Dean Blazek “Follow the Signs” Book Available

A new 118-page book, Follow the Signs: Dean Blazek’s 70-Year Sign Journey by Michael Blazek, Dean’s son, has been published and is available for $39.00 plus postage.

A copy was generously sent to me by the author and I’ve had a chance to spend some time with it. I think it’s great! It’s a comprehensive chronicle of the life of Dean Blazek of Antigo, WI, signmaker, sign company owner, author, neon instructor, advocate and much more.

Workshop at Everbrite Electric Signs (Milwaukee).

The copiously illustrated book, which is also very well designed and laid out, takes the reader from Blazek’s early years becoming a signmaker at Everbrite Electric Signs (Milwaukee) in 1952, through his remarkable life in signs. For example, in 1954, while working on a swing stage on the Schroeder Hotel, an incident led to Blazek’s nearly falling to his death from the 27th floor — though he was, in his words, “saved by the O.” For the rest of that anecdote, you’ll need to buy the book!

In 1955, Blazek returned to Antigo to start his own sign business, Northern Advertising. He married Polly Fletcher in 1956, and the two of them went on to have six children. Each of them has contributed a reflection, a happy memory to the book.

Blazek found it difficult to erect new billboards and beer signs during the winter months, so in 1960 he returned to Everbrite as a glassbender for six months out of the year for the following decade. He joined the Wisconsin Advertising Association in 1976. That association led to Blazek’s starting a neon training school, receiving accreditation in 1979. Several former students have also shared a memory or two.

Sample page from the “Neon ABC” books.

On a personal note, I became acquainted with Dean Blazek in 1993 through his books, Neon ABC: Books 1-3. At the time I was in charge of ST Media Group’s Book Division. The books included the specific directions to bend each letter of the alphabet in different styles: single stroke and double stroke (book 1), script capitals and lowercase (book 2) and roman capitals, roman lowercase and broadway (book 3). His next book, Neon: The Next Generation, which he co-wrote with son Michael Blazek, had been submitted in manuscript form when I started. After a delay which was our fault at ST Books, Neon: The Next Generation was published in 1995.

Throughout Follow the Signs, terrific archival and full-color photographs of signs, signmakers and more fill the pages. Like the American Sign Museum book I reviewed back in November, this is the kind of book you can pick up and read for 10 minutes or two hours.

Back cover of the book.

Follow the Signs would certainly be of interest to anyone in neon signs, the recent history of signs in America or just the story of an industrious and generous family man who has shared his legacy with the world.

To order, email neon@northernadvertising.net or call 715-623-3000. Checks and credit cards accepted (but not Pay Pal).