Vale Mike Chandler ~ Australia’s greatest typographer ~ the larger-than-life Face of Australian print advertising in the 70s, 80s, 90s

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Chandler-Mike-88.jpgThe Australian ad industry will be saddened to hear of the passing of Australia’s greatest typographer Mike Chandler, who has passed away, aged 74. Chandler, who was inducted into the CB Hall of Fame in 2004, helped improve the work of every single great writer and art director in Australian advertising throughout the 70s, 80s and 90s. Lionel Hunt, Australia’s greatest ad man, pays tribute to his old friend.

Mike Chandler, typographer extraordinaire, has died suddenly at his home at Palm Beach in Sydney. He was 74.

After a successful career in London with creative agencies and Face, The Type Workshop he came out to Australia in the 70’s where he met the love of his life, Barbi, who pre deceased him 2 years ago.

He started Face in Australia, and being as much an art director as a typographer, he made many an art director’s ad look look much better than it had started out.

CHANDLER-fisherman.jpgMike-Chandler-with-horse.jpgAs well as having the uncanny knack of choosing just the right typeface, he could really “pop it down on the page” as he was wont to say.

He charged like a wounded bull, of course, and that’s how I think of him now, a great bull of a man wounded by the grief of losing his wife.

Great mate, great wine and food lover, great cook and host, great lunch partner, great fly fisherman, he was actually great at everything he put his hand to.

Great loss.

scomo poster final.jpg(To my knowledge this was the last ad he worked on, with me, a month ago. No client but just a mutual despair at the lack of climate action by our current government. He could pop it down on the page alright. )

Lionel Hunt,

Palm Beach,

January 10, 2019.

Adds CB publisher Michael Lynch: “Very, very sad news, Mike (and Rod Cleary) gave Campaign Brief basically free office space and typesetting (in the days of paste-up) at NorthFace in North Sydney when we first started in 1987, therefore helping us survive that critical first year when money was tight.

“Mike was indeed a giant of Australian advertising, looking exactly like Pavarotti in his prime. He was inducted into the Campaign Brief Hall of Fame in 2004 (click on the pic below). Mike was a great friend of CB and we’ll miss him terribly.”

UPDATE: Mike’s funeral service will take place at 1.30pm this Friday, January 18, at Macquarie Park Cemetery and Crematorium, opposite Northern Suburbs Crematorium, cnr Delhi Road and Plassey Road, Macquarie Park.

Following the service a wake will be held from 4pm to 7pm at the Palm Beach Golf Club, 2 Beach Road, Palm Beach.

Chandler-CB-2004-Hall-of-Fame.jpg