This extremely authentic handmade signage will brighten up our days

Due to our lack of a receptionist, we don’t make our phone number public”. It is more than obvious that the Sideshow Sign Co. prefers to create than talk and their vintage typographic signs will sure steal any heart. After all resisting an amazingly crafted marquee sign is literally impossible, especially if it is one of those giant typographic sculptures that Luke Stockdale and his team bring into life. “Signage is one of the earliest forms of communication design. In the past several decades however, designers and sign-makers have often regarded themselves as separate industries, divided by class, application, and a misunderstanding of just how important their relationship is. Its our opinion that these two worlds need to be in equal collaboration in order for signage to be the best it can be - to be what it is intended to be: an effective reflection of the hard work and sophistication that goes into the businesses that it is promoting” says the team of three.

Founded by the Australian native Luke (who brought his printing techniques along with him when he relocated to the States), the company works passionately to reintroduce the partnership of high-end design and traditional fabrication to the sign industry. Having studied at RMIT in Melbourne and on some of the oldest printing presses in Australia, Stockdale is passionate about reviving the traditional art of sign-making in a market crowded with cold-lit aluminum and plastic wrapped signage and he has two allies in achieving this vision of his.

 “It is our dream that, sign-by-sign, streetscapes once again become distinctive”

Adam Gaskill, AKA “The Coonman”, a  Tennessee native with a fine arts degree in sculpture and print who has an eye for design and an old-world work ethic and Jasmin Kaset. A native of Cottontown, Tennessee, Jas is Luke’s wife and Director at Sideshow. “With the introduction of affordable automated sign equipment & materials in the early 80’s, the sign industry began distancing itself from traditional techniques in favor of efficiency. Although these technologies have dramatically increased affordability for the customer, they simultaneously closed the door on sign-making practices that -  while more time consuming - often resulted in higher quality, more stylish signs that had character & ageless beauty”.  

Working with typography and design-for-print, it’s no wonder that their extensive portfolio (from vintage scientific tables to retro eye charts) has been featured in magazines like WIRED and ESPN. Carefully prepping and printing each canvas until its final  top-of-the-line state, Sideshow Sign Co. focuses on craftsmanship and attention-to-detail rather than mass-production. “It is our dream that, sign-by-sign, streetscapes once again become distinctive and the hard work involved in building a business is reflected in its signage, and more importantly, be an element of beauty” says the team which will make sure good typography rules our habitat once again.