(x) "I SPY" book cover title - Zero (Solotype) {David H}
Hi..I’m working on a project where I am imitating the theme of the kids books “I Spy.”
Could someone help me identify the fonts used on the cover, and perhaps recommend something similar (doesn’t need to be exact, the words wont be ’I Spy’).
Here’s an image of said cover
http://buy.overstock.com/images/products/bnt/FC0590462954.JPG
Any help is appreciated, thank you






4.Oct.2005 5.00pm
Since you did day similar would be OK, and since I can’t offhand name what they used, I’d suggest Bellini Bold Condensed for the I SPY part. Maybe some ’squooshing’ would be in order for fitting, the way the book title was done. All the black lettering below that looks like good old Bembo. The orange type might be Bembo Bold, but it’s hard to see details well in the sample.
Another I SPY replacement might be LaBamba, which is a bit more ’fun’ looking. “Spumoni” or “Elroy”, would also be ’fun’ fonts for the main title.
- Mike Yanega
5.Oct.2005 12.32am
It either IS a ( free ) font named ’BudNull’, by John D Banks, or ’BudNull’ is based on the same source.. :)
Dav, formlos
5.Oct.2005 6.43am
BudNull looks like a bad autotrace. I’d guess there is some other source, probably pre-digital.
5.Oct.2005 8.33am
I think this font is indeed in the pre-digital dustbin. I remember it from a 1986 book I worked on called “Dining in France” that I threw away last week. That book probably had a colophon identifying the font but alas it too is in the dustbin.
5.Oct.2005 12.13pm
The face intrigues me because there are so few variants of bowed stems on condensed serif designs that I could find.
I tried 1985 Solotype catalog, the 1972 VGC catalog, and a few PLINC brochures and found nutin’ — still, it doesn’t seem so completely unique that at least some source could be found. Hmmm... back to the Bat Cave.
5.Oct.2005 12.51pm
Hmmm… back to the Bat Cave.
So that’s why you made your photo unrecognisable by scribbling glasses, a moustache and a beard on it! You are ... gasp! ... it can’t be! =-O
5.Oct.2005 12.53pm
The font is Zero (solotype)
5.Oct.2005 3.08pm
dun dun dun dun dun Batman!
5.Oct.2005 6.31pm
Gee... I always thought I looked more like Alfred the butler, and not the Dark Knight himself!
5.Oct.2005 8.14pm
And, of course, Alfred has to go to the Bat Cave himself once in a while.
11.Oct.2005 8.37am
I recently noticed a font with a similar bulginess, even though it is not Zero, by any means. It might be a possible substitute. The font is Jim Parkinson’s Jimbo.
- Mike Yanega