The shop was blessed with the appearance of many artists and craftspeople. Below is a brief blurb about many of them. Thanks to the following for their contributions, large and small:

Jack Jesmer worked in the shop longer than anyone else and is still there in many ways. He currently operates his own sign business in Oakland. Jack likes ice cream and motorcycles. An exacting painter, he excels in awning and wall lettering.

C

Erich Malvre also worked in the shop seemingly forever. Erich and Gary met surfing in the eighties and became friends. Later, he came to work in the shop. Erich is good at design and execution of fancy sign work. Erich is now the primary sign painter at Pier 39, a client of ours since 1980, and many other long-term clients.

Jim Edmiston, known to us simply as Lard, was a member of our group for many years. He is now a longshoreman, but paints a few signs on his own these days. Lard filled the shop with objects d'art, such as the Shrine to Yngwie Malmsteen, and his Shrine to Frank Fellers. Armed with a three pound sausage, he was the protective spirit of Pork Products we needed to balance our Chi.

Dave Bond was our fill-in guy for many years. He is now an artist in Paso Robles. Good with custom car art, and hand lettering.

L

Dave Vogt was our silk screen guru. We worked with him for twenty years. He is still doing screen printing at his company, Vision Magic, in Oakland.

Scott Murphy was our neon guy, for a while. He has disappeared and is assumed dead or married.

c

Robin Abu-Shumays is Gary's wife. She helped us a lot, often at the oddest hours.

.

Carrie Finger, now a lactation expert and mountain biker

Sonia Turanski, now a professor

Charlie Eigenbrot, now a scientist in San Francisco

Paul Mavrides, professional artist

Doug Wellman, photographer, multi-media producer

Don Bright, photographer, rides a hand gun

Susan Abu-Shumays, now a landscaper and ukelele artist

Diane Iglesias, now a massage therapist in Oakland

John Wehrle, muralist and oil painter

Albert Eisentraut, hand-made bicycle builder, retired. Gary worked in his shop before the sign business started.

Rick Lovelace, professional artist in Arizona

Hal Robins, professional artist, comedian

Bruce Carter, photographer, luthier

Pat Judah, surfboard shaper and rider

Jim Erickson, glass artist, still throws rocks

Jim Leinenbach, a retired surfer and board builder

Laurie Miller, now a gardener and musician in Berkeley

Fay Schenkman, sign painter supremo

Pictures not available:

Nola Burger, now a book designer, and better yet, a lizzurd book designer

Dan Zeigler, graphic designer

John Bell, now an art professor

Oscar Bernal, now an oil painter

Mokri, disappeared

Rich Jones, deceased

Chuck Hurst, deceased