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The Weekend's Feature Fade: The Art of Walldog Jerry "Orange" Johnson

Pintchik - Jerry Johnson

Bill Cody - Jerry Johnson

Mae West - Jerry Johnson

Cash - Jerry Johnson

O Calcutta - Jerry Johnson

Nick @ Nite - Jerry Johnson
Seattle WA

Nick @ Nite - Jerry Johnson
Cincinnati OH

Van Exel - Jerry Johnson

Benihana - Jerry Johnson

Foodways - Jerry Johnson
all images © Jerry Johnson

Here are ten images from Jerry “Orange Outdoor” Johnson’s private collection. Before establishing Orange as Brooklyn’s premiere hand-painted sign company in 1977, Johnson worked as a walldog for Seaboard Outdoor. These ads represent some of the work he did while at Seaboard and some of his signature murals like “Cash.”

Here is a response from Sam Roberts @ UK Brick Ads to Jerry Johnson’s work:

Frank Jump over in NYC has just posted a collection of ten outstanding images from the work of experienced signwriter (or “wall dog” in USA) Jerry Johnson. Some of these are genuine pieces of advertising and some, like the one pictured, are spoofs. The craftsmanship, or ‘art’ (?), is exceptional and so is the photography. It must be really satisfying finishing off a piece of work and then stepping back to take the first photo.

4 Comments

  1. Sam Roberts says:

    I do love this work. Do you know if Jerry has a web presence anywhere? I’ve linked to this page from this new blog post on the topic of ‘faux’ ghostsigns:
    http://www.ghostsigns.co.uk/2012/07/faux-ghostsigns.html

    1. fadingad says:

      I don’t believe he does other than what others have written about him.

  2. reb says:

    I was really happy to see this. I’d told my kids for years about Johnson’s faux ads in Brooklyn and am glad to know more about him. I found this 1986 NYT article on the Atlantic & Nevins ads: http://www.nytimes.com/1986/01/09/nyregion/new-york-day-by-day-more-than-mud-pies.html His “Insist on plates” ad can be seen here: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/80994493270550217/ If anyone knows where pictures of more of these ca be found I’d love to know. Sadly I don’t think I ever took pictures of them way back when.

  3. […] form of ‘faux’ ghostsigns are spoofs.  The main example that I’ve come across is the work of Jerry Johnson, a former signwriter who has produced some spectacularly huge and lavishly produced murals that […]