by Stacy Zimmer
Born and bred in the Midwest (S.D., N.D., Minn, Kan.) and growing up on a steady stream of G.I. Joes, Star Wars, BMXing, skateboarding, drawing and dreaming, Christopher Halbkat of Bemis Press Design Shop had the feel for design in his blood. He got his start as a graphic designer for a small (very small) local newspaper in St. Marys, Kan. After creating too many grocery ads he moved from Kansas to Omaha to work for a local sign company. During this time, he polished up his branding skills, learned to weld and bend neon — he was getting the itch to start his own companies. But first, there was mountain bike racing in Colorado and California. He rode, raced and traveled the West Coast for six years before he says his Midwestern root pulled him back to Omaha.
After being a lone wolf on the West Coast for years, he knew that a large ad agency wasn't his cut of meat — he needed to create his own start-up. After serving pâté at art hub-restaurant La Buvette during the day and freelancing design and poster printing at night for some time, he started
Bemis Press Design Shop in 2009.??
BPDS began as a small startup company, committed to helping friends and like-minded entrepreneurs foster their ambitions and gain the exposure they needed to get their ideas off the ground. A few of his local clients now include: MAHA Music Festival, Amsterdam Falafel & Kabob, Scout Dry Goods & Clothing, The Boiler Room Restaurant, The Denim Saloon, The Waiting Room, Soup Revolution, Omaha Community Foundation and Local Rock Stars. ??Halbkat recently started his second company,
Dundee Cycles, which builds custom dream bikes.??
We asked Halbkat a few questions?? on a variety of critical topics. And you can view some of his concert poster design below.
Coffee or Tea: I roasted coffee beans for a few years in the mountains of Colorado, so make it dark with a hint of cream, please.
?Chicken or Beef: Can a person take a bath in Hanger Steak? Hey Chef: Keep it bloody!
?Moleskin or field notes: Not much for fancy things, my secretary's name is Mr. Field Notes.
?Wilco or Son Volt: Will you accept Uncle Tupelo?
?Helvetica or Helvetica: I'm not good with trick questions.
Toughest design Job to date: Naming all the color swatches for Dundee Cycles — tough as nails. I would hate to work for Sherwin Williams.
Learn more about Christopher Halbkat here.
Email your suggestions for our next Frequent Flyer artist to Stacy Zimmer at stlyzimmer@gmail.com.
