“Why don’t we make a book about the history of Korean-American business instead of leaving it behind?”
Graphic designer Sangmo Lee, 82, published Logo LA at the suggestion of art critic Sohyun Jang. Lee, who has created corporate logos for the past 50 years, is a living witness to the commercial advertising and graphic design of Los Angeles Koreatown. He has watched the rise and fall of the Korean-American business community over the decades.
In his book Logo LA, the history of the Korean-American business sector in Southern California, including LA Koreatown, is vividly captured through 230 logos he designed since 1973.
More than 25 of them, including Kim’s Home, Soowon Galbi, Aju Realty, Beverly Western Dental, and Ahnssinae Food, can still be seen on the streets of Southern California.
He started as a graphic designer in Korea in the early 1970s, working on the product logo for the pharmaceutical company Samyoung Chemical.
In 1973, at 33, Lee moved to LA where his elder brother lived. His plan for the future in the new world was to finish ESL and go to art school. All of a sudden, when his brother’s family migrated back to Korea, Lee was asked to draw the logo for the Lee’s Ranch Market sign in Sylmar.
He worked for 11 days and got paid $3,000. It was a lot of money at the time, but Lee, who dreamed of becoming an art student, was not satisfied with the work.
Lee took a job designing advertisements for the Korean-American directory, and then worked at the Dong-A Ilbo for a year as an advertising manager, designer, and photojournalist. He worked at the Korean Advertising Design Company and then at AD4, an advertisement company, where he began to build up his filmography as a full-fledged graphic designer.
In 1980, as the Korean-American businesses grew, requests for corporate logos poured in. The number of clients requesting printing services also increased, leading to the establishment of his company, Big Seven Printing. Lee continued his work for logos, graphic design, and printing until he retired in 2004 at the age of 62.
Today, at 82, he is still a graphic designer. “The logo should give you an idea of the business,” he said.
“Above all, it should be easy to remember. The role of a logo in business is to be another face for any company, organization, or individual.”
You are a graphic designer from the 70s.
“I arrived in the U.S. in 1973 and started working on signage logos. From 1975, there was a surge in Korean immigration, and advertising design was in high demand. At that time, there were very few professional designers. I was assigned to design advertisements for the Korean American directory. After designing advertisements for dozens of companies, I began my career as a graphic designer. As the Korean-American businesses flourished, the more became advertisement designers.”
- Which logo do you recall the most?
- “I think it’s Aju Realty in Koreatown. I did the logo in 1981 when the company was founded. When they moved to the current location, I proposed a structure-type sign and they loved it. The sign structure in the front yard is 15 feet tall with the logo at a 45-degree angle. The company name was hand-cut into aluminum panels and illuminated. It was something revolutionary at the time. For Kim’s Home, I made a chimney into the design of the house to naturally reveal its identity and products. It could have been simpler without the eaves now that I look again. The Soowon Galbi symbolizes the image of a barbecue restaurant with charcoal on the bottom, flames on top, and charcoal in the middle.”
- What are the characteristics of the Korean-American business sector as seen in the advertisement?
“There were not many advertisements for restaurants or food companies when the Korean business district was growing. In the 80s, clothing, and sewing businesses entered the downtown fashion district, but again, there were no advertisements. The most prevalent industry was real estate, which became the foundation of Korean American success today. This book is all about immigrating to the United States and the jobs that Koreans do. Koreans are an amazing people.”
- How was the process of working on the logo at that time?
“It was all about the story that the client would tell us. Sometimes the inspiration would come on the spot and sometimes it would take a few months. I got ideas for logo designs from a variety of sources, including history and books.”
- What was the turning point for you to become a designer?
“I used to draw, paste, and edit all my advertisement designs and text by hand. In 1992, when computerized design came in, I got a Macintosh 2. If I didn’t know something, I would always ask someone. When I ran into a problem, I’d figure it out and study, and that became my skill. That’s how I learned computer design.”
- How was the income?
“It was almost a deficit. In those days, people didn’t pay for logo designs. Most of the orders were from people who came for business cards and then asked for a logo maybe. My wife used to say that I would make money by not doing business.”
- What inspired you to write the book ‘LA Logos’?
“Many of the people who worked on the logos for 50 years disappeared when AD4 went out of business. When Sohyun Chang said that the handmade logos of Korean-American businesses represent the history of the Korean-American business sector, I first planned an exhibition and then published it as a book. This book is written in pictures. It is my memoir, an autobiography.”
- What is your philosophy as a graphic designer?
“The logo should give away an idea of what they do and the name of the company. Above all, it should be easy to remember. The role of a logo in business is to be another face for any company, organization, or individual.”
BY EUNYOUNG LEE, HOONSIK WOO [lee.eunyoung6@koreadaily.com]
