The Font We Love to Hate

Comic Sans is the typeface that designers love to hate. And designers hate Comic Sans probably for the very same reasons that the general public loves it. It looks different. It is fun and playful. It is a friendly, approachable font that can be used for anything. And that anything part is a big reason that designers hate Comic Sans. Helvetica and, maybe, Garamond can be used (IMHO) on pretty much any design project. Not Comic Sans. (Of course, the general public also thinks everything looks better with a drop shadow, a beveled edge, rounded corners, and some sort of glowing effect—which is why God invented graphic designers.)

But who invented Comic Sans and why? Where did it come from? Designed by Vincent Connare for a program called Microsoft Bob, the typeface was modeled after the hand-drawn type found in (you guessed it) most comic strips. This video tells the story of the creation of the much-maligned typeface and how it ended up as a typographic option on so many computers.

I will admit Comic Sans has its place. Each year, I typeset my annual Christmas letter in Comic Sans. It is the perfect typeface for what I hope is received as an informal note between friends. Do I use Comic Sans the rest of the year? That would be an emphatic NO!