The story of Spaz

Back when we formed our company, in 1992, we knew we had to come up with a logo... but what to choose? It was a difficult decision.

After a lot of though I decided a dragon was the perfect image for our company. To know what a dragon looked like requires imagination. A cute little dragon would be the perfect mascot. He would be named Spaz, my alter ego. (Spaz was my nickname in school as I was not very coordinated or good at sports.) The first version of Spaz was brown.

Next I did a sculpt of Spaz's head in clay. I made a mold and cast him in concrete but times got busy and the castings gathered a layer of dust in the corner. I did design a full body for him based on this detailed sculpt and had a friend make up a lifesized (wearable) costume of him. He proved to be too large to be practical and now lives in the center of my studio looming over all who enter.

Ten years later when we built our new shop the concrete head sculpt of Spaz was dusted off and he was incorporated into our new studio sign. 

It was another three years before the next incarnation of Spaz. He grew a full body for our first road sign.

Unfortunatey our Spaz was sometimes confused with Barney the dinosaur and I couldn't have that. We were also thought of as the creator of kid's attractions alone by those who saw our logo but we could do so much more. So the search was on for a new image that would still speak of imagination but be a teeny bit more corporate.

It would be another couple of years before we hit on the next idea... a sailing ship cruising through a crescent moon. Spaz became the figurehead on the good ship Spaz.

Spaz is our symbol of imagination and creativity.

-grampa dan

Research trip

To be the very best we can be it is necessary to study the work of those we admire. In my case it is the work of the Disney Imagineers. These are the folks who design and build the Disney parks. They are the very best in the world without a doubt. Through the years we've had the chance to visit the original Disney park - Disneyland in California. We've also visited Disneyworld in Florida, DIsneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. Some day I hope to make the trip to Hong Kong to see that park and when the park in China is done that one too. Each is different and special in it's own way.

In a couple of weeks it will be time to visit our favorite Disneyland park once more. I'm talking of the original Disneyland in California. Disneyland's sister park, California Adventure has just recieved a HUGE makover with lots of new attractions. It is time for a visit to check it all out. 

Best of all Phoebe is now big enough to go on every attraction at Disneyland. Imagine how much fun we can have!  It's all in the name of research of course!

-grampa dan

One in a thousand.

To find our customers we need to reach a lot of people. While I'm not sure of the exact numbers, I'd bet our customers are one in a thousand - perhaps one in ten thousand of those who take notice of our work. For every ten with whom we talk seriously about a job only three or four will make it to the design stage. Of these only one project will actually get built. It isn't a problem just the odds we face.

All this means we have to reach a lot of people. And these days it is easier than it ever has been. Traffic driving by our property and signs each day adds up and they take notice of our unique projects. Past work and customer referrals certainly help as well. Magazine articlesand industry awards certainly gets attention. And these days our internet presence also plays a huge role.

Our blogs enjoy a large readership with steady growth since they were begun. Amazingly, before I wake up in the morning the counter on our website will click through 200,000 hits since it was begun about 18 months ago.

Other blogs I write for the industry have enjoyed more than 300,000 hits as well. 

WIth those amazing numbers one in a thousand makes for pretty good odds.

-grampa dan