“Hop to it, let’s get crackin’, it’s a brand new day and anything can happen!”
The Montreal artist Dave "Mr. Sign" Arnold is a uniquely lovable character in our city. While he’s often recognized for his work on the logos, hand-crafted lettering and signage of restaurants like Joe Beef, Nora Gray, Grumman ’78, Lucille’s Oyster Dive, Marconi (deep breath) and bars like Bar de Courcelle, Kampai Garden and Sparrow among many others—as well as a member of the Arnold Sisters, a country music quartet—he’s also trying out a new format: Children’s programming.
Today, Dave Arnold released the pilot episode for The Dave Arnold Show, “a new variety show for young people… (inspiring) creativity through humour, music, crafts, and plain old silliness. This is a show that promotes kindness and embraces the spirit of ‘doing’ and invites viewers to be active participants in life,” reads the video’s description on YouTube. It blends sketch comedy with a Mr. Dressup component where Dave draws pictures for ‘customers’ that pay in chocolate loonies.
Photograph: Courtesy Dave Arnold
It’s pretty awesome, light-hearted and hilarious stuff: Dave Arnold plays characters like Old Stinky the riverside minstrel that reminds kids to wash their feet, the guitarist Timmy Ticklefingers teaching that practice makes perfect with sweet licks, curious granny Janet Weatherbury riding a dirt bike, and—our personal favourite—an incredible chef named Incredible Chef preparing duck à l’orange with Joe Beef chef Dave Macmillan (but really, just watch the whole thing):
…we’ve burned the images of Macmillan breaking carrots into a saucepan, or wiping spaghetti squash off his glasses, into our heads without any regrets.
We started correspondance with Mr. Sign so Montrealers can learn more about him and the release [ed.'s note, this interview has been edited and condensed for clarity]:
Who are you and what do you do?
My name's Dave Arnold, and I'm a visual artist, musician, and father of two little boys.
How would you describe your relationship to Montreal professionally?
I moved to Montreal in October 2004, to escape the confines of the Ontario suburbs. I visited Montreal for the first time in the summer of 2004, and was "sold" immediately. As a young man who had always had creative talents and untapped creative ambition, I knew that if I wanted to take a run at it, a career in the arts, Montreal was the place to do it. For 15 years now, Montreal has been my creative training ground, nay, boot camp.
How long have you identified and stuck to your guns as an artist?
My entire life. I got kicked out of my high school's art program for consistently going "off program", but I stuck with art (sidenote: big respect to my old art "teacher" Don Marshall! Keep up the "good" "work"). My first five years in Montreal were financially TERRIFYING, trying desperately to find a creative approach that made even a little bit of money, but I stuck with art. Running a one-man visual arts and design company for the past decade has been a completely illogical and unpredictable feast-and-famine approach to making money—ask my wife and my tax guy how dangerously I live, it's messed up—but I stuck with art. Why? I really love creating new things. I can't help myself!
Where did the idea for your pilot come from?
I've always loved performing; whether it's acting on screen, acting on a stage or playing live music for people, I get a real charge out of performance in general. I'd almost forgotten about this part of my brain because the visual arts department (of it) had gotten so busy, but then, having two kids of our own INSTANTLY sparked the "performer" again. Even when our kids were babies, I was getting back into music and bands, because I missed it. Then I started posting hundreds of silly, character-driven 'stories' on my Instagram account which started getting some attention and encouragement from local actors and production companies. Then last year, the things my kids were watching on tv were making me cringe, and I thought "I think even I can do better than this, and I think I might actually know all the people who could help me make it a reality."
What were you originally planning on doing with this pilot?
This pilot was originally intended for internal use only. We got it just the way we like it, and we built out an accompanying "deck" that outlines some of the deeper purpose and future plans of the show, and then we were going to start pitching it to appropriate recipients April 1st... and then dirty old COVID-19 came down the pipe!
What kind of work goes into a production like this?
It was a very small team, and a ludicrously small budget, and it was a lot of work, but such incredibly thrilling work! It's the most exciting work I've ever done. Watching all the little pieces coming together was absolutely exhilarating. It's still exhilarating.
Photograph: Courtesy Dave Arnold
Why did you want to share this now?
COVID-19 is currently flipping everything we used to know and take for granted completely overboard. Anyone with half a brain is very concerned about the future, their health, their families and their finances. Stress levels haven't been this high, collectively, since WW2. It's heavy times, and there's a lot of unanswered questions. Rather than sitting on this pilot, and waiting for COVID-19 to eventually "blow over" seemed ludicrous; we thought that everyone could use a little pick me up right now, and that's why we released it.
You're a father of two; do you feel you made this show for them, or would you say this is more about your inner child?
I made this show first for my children, second for any children who don't have a dad, and third for children who do have a Dad, but he's just not very "artsy." In the act of making the show though, yes, I very much rediscovered my own inner child. He's still alive and well!
What does Dave Arnold miss the most during this period of self-isolation?
I miss the warmth and energy of all my friends and clients. I miss my little workshop. I miss popping into a coffee shop and bumping into six people I haven't seen in months. It's a very strange time right now, and I thank my lucky stars that I'm still able to hang out with my loving wife and two wonderful little boys. It's keeping me sane... or at least as sane as I was before.
Anything else you'd like to add?
STAY HOME!!! This is gonna get worse before it gets better, but if we're logical and strategic, we will meet again on the other side! Toodles!
You can check out Dave Arnold's artistic work here, follow him on Instgram here and watch the pilot episode of The Dave Arnold Show here. Follow Time Out Montreal on Facebook or on Twitter for more news throughout the coronavirus outbreak in Montreal.