Mack Benek, Edmonds

"I was painting Santas on windows for Christmas when someone said, ‘Oh, you’re an artist. Paint me a sign.’” After much frustration and a couple of stints in commercial sign shops, it turns out he was pretty good at it. But when technology transformed the sign industry – think digital – he stuck with his chosen artwork, grabbing a brush and a can of paint.

“I was painting one of the numerous windows I did over the years for Edmonds’ Pancake Haus when a local graphic artist saw it, and felt I was a perfect fit for Matt Vaughan of Easy Street Records in West Seattle.”

So Vaughan met Benek for lunch at Pancake Haus, a meal that led to many sho’ cards (hand-lettered advertising signs for store windows, tempera on card stock) for Easy Street.

"John Bennett from Luna Park Cafe saw my work, which led to many years of sign work for his business and further references to other south end businesses looking for retro sign work. Quick, hand-drawn sketches are an integral part of these jobs which, at almost 80 years I still do. Happily, I have befriended several young sign artists who are interested in preserving the craft of hand lettering.”