A short History of Empire Graphics......the story so far
Beginnings
Question : What is Empire?
A: Empire is shared history. Eight years of image making, backgammon all nighters, bromide cameras (remember them) and a lot of good times had .
Founded in !983 in Brisbane, Queensland, it embodied the DIY attitude of the time....figure it out as go along. Get a job. Work out how to do it. Should we get the phone connected? Such were the high-powered concerns.
Empire was, and is three designers, Mark Fletcher, Michael Phillips, both based in Brisbane, and Scott Baker, who moved to Sydney in 1990.
This section will serve as both an archive and points to current freelance activity of the chief suspects...when we get the time to start it .
Watch this space.
Q: What has a 1969 Pontiac 4 door Sedan standing outside a now demolished Art Deco country cinema called the Star got to do with graphic design?
A: Sometimes you need to be your own client. Particularly when you know nothing about the process of printing, or more tellingly, setting up final artwork to go to print production.
Producing a photographic calendar was our learning curve, a financial disaster, and helped secure one of our most important long term clients, though not for another year.
Talk about good things happening to those who wait .....and wait....and wait.
Empire Theatre, Toowoomba Queensland Image - Mark Fletcher
Studio entrance
Staff sing the Empire theme song before the start of the working day
Star and Car - cover shot of 1983 calendar 'Photographs'
