a gay typeface?

lore
31.Mar.2006 11.05am
lore's picture

I am currently working on the design of a photography book on gay parades.
All photos are black and white and all photos are portraits of gay men (from the drag to the handsome boy and the big guy with piercing and moustache...).
The cover should be mainly black and white and I am currently experimenting with different typefaces.
It should not be to “sombre”, too dramatic or to circensian, also not too grotesque...
I’m trying to find the perfect typeface, one that evokes celebration but it’s sober at the same time...and one which reflects the context (gay, diversity, celebration...)but not in an obvious way...
Any suggestion? Please?
Thanks!!



dan_reynolds
31.Mar.2006 11.12am
dan_reynolds's picture

Well, there are a number of typefaces designed by gay type designers. Would one of those work? You’ll have to do your homework here, though. I don’t want to go to deep into the personal lives of any typophiles.


m1ch43l
31.Mar.2006 11.35am
m1ch43l's picture

I was working on some materials for a pride organization a while ago and ran into a similar dearth of options. While some faces might be historically appropriate (based on designer, philosophy, or geographics) they didn’t communicate what was needed. The creative director eventually settled on something futuristic because it fit our mission statement of “looking forward,” though it wasn’t to my personal liking, so I won’t recommend it here.

Have you considered the option of having something custom-lettered? It sounds like you have a clear enough idea of what you’re looking for to give some good direction and, with a photography book, you’re probably just using lettering for headings and titling, right?


hrant
31.Mar.2006 11.54am
hrant's picture

First of all, don’t try to be too literal - that’s guaranteed to backfire.

I don’t know about gay, but there is a typeface that looks androgynous, and has been used to great effect in a book about a transvestite artist (“John Kelly”, typeset by Pentagram-NY) - that font is FF Avance by Bloemsma, and it’s not difficult to see why it works so well for that.

hhp


jupiterboy
31.Mar.2006 12.47pm
jupiterboy's picture

I rencently had a WeHo client tell me Storm’s Tenebra was Gay. Maybe he wasn’t being literal. My typographic gaydar could be on the blink.


Miss Tiffany
31.Mar.2006 1.00pm
Miss Tiffany's picture

I don’t think it is necessary or relevant. I would think that the photography will guide you and you shouldn’t be too consumed with the sexual orientation of the people in the photos or the type designers.


William Berkson
31.Mar.2006 1.22pm
William Berkson's picture

I agree with Tiffany, but you might be interested that Christian Schwartz says of his early typeface Hairspray that it’s “the gayest thing I’ve ever seen.”


Isaac
31.Mar.2006 2.17pm
Isaac's picture

It doesn’t exist. All typefaces are straight.


paul d hunt
31.Mar.2006 3.15pm
paul d hunt's picture

based on the portion of your “brief” that is actually descriptive, i think Hercules would work well, but my inital reaction was actually Farao.


fontplayer
31.Mar.2006 4.53pm
fontplayer's picture

> my inital reaction was actually Farao.

I own Fareo (one of several given to me by F.S. for pointing out some spacing problems in a font I bought) And I can see why you might think that. It certainly is cute.
: )


verdiinpink
31.Mar.2006 7.12pm
verdiinpink's picture

I think Farao esp. Bold would be appropriate for its masculine with feminine twist, quite an option.

—- pinky kinky winky —-


JudyG
1.Apr.2006 12.00am
JudyG's picture

I couldn’t resist this topic, its so dear to my heart. What is a gay typeface? What would Judy Garland like? What is the Carneigie Hall, March 18 1958 of typefaces? Well I say I like Futura extra light really really big printed in a fifth colour or maybe I could use one of those lovely butch Grotesques by the Font Bureau or Hoefler & Frere-Jones. But then again I am rather taken by Mr Dardens new creations, just need a place to use them.


lore
1.Apr.2006 9.52am
lore's picture

Now, now...that was quite an interesting little brainstorming. Thanx everyone. I am trying to avoid being literal here, I’m not looking for a typeface that looks “gay”...( whatever that means)but I thought it would be cool to “honour the content” as Bringhurst says (or was it someone else?)and use a typeface designed by a gay person or that has some kind of androgynous feel (or at least avoid a major gaffe by using some catholic, puritan typeface (I guess there are loads around). It’s more what Mich431 wrote: something that is historically, philosophically appropriate.
I’ll have a look at the suggestion you guys gave me and see if that works. Thanx a lot and keep posting.


fontplayer
1.Apr.2006 4.25pm
fontplayer's picture

Has the Cristopher Lowell Decorating Show made it over there? You could see what font he uses. You don’t get much gayer than that without an operation.

Btw, this topic reminds me of a joke:

“Is that chair saved?”

