banners with messages of social justice. Alphabet A medium weight condensed block for tight spaces. Glass Half Full: Success with Smalting A sparkly smalted sign restoration by Hired Hand Signs. Lettering Location Preserving the lettering of Viennese shop signs. Riding the Sign Painting Rollercoaster Sthlm Signs’ sign painting adventures at the Gröna Lund theme park. The Decorated Oxcarts of Sarchí A traditional Costa Rican craft recognised by UNESCO. Interowriting How names define our identities—and our societies. The Secrets of Fileteado Porteño Learn how to paint the horses of Fileteado. Book Club Fairground alphabets, icy caps, morgues, and murals. Doing it the Right Way Managing client, and your own, expectations. Sundries Wise words, gilding samples, a vintage sign kit, and more. Meet the Letterheads Letterheads recaps from Australia and New Zealand. bl.ag online Highlights from the online articles. Thanks Contributors, patrons, and sponsors.

BLAG 04: See bl.ag/04. No longer available in hard copy, BLAG 04 can be read digitally at bl.ag/backissues. Specs - 80 full-colour interior pages, with no advertising. - Limited edition poster insert from Leonardo of Deadly Prey Gallery. - 172 x 250 mm (6.8 x 9.8 in). - Printed with eco-friendly HUV inks on 100% FSC certified recycled paper. Contents Ye Olde Sign Shoppe Meticulously kept account books tell the story of a father-and-son sign painting firm. Ghost Sign Corner Innovative light projections bring new life to old signs in Winnipeg. Shop Talk Life as a sole-trader sign painter versus working in a collective. On the Brush Anamorphic lettering, gilding projects, Phool Patti, a very long name, and more. Inside Letterform Archive Design inspiration from 1930s–60s Milwaukee transit passes. Budget Neon Dapper Signs’ James Cooper brightens everything up. The Sistine Chapel of Sheds The seeds of inspiration behind Archie Proudfoot’s prize-winning garden shed. Coming to America A cinematic sign painting tradition from Ghana, West Africa. Alphabet 2 Pencil, for that calligraphic look. Signs of Protest A call-to-action to utilise sign painting for change and activism. Lettering Location How the Dingles Fairground Heritage Museum came to be. Acting Casual Adapting technical lettering to sign painting for speed and style—and staying humble. From Signs to Type and Back Again A sign painter attends the Type@Cooper programme at Cooper Union. Interowriting Peeling back the letters and reflecting on the ultimate canvas: the wall. Meet the Letterheads Gatherings in Brussels and Copenhagen. The Secrets of Fileteado Porteño How to paint frames and corners like a traditional Buenos Aires fileteador. Book Club Lettering, signs, and design spanning California, Colombia, India, and Vienna. Doing it the Right Way Class is in session: Sign Painting Business 101. Sundries A true wall dog, gilded spelling mistakes, and more. bl.ag online Highlights from six months of online articles. Thanks Contributors, patrons, and sponsors.

BLAG 03: See bl.ag/03 and order from bl.ag/shop while stocks last. Specs - 64 full-colour interior pages, with no advertising. - Limited edition poster insert from Danielle McGurran at City Folk Studio. - 172 x 250 mm (6.8 x 9.8 in). - Printed with eco-friendly HUV inks on 100% FSC certified recycled paper. Contents Ye Olde Sign Shoppe Diving into the prolific work of Enver Yücebalkan in Sakarya, Turkey. Ghost Sign Corner The Marvel Cycle Co. in Bath, England, from the late nineteenth century. Shop Talk The folks behind Boston Painted Signs and Bungo Sign Co. On the Brush Secret Santa, water marbling, churros, truck lettering, and more. Inside Letterform Archive Ross F. George’s Speedball legacy. Downsizing: The Magic in the Minutiae Zooming in on signs and lettering in miniature. Tuscans on Sea Lettering and type at England’s coastal resorts. Lettering Location Jordan’s Old Signs of Amman museum. Paper Signs as Practise A low-risk approach to developing lettering and layout skills. Alphabet Ultra: an option for punchy bar signs. Tricks of the Eye: Optical Illusions in Murals Lettering murals with blocks, shades, and trompe l'oeil. Interowriting Writing as art, Roman capitals, and the informal hands. Letterheads Meet the prodigious John Frazier, original Letterhead. Burds of the Brush: One Year On Life for women and non-binary folks in the sign painting trade. Secrets of Fileteado Porteño How to draw and paint acanthus leaves. Letters Advice on apprenticeships. Online Shops Actionable tips to take control of your online presence. Sundries Wise words, spelling mistakes, a playful pangram, and more. bl.ag online Highlights from six months of online articles. Thanks Contributors, patrons, and sponsors.

BLAG 02: See bl.ag/02. No longer available in hard copy, BLAG 02 can be read digitally at bl.ag/backissues. Contents Ye Olde Sign Shoppe Bideford's prize-winning sign painter Bertram Hamlyn. Ghost Sign Corner Newman's have removed in Melbourne, Australia. Letters Books on the history of sign painting, and advice for keeping ants out of your brushes. On the Brush Working at speed, fan art, and a difficult surface among the sign painting and lettering projects from around the world. Inside Letterform Archive Profiling French sign painter portfolios from the turn of the twentieth century. Land of the Rising Signs Meet the sign painters from Japan. ‘Rotulismo’ Snapping the sign painters of Mexico. Lettering Location God's Own Junkyard in East London. Alphabet 'Freestyle' by Rob Cooper. Renegade Writing Faux fascias from This is My Costume. Floored in Chicago Japanese renderings of Koi Carp inspire a mural underfoot. Interowriting What came first, reading or writing? Letterheads Meets in Helsinki and West Wycombe. Walldogging Painting 15 murals in The Dalles, Oregon. Secrets of Fileteado Porteño Flags of all nations are given the fileteado treatment. Book Club Letters in the Amazonian river system, zines of note, and more inspiring published material. How to Business Know your worth, and price it fairly. Sundries Wise words, cartoons, a new Latin alphabet, and more bits and bobs. bl.ag online The latest from the BLAG website. Thanks Contributors, sponsors, and patrons.

BLAG 01: See bl.ag/01. No longer available in hard copy, BLAG 01 can be read digitally at bl.ag/backissues. Contents Ye Olde Sign Shoppe An 1841 painting of Robert Allen's tobacconist and signwriting shop. Ghost Sign Corner The touching up of the Holland-America Line in Santander, Spain. Letters Questions answered on brushes for casual letters and decay on gilded signs. On the Brush Massive murals, motorbike helmets, and sign painting and lettering projects from around the world. Inside Letterform Archive Stunning hand-painted labels from the Lehmann Label Collection. The French Dispatch The sign painters behind Wes Anderson's film. Panama Ceiling Looking up at Central America's answer to the Sistine Chapel. Alphabet Tacos 'n' Beer from Rob Cooper. Lettering Location The hand-painted skulls of Hallstatt's Charnel House. R.N. Cattle Bringing back the bitumen to recreate a vintage London ghost sign. Ultraviolet Signs Night vision in Wroclaw, Poland. Interowriting The first installment of Alice Mazzilli's adventures in writing. Letterheads Meet the Letterheads at events in Barcelona, Glasgow, Norwich, and online. Secrets of Fileteado Porteño Gustavo Ferrari shows us how to paint 'bolitas' and flowers. Book Club Instructional guides for beginners, ghost signs, showcards, and more in the Reader's Digest. Copyright and Licensing A brief guide for sign painters. Sundries Cartoons, wise words, you spelled it wrong, and more. bl.ag online The latest from the BLAG website. Thanks Contributors, sponsors, and patrons.