Marie Challis, the widow of Graphic Design’s David Challis, informed us 4 May 2021 of the sad news that Mike died following a long illness in the home that was caring for him in Australia.
Philip Marriage adds: Mike joined the HMSO design studio in Atlantic House in 1969 under John Westwood as a temp for various periods before gaining a permanent post in 1972. He made the move to Norwich when the bulk of the studio dispersed though he undertook periods of relief back in London and the Edinburgh studio. He was a quiet thoughtful designer with a dry sense of humour and a deep knowledge of typography and an enviable library of books on design and printing. However he never really settled in Norwich and left in 1982 and worked for Dorling Kindersley for a while before moving to Australia where he married Sue.
Mike had difficulty finding work in graphic design so became a Postie for ten years, keeping fit riding everywhere on a bike. During that time, he joined Arts Co-op, a building where like-minded artists and creative people could use a space. He also did life drawing. He did a lot of photography especially distressed posters. On his occasional trips back to Europe he used to fit in trips to Paris for this purpose – he made collages of them. In later years he bought a printing press, which he used at home. Sue had to dispose of this when they moved from Melbourne to Victoria and Mike was becoming ill.
There will be a private cremation on Mon 10 May 2021.