“No, but we’re praying for it!”


lore
4.Apr.2006 11.03am
lore's picture

fontplayer: hmmmm...no I don’t know the show but I know one thing: gay don’t need operations, that would be a transexual, which is a different thing. They also don’t need necessarily to be cute.


fontplayer
4.Apr.2006 11.25am
fontplayer's picture

> fontplayer: hmmmm…no I don’t know the show but I know one thing: gay don’t need operations, that would be a transexual

I thought that was just a progression, or acute case of the...uh...condition. This is great. You learn all kinds of things here.


hrant
4.Apr.2006 11.33am
hrant's picture

You seriously thought that being gay is just a station stop on
the way to being a transit passenger?! Sure, the two are related,
but come on man. For one thing, the motivation to be a gay man
would be a lot less if they were all sans.

I have to wonder: how old are you, and when will
your parents allow you to step foot outside The OC?

hhp


dezcom
4.Apr.2006 11.40am
dezcom's picture

“All typefaces are straight.”

No, some are Italic :-)

ChrisL


fontplayer
4.Apr.2006 11.47am
fontplayer's picture

> I have to wonder: how old are you, and when will your parents allow you to step foot outside The OC?

Much older than you, I’m sure. But being from OC has limited my exposure to some things you young tykes from the big city take for granted.


poms
4.Apr.2006 1.07pm
poms's picture

A gay typeface... hmm?

ITC American Typewriter could match, probably - vibrant, artificial but with a certain warmness. I’m waiting for the next suggestions.

Just my 2cents, Thom


hrant
4.Apr.2006 1.18pm
hrant's picture

Dennis, I think I was a bit too harsh, sorry.

hhp


fontplayer
4.Apr.2006 1.21pm
fontplayer's picture

> Dennis, I think I was a bit too harsh, sorry.

Having participated in an unmoderated Christian Usenet group once upon a time, Almost everything else seems tame by comparison.
No apology needed.


monocromo
4.Apr.2006 1.28pm
monocromo's picture

A gay typeface? I don‘t know what it means at all.
Meet Mixa. it’s a font on hybridation process between palatino and Symbol medium. If u are interested i’m working on.


monocromo
4.Apr.2006 1.35pm
monocromo's picture

what about that m


poms
4.Apr.2006 1.49pm
poms's picture

>what about that m

It’s not straight enough :)


fontplayer
4.Apr.2006 9.06pm
fontplayer's picture

track and kern
4.Apr.2006 9.10pm
track and kern's picture

my two cents:

I agree with dan_reynolds. I think that choosing a face that “looks” gay might be the worst thing you could do. I am a believer in connecting the text or content with the look of the type, but, I do believe that the gay community has far too many stereotypical labels as it is. You might accidentally irritate one that you were unaware of. In choosing a typeface that was designed by a gay designer, you could debut this somewhere cleverly, by citing the designer, and relating a little about his life as a “gay” typographer. I suppose that many people would not find this, or they would not care, but I think this subtler approach at connecting content with type is far better then choosing something that “looks” gay.


lore
8.Apr.2006 11.15am
lore's picture

Maybe what is confusing some people is the title of the forum. No: I am NOT looking for a font that “looks gay” but for a typeface that can contribute to the spirit of the project, which is to emphasise DIVERSITY and “OTHERNESS” (That’s for you fontplayer!). I appreciate the input, William Berkson, but fonts like “hairspray” for example, is not what I had in mind, I’m afraid. That would be a huge stereotype.
What I could do is to play with 2 different fonts, like using a classic one and then insert something completely different to subvert it a little, like insert something hand-made to give it a human touch...dunno...would that give the idea?


lore
8.Apr.2006 11.17am
lore's picture

Mixa??? Sounds good, I like the M but can we see more? Cheers.


zingboy
10.Apr.2006 3.16pm
zingboy's picture

Having done a bit of work with gay publications, I’ll say that it matters not. What is more important is the relevence to the project. BUT...

If you were to force me to answer (c’mon, make me!)... I’d say for gender ambiguity/shifting/borrowing, I’ve always liked Bodoni (or anything closely related) because of the contrast in line, the Masculine/Feminine, the sort of posed-ness of it.

If you’re addressing both lesbians and gays, I really like Rockwell because it is playful and hits both crowds well.
Kings and Queens

It may work really well for a parade book, too.


paul d hunt
10.Apr.2006 3.20pm
paul d hunt's picture

I’ve always liked Bodoni (or anything closely related) because of the contrast in line, the Masculine/Feminine, the sort of posed-ness of it.

yes, exactly. that’s why i suggested Farao—delicate yet strong.


lore
15.Apr.2006 4.51pm
lore's picture

Rockwell? Really? I Thought it was one of these typefaces reminiscent of American Highschool/collegea bit like Princeton? Or am I totally out of my mind? Isn’t it why they used it for the Kings and Queens’ book in the first place...?

(thanx for the link)...dunno...a bit too geometric, maybe. In fact, farao does have this american-highschool-feel too, there’s a version of farao that really looks like princeton. Coincidence?

(I like it though...)But Bodoni, you can’t go wrong with it, can you?

I am getting quite attached to this Coolvetica by Ray Larabie...for some reason, it’s kind of simple but it’s got a little twist, which is probably why I liked it.

