Welcome folks to another episode of the Pencil Pushers Podcast and I'm your humble host Mike Rosado. Today, we speak with my good friend and go-to creative partner for all signs hand-painted, Joseph Giampino. Joseph is what one might call a blue collar artist. A sign painter that gets the call for virtually every new hot retail shop, restaurant, brewery and more. Hand painted signs have been around for millennia, reaching it's height during the industrial age, but had a steep decline with the advent of vinyl lettering, causing the near death of one of the great artistic trades. Joseph is one of the artists that have felt a deep and profound passion for the storied craft and it shows in his stellar work around the state of North Carolina. We talk about what it takes to make it as a commercial sign painter, the history of the craft internationally and how he used his talents to contribute to the powerful street art that was born out of the tragedy of George Floyd's death. Do yourself a favor, head over to Instagram and find him @spclsigns - while you sit back, relax and enjoy our chat with Joseph.

The Pencil Pushers Podcast is a celebration of the hand-drawn arts. I'll be interviewing friends and idols in illustration, animation, comic-art, and more.

- Mike Rosado

Post production and editing by Trujillo Media

Additional music provided by Epidemic Sound