Moss Crew – Art and Advertising Dept

From Moss Motoring 1983

As in our last issue, this column is where we introduce you to the people who make it happen within the various departments of the ever-expanding Moss family. This month, we take a glance at the guys who put it down in black and white (with an occasional splash of color); the Art and Advertising Department.

HAL ARNESON Although each member has a hand in just about every project that the department is involved in, Hal is the ‘kingpin’ behind all illustration and advertising needs. Hal must often render freehand directly from the part and develop illustrations so precise that they may then be used in re-manufacturing that obsolete part. The advertising schedule of Moss Motors alone requires the co-ordination of new artwork and deadlines for over 25 publications monthly, not to mention the additional advertising demands of Moss Jaguar, Moss Santa Barbara and recently acquired Start Your Engines. Ha! began his formative education as a liberal arts major at California State University at Fresno before earning his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree from Cal State Northridge. He then pursued ambitions in the field of graphic communications with a certificate of completion from East Los Angeles Design Center. All of this, of course, keeping Hal close to the Southern California coastline and an active lifestyle that includes swimming, volleyball and as much surfing as the swells and his busy schedule will allow.

DAVE POLAREK
Behind every successful team, you’ll find a good quarterback. In the art department, that’s Dave. He co-ordinates the production of virtually every publication, newsletter, update, sale flyer and office form from conception to delivery. Working often times from a vague idea concerning a specific job, and sometimes incomplete research, Dave must uncover the essential information needed for a given job, juggle the elements into a pleasing arrangement, then, assigning specific responsibilities to other staff members, he addresses the problems of typesetting, photographers’ and printers’ deadlines along with delivery to the mailing service. As with the other two members of the art department, Dave was a Fine Arts major before assuming his present role as graphic artist. Fulfilling his undergraduate requirements at the college for creative studies at the University of the Pacific, he then moved on to U.C. Santa Barbara where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. An avid fan of ‘top-down’ motoring (and former mechanic). Dave recently gave up on his aging Sunbeam Tiger in favor of what will be the next generation of Moss vintage spares-the Triumph TR 6.

TOM DiGENOVA
With each new season, the need for more and more varied artwork steadily increases. With Hal and Dave’s time at a premium, it was quite obvious last July that the addition of another person was essential in order to keep up with the work load. As the newest member of our art and advertising team, Tom’s role involves every odd job from illustration and photography to sales graphs and sign making. As a fail-safe for any “needed yesterday” job, he provides an added talent that seems to invite new and creative projects from almost every other department in the Moss family. A graduate of Fine Arts from Ventura College, Tom turned his attentions towards graphic arts when he moved to Santa Barbara 3*/2 years ago and enrolled in S.B. City College. As a graphic communications major, he developed skills that enabled him to join the department and ease the load on Hal and Dave. With his heart in the high country, Tom’s ‘mountain sport’ enthusiasm is rarely dimmed living so close to the Pacific coast. . . He simply hits the foothills in his ragged but rugged Datsun pick-up!

Presently, as many of you may already know, the art department is in the process of producing two, fully-revised complete MGB and Triumph catalogs. The MG catalog will cover the MGB from 1963 thru 1980, while the Triumph catalog will cover all TR models including TR 250 and 6. We consider these editions to be a “new generation” in Moss catalogs as they will have not only a fresh look but also several new features, at the same time maintaining the clarity and accuracy you’ve come to expect from Moss catalogs. In the future, all our catalogs will reflect this new approach with tech tips and handy information, reworked illustrations and revised research in a clear, concise format.

To facilitate the production of all Moss Motors publications, we incorporate state-of-the-art graphic equipment in-house. An Itek computerized typesetter coupled with a Pos 1 stat camera and processor keep us on and even par with commercial art /ad agencies. This “no-expense-spared” approach to our production methods, combined with the careful selection of three talented, enthusiastic and hardworking men to staff the department, is the reason that Moss Motors’ publications reflect such a high standard of quality and design.