In memory of George Baskerville

British crime author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle named his story The Hound of the Baskervilles after his compatriot John Baskerville’s well-known and much-venerated typeface. In my current photo op, Boroondara Kew Cemetery, last week I stumbled across what looks to be the grave of a Baskerville who lived in the late 19th century, one George Baskerville.

I plan to go back this week and take loads more pix of George Baskervile’s fallen tombstone. Many thanks to flickr pal Tom Margie for noticing the name on the monument.

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Jimmy James reviews Helvetica

Sum up: On the Advice on establishing an Australian type club thread I said “the only interesting person in Helvetica is David Carson.” That was overstating it. Carson isn’t the only talking head worthy of your attention in Gary Hustwit’s documentary on Max Meidinger’s ubiquitous mid-century grotesk. Jonathan Hoefler and Tobias Frere Jones give David Carson a decent run for his money. Hoefler in particular came across as we would expect such a type luminary to—articulate, lucid, quick-witted and well-informed. Frere Jones was more sober yet no less erudite or cultured than his partner. Matthew Carter was absorbing and informative.

THE Observer's Book of Mad Roman Emperors

It’s THE book, according to the title.
THE book of mad roman emperors.

As you can see this is a barking mad font I’m working on. Bar-bark, woof.

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Safe use of Comic Sans

This is an ideal use for Vincent Connare’s marvellous creation.
Photoshopped or “live”? It doesn’t matter. It’s very funny and
that’s all that counts.

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The assasination of Benazier Bhutto

This must be the single worst act of political violence we’ve seen this year. A beautiful woman shot in the neck by an assassin who then blew himself up, killing other 15 people. Pakistan has been thrown into dissarray, with ten dead in riots, and Al Quaeda has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Amity in the news(letter)

I finally made it into In Your Face, the monthly newsletter from Myfonts.com

Yay! Like it’s a big deal (I’m exaggerating). But seriously, it isn’t every day you produce a marvellous solution to the problem Herbert Bayer failed at with a mixed case uniheight design that makes a cute and useful headliner display type, like Amity for example. The Myfonts text gives a neat summation:

Holiday fun---Sand Sculptures

—-“sand +sculptures” extra large images—-yay!—-

—-“large images” gives a different sweep—-

Hand picked:

—-These guys make sand sculptures for cash—-

—-Lady taking photo has nicely-sculpted legs—-

—-Smeegle—-

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I don't mind as long as somebody else is paying.

1) If you were going to buy “loads and loads” of great OpenType fonts tomorrow, what style of fonts would you “most-like” to buy?
I don’t mind as long as somebody else is paying.

2) Shouldn’t we be making fonts that have animated characters? I mean, it’s the bleeding 21st century, where are the “fully animated” script fonts that scrawl beautiful handwriting from the late eighteenth century, complete with ink effects, before your very eyes? How long will it take to develop the technology? How long will it take type designers to make one “fully animated” font, most-like?

Magazine parodies at Something Awful

—-They’ve been at it again, with mixed results—- Some of these are funny. For creators who aren’t type savvy (compared to typophilers), the font choices are okay, occasionally hitting the nail square on the head.

—-more magazine satire here—-

Courtesy of Josh “Livestock” Boruff and www.somethingawful.com

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'Tis the Season to be Jelly --- introducing Jellybrush italic

It’s new, it’s improved, it’s old-fashioned, it finds that slipper that’s been at large under the chaise lounge for several weeks. It’s —-a text-going “cursified” version of Jellybrush—

I made a mistake setting up this special offer: you can get Jellybrush Italic “free” if you buy the volume package at 29% off, at $25 that’s an equivelant saving of 50% off the single font packages.

—-Click on purchase options to get the discount package—-

Offer ends January 15th 2008

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