I've been doing signs for almost 42 years, so have had more than one brush with fame. At about 20 years old, I hand lettered a panel truck sort of horse drawn wagon that was used in a Kraft Cheese TV commercial. The late Walter Payton, Chicago Bears, had me letter a motorcycle helmet to look like his #34 Bears football helmet. The Honda dealer set it up and sent me to his house, where I did the work sitting on a chair in his garage and talking with him. He remembered my name and rolled down his window to say hi a year later when he saw me digging holes on the side of the road. That felt good. Finally, I lettered three boats for Chicago Bulls Scottie Pippen, as he bought bigger ones. Boatacious was the first name, then 3-Peated with a Chicago skyline behind the lettering, and last was a 52 foot Sea Ray that said Five Rings and had his hand holding a basketball and rings on all five digits. I didn't realize until I was doing it that I had never painted a black man's skin color and that took some thinking to get right. We faxed designs to his hotel and I had his secret name to call his hotel room and get through. He asked me if I was going to watch the game the night of the 5th championship win and he told me I could paint the approved design on his boat the next day, but only if they won the game, obvioulsy. He was very nice to me and signed basketballs for my kids, too.
Someone commented about a famous contact job and being told to not make eye contact. If someone told me that, I think I would have told them to find someone else for the job. We are all the same in the end and who needs to work for people like that. We deserve a little respect for our own talents, too.
