Back in 1987, my first “real” full time job after I got married, was for a local printing company. I was their only artist on staff at the time. There were no fancy Apple computers to help with design and such. We had a type setting machine and paste up was the way it was put together.
Just look at that little 20 year old kid working away on those less than cool layouts! He thought he was all full of undiscovered talent and potential. Held down by the man! Forced to work on crappy projects. Didn’t they realize my creative genius was just waiting to be unleashed? Oh brother, what a bunch of stupid thoughts I had about real work and my role in it.
Sure, I was working in a printing company instead of a prestigious ad agency but did it kill me? Heck no.Working there gave me a huge understanding of and appreciation for the printing process like never before. It was the first time I really had to design alone. The first time I had to come up with solutions to hard problems without someone holding my hand. It was my sink or swim moment. I like to think I swam pretty good most days but looking back, I made plenty of mistakes. Oh, and I wasn’t swimming all alone. Here’s a few of the great people I worked with that really helped me.
Karen, the bosses daughter.
She worked afternoons in the reception area when she wasn’t going to classes. Super nice girl. An over achiever with a promising future.
Richard, the stripper.
Richard prepared my finished art boards for the printing press. He drove a really cool El Camino that I always envied. A really nice guy.
Henry, the runner and paper trimming guy.
When he wasn’t making deliveries, Henry cut up print pieces on a paper cutter that scared the crap out of me. It could take your arms off but he worked it like it was nothing. Glassy eyed and sweating, he would tell me all about how he was going to whip the boss man at poker later that day. They played a game some afternoons starting around 4 pm. They had a lot of fun.
Dick, head pressman.
One of the most interesting guys I’ve ever had the pleasure to call friend. The boss man really liked Dick and always called him Peter. (too funny!) Dick ran the press operations of the company and seemed to know every thing about printing. He didn’t talk about how he knew every thing, he just did. His hands constantly shook like he was nervous. He told me it was because of his time in Vietnam. Funny thing was, when he was working on something tedious, his hands didn’t shake. For that moment, he was steady as a surgeon. That always amazed me.
Jerry, the foil stamper.
Originally, Jerry was from Greece. All he ever worked on was foil stamping and die cutting projects. He was a really serious man about his work. He was always neat and clean. Never covered in ink stained clothes. Never got angry and acted ugly to anyone. Always, amazingly calm. I figured it was a Greek thing. Everyday at lunch, he would eat and then go for a walk. His daughter studied at Parson’s School of Design in New York. He busted his ass everyday to send her there and I loved that about him.
Ralph, the boss man. (not pictured)
Ralph always carried a cigar that he never lit, just chewed on it all day. Sometimes, he would swap those for sunflower seeds. He always dressed professional but by 9:30 am, his shirt would be un-tucked in the back. I loved that! A super smart guy, he kept the place running tip top. Ralph gave me a job when I really needed one and made a huge impact on my career. He taught me a butt load about print design and working face to face with clients, valuable stuff my young mind really needed to learn if I was ever going to be successful. So far, so good. Thanks, Ralph!
