Typeface Inspired by Comic Books Has Become

a Font of Ill Will

By: Caroline Carrico

Introduction & History

• Vincent Connare designed the Comic Sans typeface, but sympathizes with the movement to ban it

• The font, a casual script designed to look like comic-book lettering

• Comic Sans started as a software project at Microsoft Corp. 15 years ago

• Now used in grade-school fliers, holiday newsletters, Disney ads, business emails, street signs, and even Bibles

Typefaces Convey Meaning

• Helvetica is an industry standard, plain and reliable

• Times New Roman is classic• Comic Sans is fun, breezy, silly or vulgar and

lazy

Ban Comic Sans

• Ban Comic Sans was conceived in the fall of 1999

• Holly Sliger studying typography and graphic design

• Designing museum gallery guide for children's hands-on artifact exhibit

• Horrified when bosses told her to use Comic Sans

Comic Sans Bashing

• Connare first realized the tide had turned against Comic Sans in January 2003

• He got an email from Mr. Combs asking for permission to use his photo for stickers, T-shirts and coffee mugs to promote "typography awareness“

• As the movement grew, Mr. Connare's image became the logo for Comic Sans bashing

• February 2004, Connare asked the Combses to stop using his picture, and they did.

Conclusion

• The font has become so popular that it's approaching retro chic

• Design shop Veer is selling a T-shirt with a picture of human heart on it made entirely of tiny Comic Sans characters

• Veer's text: ‘’Love it, love to hate it, or hate that you love it’’

Works Cited

• http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123992364819927171.html