Dean Blazek - Biography

Over 50 Years In The Sign Business

Following graduation from Antigo High School in 1952, Dean's first job was at Wisconsin Central Airlines in Madison, Wisconsin. Duties included cleaning, refueling, and servicing DC-3 aircraft. After three months, it sparked and interest in airline mechanics, however, it would have meant a move to Oklahoma.

Having a love for art and being able to work well with his hands, Dean's father encouraged him to become a sign painter and neon glass bender. He shadowed a local sign shop owner, who recommended he would learn more at a bigger company in a large city, so he moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The largest ad in the yellow pages was for the Everbrite Electric Sign Service where he was hired at minimum wage with no experience. Duties included cleaning and learning to service outdoor signs. In the cold of winter, Dean realized inside work was more comfortable and became a sign pumper in the neon department. He worked on production pumping of several beer company signs including Pabst, Schlitz, and Blatz. He then became interested in the bending aspect and practiced part-time for three months until he became proficient. Leaving Everbrite for a short period of time, Dean took a job at Artcraft in the art department to increase his knowledge of sign design and layout. He returned to Everbrite as a sign painter while attending Layton school of Art in the evenings for the next three years, completing his studies in 1955. At that time, he felt ready to return to his home town to start a sign business at twenty-one years of age.

Dean's first sign business was located in his parent's basement. He lettered beer and soda priviledge panels and sold his first neon sign. He struggled for the first five years and to supplement his income, he again worked at Everbrite Company during the winter months. This commute continued for fifteen years.

In 1975, Dean joined the Wisconsin Sign Association, served as President, and was on the Board of Directors for 25 years. While on the board, Dean was asked to start a neon school due to a shortage of neon benders in the work force nationwide.

In 1979, the first Northern Wisconsin Neon Workshop was to be held. Due to a lack of participants, Dean tried to cancel the class. One of the students, coming from Washington, convinced him to teach the scheduled class of three people.

That original class led to another eighteen years and over 500 more students from all over the world being trained. Two of the students were his sons, Michael and Jay, who continue in the trade today in Brisbane, Australia and Seattle, Washington, respectively. He and his son Michael co-authored the book, Neon, The Next Generation. He and his son Jay were asked to do a presentation at the International Sign Association meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada on collectible neon and neon art.

Highlights of Dean's 50 years in the Sign Business include training his two sons to carry on the trade, serving on the Wisconsin Sign Association for 25 years, and his impressive sign collection which contains over 300 various types.

Dean continues to work and stay involved in the sign business and is now collecting and restoring old porcelain enamel neon signs. His passion for art and signs is as strong today as it has been for the past 51 years, and for that he is very grateful.