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Comic Sans: A Typo in Life

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Comic Sans: A typo in life © 2014 www.theactionpixel.com

Comic Sans: A typo in life © 2014 www.theactionpixel.com

There are numerous type faces that have gone the route of almost becoming archaic through constant usage. Caricatures of themselves so to speak. Trajan Pro for those epic, classic, period film posters that ooze Hollywood narrative-structure dribble. Helvetica for the relaxed casual essay or blog. Or Impact font, the obnoxious white type with an Atlanta-stripper-thick outline used by unemployed internet meme-junkies hooked up to the basic neighbour wifi package. But, by far, the most cringe-worthy of all type faces ever to exist, has to be Comic Sans.

Now, just for a moment, a stretch of the imagination, just think of one suitable occasion to use Comic Sans. Or one suitable situation you’ve seen it being used in. If an image comes to mind, and it isn’t a yuppy soccer mom (who just mastered creating word documents) printing out homemade flyers inviting Timmy’s friend to an after-match blowout with pizza and soda, then you are wrong.

“Proof?” I heard you say around the back. Below is a before and after image with only the font changed:

Comic San Comparison: Spidey Before and After. @ www.theactionpixel.com Comic San Comparison: ‘Spidey’ Before and After.

This font would make any designer perform hara-kiri using a ready-meal plastic spork.

Vincent Connare, the font designer of Comic Sans, undoubtedly wanted to create a cool, graphic novel typeface that we could use to create our own unique stories. Instead, he gave prep school teachers a means of spicing up a mind-numbing quiz. A quiz she will ask one of her students to help her print off the computer.

Most people don’t know when Comic Sans should be used. So to help you decide, all you have to do is answer this single, important question: would you eat Nuclear waste? Well that’s Comic Sans  to anyone with any design acumen. With better typefaces like DigitalStrip, Comic Sans is pretty much a no-no for graphic designers, comic artists and font enthusiasts with half a creative bone in their bodies.

But hey, it’s not all bad. To be honest its use is truly limited to the technologically inept and for poking fun at an image or at the type itself. Which reminds us of this collegeHumour skit: 

Comic Sans. What a douche.

Blogger, comic book and anime fan. FPS addict. All very convenient. Known to do storyboards and motion graphics when he's really busy.

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