My First KROY Lettering Machine...

You really do turn into your parents...or grandparents. Especially when you hear yourself telling your children, "well, back when I first started..." This picture of an old KROY Lettering Machine that I recently came across brought back a lot of memories, and made me realize again how much things have changed over the years. In 1978, while at Miami University (Ohio) I took a graphic arts course and actually learned how to set lead type, create screens for screen printing, and actually operate a mimeograph. I suppose that helped a few years later on my first job, when I learned how to make plates for and run an AB Dick offset press and paste up ads and brochures using typewriter-set text, and KROY lettering headlines...supplemented by Letraset rub-on lettering for those oh-so-fancy flourishes.

Flash ahead to the the early-90's...I was the one copywriter at the ad agency that was allowed to learn Quark Xpress page layout on the "new" Macs. As a result, I was able to "help out" the art dept. in a pinch, do a few brochures and print ads when called for, and generally, extend my knowledge base and usefulness. Was I a good designer? I don't know - I remember the Creative Director laughing once and saying that I "knew just enough to be dangerous."

Of course, I also remember a VP at another agency one time, told me in an interview, "I don't have any spots in the creative dept. right now, but I sure could use you as an account executive. I mean--you're portfolio is just OK. But you sure make it sound great!"