I always collected something as a kid. Rocks, marbles, hockey cards, beer cans, Rat Fink stuff. My father's a collector, and I inherited that freakish "gotta save stuff" gene.

The Rat Fink stuff, and Ed Roth (the creator of Rat Fink, as well as more than a dozen bizarre, abstract show cars and motorcycles) stuff never went away. I've been collecting those model kits, gumball machine rings, comics and decals since I was 12 years old. (That's nearly 35 years worth of collecting!).

I was fortunate to have met Ed several years before he passed away, through our mutual friend, Junior Sammet. Ed, along with George Barris, Pete Millar, David Mann and Tom Daniel were the biggest influences on my artwork and my line of work. I was also blessed to have spent time with, and gotten to know David and Jacqie Mann...and met & swapped artwork with another childhood hero, Pete "CARtoons"Millar.

I have about half of my extensive Roth collection on display in my office, along with handfuls of my Barris, Pete Millar, David Mann, Weird-Ohs, and Tom Daniel collectibles. These guys were the high-octane, counter culture artists of their times.

My office also houses my extensive collection of work from the hign-octane, counter-culture artists that continue to influence me today. John Fallotico, Brian Papa, Mark Gentz, Christopher Zelasko, Mark Matyjakowski, Ronnie Brent, Paul Straus and countless others.
Ed "Big Daddy" Roth 
 George " King of the Kustomizers" Barris

 David Mann

 
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I got turned on to antique and vintage sign supplies in the mid 1980s. I bought some case lots of paint at an auction of Hy Seigel's sign shop when he passed away; and in the bottom of one of those boxes, were some paint cans from the turn of the century. The label designs were outrageous...and I was hooked.

There's that freaky "I Should Save That" gene again.

Today I have a fairly large collection of antique gilder's tools, gold leaf boxes and packets, bronzing powders and varnishes. I can also lay claim to some pretty obscure sign enamels and bulletin colors from the 1950's, 60's and 70's, not to mention old cans of pounce powder, quills, sign painting books and dimensional letters.

Years ago, this collection, and my interest in the history of the sign trades, led me to a former Signs of The Times magazine editor and publisher, who had a concept of a museum to archive the history of signs; Tod Swormstedt. He had a dream, I had true interest, and we became friends. Today, I'm very proud of the fact that Tod's dream came true, and I sit on the Board of Trustees of The American Sign Museum.

So now, my Antique and Vintage Sign Supplies Collection is willed to the museum, located in Cincinnati, Ohio.

There's a link to the American Sign Museum below, as well as on my links page.

 

 

 

 All Contents Copyright 2006 Brian The Brush World Headquarters / Brian S. Briskie
 All Rights Reserved. All Wrongs Avenged.