Comic Sans target of internet hate campaign

Herodotus

Funny take on a usual topic.

Can't say I like it myself, but this seems to have gone too far.

To think Time magazine listed as one the worst inventions of all time, along with subprime morgages and asbestos!

Death threats are on the way I'd say.

Posters beware... Comic sans isn't welcome on boards :pac:!

As taken from the Independent

When Vincent Connare sat down in front of his computer in 1994 to put the finishing touches to a new piece of children's software for Microsoft, he decided it lacked a suitably engaging font. Little did he know that more than a decade later, his creation – Comic Sans – would become the subject of history's first campaign to ban a typeface.


The font, designed by Mr Connare to be the embodiment of fun for Microsoft Bob – a now long-forgotten attempt by the computing giant to make its Windows 95 program more accessible to kids – has become a ubiquitous presence on the typeface menus of millions of computers and has even tempted brands such as Adidas to adopt it for advertising campaigns and webpage designs.

But it seems that the very childlike jauntiness which has made Comic Sans so appealing to computer users publicising village fetes and amateur designers creating logos for toy shops has also made it the target of a growing internet hate campaign. The organisers are intent on it being labelled as a typographic abomination and removed from widespread public use.

Campaigners are trying to raise £14,000 to make a documentary highlighting the way that Comic Sans, which even its inventor admits was designed to be used on computer screens and not printed material, has inveigled its way into daily life.

Time magazine is among the organisations which seem to have already turned against the font. Earlier this year it named Comic Sans as one of history's 50 worst inventions, alongside sub-prime mortgages and asbestos.

Other opponents of the font have invented a program which scours the internet looking for sites written in Comic Sans and changes them to Helvetica. Holly Combs, a US graphic designer who is leading the campaign on BanComicSans.com, told The Independent: "Comic Sans just isn't designed well. It was never made to be printed and yet it is everywhere I look. Hardly a day goes by when I don't see in an inappropriate setting. I would just appeal to people to be more thoughtful. When I get an invitation to the funeral of a friend and it is written in Comic Sans, I just find that thoughtless. It is an epidemic."

Typography experts argue that the font has become a victim of its own unsought success. Mr Connare, who works for a London-based type design company, took the inspiration for his much-derided creation from the fonts used in comic books.

Ironically, the design work was finished too late for Comic Sans to be included in Microsoft Bob, so it was first used in a different program before being included in the menu of fonts which drops down for millions of Windows users around the world every day.

Simon Garfield, author of a new book on fonts, Just My Type, said: "There was an age when fonts were things in the hands of designers and professionals, but the arrival of PCs and laptops changed all that. Software allows people to instill their emotions into type and Comic Sans has an approachability – it looks as if people have written it themselves.

"The trouble is that it is good for use only in a limited number of ways. It is not appropriate for the side of ambulances or the font that the BBC uses to promote its composers of the year. There is an element of typographical snobbery about all this, but you can't get away from the fact it has just become too popular." But Mr Connare said: "I don't think Comic Sans is 'too popular'. It will be when people stop using it.
"Until then put it on everything from a loaf of bread in Provence to a beach towel on Bondi Beach."

My worst fonts

Neuland Inline
Reminiscent of something Fred Flintsone might carve into prehistoric rock, or more recognisably, what Disney used for its most successful cartoon animation of all time, The Lion King. Invented by a German typographer, Rudolf Koch, in 1923, it is now considered a "Theme Park" font, more comfortable on rides at Alton Towers than on the page.

Souvenir
"Souvenir of what, I would like to know?" asks Peter Guy, a book designer for the Folio Society. "A souvenir of every ghastly mistake ever made in type design gathered together – with a few never thought of before – into one execrable mish-mash." Appeared on Bee Gees Albums and occasionally in Playboy.

Papyrus
Avatar may have cost more to make than any other film in history, but its use of font was far less extravagant, having been available free on every desktop PC for some time. Avatar's director, James Cameron, was even pictured in a T-shirt asserting @Papyrus 4 Ever!"

Brush Script
First made available in America in 1942, this font was used by American propagandists to persuade country folk to "bathe with a friend" or "dig for victory" – Britain's Ministry of Agriculture showed far less extravagance. Also the type face used to introduce the soap Neighbours to the world in 1985.

AnonoBoy

All fONTs are aNNOYIng if you tYPE like this tHOUGh.

mikom

Comic Sans walks into a bar.
Bartender goes: "Get out...... We don't serve your type."

RolandIRL

I like the game where you shoot ComicSans on the site in quote. Feels good to kill something

Ha comical , people get upset over the stupidest things these days.

