COP - Study Task 5

Comic Sans was designed in 1994 by Vincent Connare for Microsoft to replicate the style of comic book lettering for use in more informal documents, although today it comes under a lot of scrutiny and criticism for it’s over-use by the general public, most of which are in situations unsuitable for the typeface. In 1930 Beatrice Warde said that when considering print and typography “you may choose your own vintage”, it’s a good job she said it in 1930, because had she said it in 2013 the quote would have read “you may choose your own vintage as long as it’s not Comic Sans”, which would definitely have decreased the beauty of the whole metaphor.

Personally what I find interesting about Comic Sans isn’t the typeface itself, but the idea of a typeface which is so universally hated within the Graphic Design community. The 6 fonts endorsed by Vigneilli are generally all well used and appreciated, but really Comic Sans is the only font that is on the opposite end of this spectrum.

Despite not being a classically looking font, Comic Sans is a script font due to how it is meant to represent the individually natured comic book fonts. It’s difficult to define weather form was put before function when creating the font, as looking at it from an outside point of view, the odd curves and general shape of the letters would suggest form was put first, but then considering its intent to replicate comic book lettering, it could definitely be argued that function was prioritised. Personally I would suggest that because of its over-use in areas other than which it was intended for, more of an effort could have been made to make it more comic-unique, and so I would say that form was put over function to make it a more all-round attractive font, which, despite the criticism it gets, I would say it is due to it’s easy readability.

Originally the connotations would have been fun, aspiration, power, speed and other things associated with comic books and super heroes, and this is still true to those outside the design community, although the cultural codes that exist within the graphic community point towards a lack of knowledge, amateurism and childishness.

In summary, Herbert Bayer in 1971 whilst working at the Bauhaus said “new concepts will not grow on mere design variations of long-established forms”. In my opinion and from my somewhat limited knowledge of typographic design and history, Vincent Connare tried something new in the way Bayer implied, Connare and his font get for it is grief from people “in the know”, who have, in my opinion, reduced typography (in this instance) to the pretentiousness of fine art, something which Bayer completely agrees with me on.