From the Washington Calligraphers Guild (shared with permission)
Michael was an unforgettable lettering artist whose main tools were rather simple and humble: drafter's ruling pen, Speedball B nibs, Bleedproof White, and India ink. His calligraphic influences were Hermann Zapf, Rudo Spemann, Rudolf Koch, Friedrich Poppl, Hermann Kilian, Carl Rohrs, Julian Waters, Michael Podesta, and Werner Schneider.
Predominantly a commercial calligrapher, his résumé ranged from working at Hallmark Cards (along with Rick Cusick) to designing logos and titling for music packaging, books, and magazines.
His interests would later pivot in the 1990s to font development for the P22 Type Foundry and certain corporations (his better known fonts are still available through Adobe: Brass Script, Casual Script, Frenzy, Lucilee, Pooper Black, Pouty, Sneaky Pro, and Sweepy Pro).
Throughout his career, he produced several portfolio booklets, with the main and final book, In a Lone Breath It Is Written (available at John Neal Books) offering a comprehensive culmination of his creative endeavors, including several collaborative works with UK lettering artist, Rachel Yallop.
A selection of his original works and portfolio scrapbooks are currently housed and available for study in the Richard Harrison Collection of the San Francisco Public Library.
WCG expressed its gratitude by inducting him as an Honorary Member in 2021, in acknowledgment for providing over a decade of editorship and innovative layout design in producing our journal, Scripsit. Within his range of issues, he enlightened us and expanded our knowledge by introducing what was changing and trending within the calligraphic arena; ensuring that we became aware of the evolving batch of new calligraphers, both domestic and international, arriving on the scene.
Michael Clark (used with permission)