Saermegil

This sums up the general feeling quite well.

phill106

Whats the big deal? Its a font for gods sake!

AnonoBoy

phill106 wrote: »

Whats the big deal? Its a font for gods sake!

It's a really sh*tty font.

I mean a really, really sh*tty font.

phill106

AnonoBoy wrote: »

It's a really sh*tty font.

I mean a really, really sh*tty font.

Suppose for keyboard warriors, a bad font is like using a limp noodle instead of a nuclear missle.

Overheal

I liked comic sans back in the IRC days, but it's definitely not great for blogs or articles, and especially not for comics. It lived, and died, in the chat windows of AIM and MSN.

MitchKoobski

Stupid font that looks unprofessional. Its not just some sort of internet campaign. Currently studying multimedia and every one of my design lecturers despise it.

Johro

ComicSansMS.gif
I see what they mean. F*ckin' diabolical alright. :rolleyes:

Conor108

Too true...

Superbus

My English teacher refuses to correct homework that's typed in Comic Sans. He says looking at it makes him cry.

Overheal

Superbus wrote: »

My English teacher refuses to correct homework that's typed in Comic Sans. He says looking at it makes him cry.

What teacher accepts typed homework anyway? Thats pretty ****ing american, I have to say.

bobblepuzzle

Overheal wrote: »

What teacher accepts typed homework anyway? Thats pretty ****ing american, I have to say.

You mean American students have access to PC's ^^... good god! :rolleyes:

Superbus

Overheal wrote: »

What teacher accepts typed homework anyway? Thats pretty ****ing american, I have to say.

It'd be relatively common. If it's a comparatively long assignment then it's quicker to type it.

stovelid

<marquee>I don't mind it, to be honest.</marquee>

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Certain amount fo hatred for Helvtica as well due to its overuse:



It's nowhere near as bad as Comic Sans though

Overheal

Superbus wrote: »

It'd be relatively common. If it's a comparatively long assignment then it's quicker to type it.

In Secondary or college? College yes; Secondary no - I liked it the old fashioned way.

sheesh

its all true..

'Friends don't let friends use comic sans'

Tarzan_man

Comic sans ain't THAT bad. I hate papyrus way, way more. I die a little inside each time I see it.

PanchoVilla

I can't believe people have nothing better to worry about that a font.

I can't believe they actually organized a campaign to ban it.

I can't believe someone actually thought it was worth making a thread about.

I can't believe I'm replying in a thread about a campaign to ban a font.

joseph brand

I myself am a fan of 9-point Verdana. When you have to ability to change the default – change the default.

from here:
http://pomomusings.com/2007/03/13/3-fonts-that-should-not-be-used-anymore/
A fan of a font??
A thread about a font. FFS. This is as dull and nerdy as it gets. Delete this thread please mods.
Awful awful awful thread.

I was expecting to read about an internet hate campaign against some comedian (comic). Turns out it's a f**king font.

TPD

Have to say, I hate the font. It's awful going from web/graphic design where you could spend hours choosing the right font, to seeing a business newsletter or shop sign in comic sans. Absolutely the wrong font for the context.

AnonoBoy

I love the way if people aren't interested in a thread they start posting 'delete this thread please mods' as if it is a personal affront to them because it's something they find boring. How shocking it must be to find something nerdy on the internet! God help us all!

Not a Nerd wrote:

I can't believe I replied to this thread, I'm so much cooler than everyone giving out about fonts. I can't believe it, it's so sad. Mods please delete this whole thread as it's so boring to me and the other people who think it's boring and it should be deleted because I say so.

Diabhal Beag

Of all things to hate in the world. Italics are worse BTW

AnonoBoy

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Of all things to hate in the world. Italics are worse BTW

But italics serve a purpose. You know when you really really hate something!

Zillah

Overheal wrote: »

What teacher accepts typed homework anyway? Thats pretty ****ing american, I have to say.

Haha yeah! Teaching children to use computers! Ridiculous. Bloody Americans with their technology and shoes and what not! Back in my day we'd smear clods of bog onto a whitewashed wall do to our maths! That's the only way to teach children. Beat, shout, clod, beat, shout, clod, then it's off home with your 19 siblings to your drunk and abusive father.

Those were the days.

sink

I fucking love comic sans. A font that pisses pedants off is pure genius in my book.

AnonoBoy

sink wrote: »

I fucking love comic sans. A font that pisses pedants off is pure genius in my book.

One of these days Alice....... :mad:

Or rather