Shortly after this sign was erected, Los Angeles Magazine called it “one of the ten best neon signs in Los Angeles.” Melrose was then the happening street in Los Angeles. I was fortunate to be able to work with Charles Di Bona of Custom Neon, who was the primary force in the renaissance of neon.

What: Neon sign design
For: Storefront at “Hans,” a shop on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles
Client: Custom Neon
When: 1979

I always liked this one especially. The hand-drawn letterforms combine my longtime love of art deco (the words “Late Late” are in a variation of a typeface associated with that style) with a bold, free, and vivacious script as practiced long ago in the heyday of hand-lettering. A perhaps not-so-subtle influence of 1950s automobile lettering can be seen as well.

What: Neon sign design
For: “The Late Late Show,” Los Angeles
Client: Custom Neon
When: 1979