Any opinion about that one? (forget about the pinky flowery thing...it’s not because of this that I think it might fit...)
Thanx!


paul d hunt
15.Apr.2006 5.24pm
paul d hunt's picture

i think coolvetica is very cliche and personally would be turned off by it. i’d rather have something more subtly sexy than something campy... unless you’re shooting for campy.


fontplayer
16.Apr.2006 12.34pm
fontplayer's picture

Anyone know what a red asterisk means mext to a subject? I had one on this topic.


lore
16.Apr.2006 2.22pm
lore's picture

Point taken Paul...
I have no idea why that asterisk on the topic, I just know that I am deliriously happy with the input received from all of you. This book is going to be big...(for my standards!)so it’s important to get the opinion from people from different (cultural) backgrounds on this subject. Cheers!


hrant
16.Apr.2006 4.41pm
hrant's picture

I thought the red asterisk means a thread that hasn’t been visited at all yet.

hhp


fontplayer
16.Apr.2006 5.28pm
fontplayer's picture

This one was almost used up when I saw it.


hrant
16.Apr.2006 6.16pm
hrant's picture

I mean visited by a given user.

hhp


fontplayer
16.Apr.2006 6.57pm
fontplayer's picture

Well, if we could figure out who the slacker is, the problem would be solved.
: )


Nick Shinn
16.Apr.2006 7.57pm
Nick Shinn's picture

Perhaps this is rather obvious, but Porchez’ Anisette might do the job.
You can play around with its combination of butch and femme alternates, tuning to the text, to strike the right balance.


fontplayer
16.Apr.2006 9.09pm
fontplayer's picture

I feel like I am selling secrets, but if the gays are trying to tell us it is a normal thing to be gay, then wouldn’t a normal font be the perfect thing to inculcate the masses? This would simplify things, as most fonts haven’t come out of the closet.
: )


hrant
16.Apr.2006 9.27pm
hrant's picture

Except there are no normal fonts.
Which is great because neither are there normal people.

hhp


dberlow
17.Apr.2006 4.56am
dberlow's picture

Personally, I think deciding on the selection of a typeface based on the sexual oriantation of the type designer, graphic designer or audience is, at best, foolish. :)


dezcom
17.Apr.2006 5.54am
dezcom's picture

Pick a type that works with the photos in the book. The photos are the subject matter. I remember the James Bladwin Richard Avedon book of the 60s as a success full approach to the interplay of few wordswith very powerful images. The type should not attempt to compete with the images. Perhaps just something simple that is not too noisy.

ChrisL


pattyfab
17.Apr.2006 8.16am
pattyfab's picture

For some reason I’m seeing something Hairline, like Helvetica Ultra Light, kind of large. I like the Stymie custom font in the NY Times Q magazine which is on fashion and design, which seems to be a revival of L&C Stymie Hairline (not unfortunately available to us mortals).

It’s not only the font but how you use it, obviously.


lore
18.Apr.2006 7.35am
lore's picture

No, I don’t think it’s a good idea looking for a font designed by a gay person either, although you’ll never know...it could be a way to pay an hommage... But it’s about CELEBRATION OF DIVERSITY really. I like the idea of simplicity and avoid competing with the images but since we are talking about a BOOK COVER I thought I might as well try something unusual just to keep up with the spirit.
Hey Dennis, you are really having difficulties coming to terms with the concept of gay, uh? :)
and yes: gay means homosexual, which can be man AND woman...


lore
18.Apr.2006 7.38am
lore's picture

Anisette is cool....


lore
18.Apr.2006 7.39am
lore's picture

the ultra light ones...gorgeous.


breck
18.Apr.2006 7.48am
breck's picture

I like the idea of thin, elegant and sophisticated.

Perhaps “new”, “forward thinking”, or simply “open”, as opposed to “old” and “closed” or “traditional.” Maybe that’s the key. Don’t ask what it should be... ask what it shouldn’t be.

I like the idea too, of ultra thin Helvetica, or something along those lines. A cover? Lately I’ve been a huge fan of Bernhard Fashion - in an all caps setting though. Take something from Avant Garde ligatures too maybe? Voila.

Of course, this is all sooooo subjective... Especially here, with “The Nerds.” (I mean that in the best way.)

-b


fontplayer
18.Apr.2006 8.00am
fontplayer's picture

> Hey Dennis, you are really having difficulties coming to terms with the concept of gay, uh? :)

To me it’s like someone saying the sky is (a fabulous) lime-green. Maybe if enough people insist it is lime-green, some people will be swayed, but I am pretty sure I wouldn’t be one of them.

If that was the only strange thing they tried to foist upon me, then as long as we don’t talk about the sky, I could have a nice conversation. (because I have found that the lime-green sky people can be very nice, otherwise)


pattyfab
18.Apr.2006 8.40am
pattyfab's picture

I dunno Dennis, you do seem to have gay issues - I seem to recall a thread about Brokeback Mountain recently in which you compared it to font piracy... methinks thou doth protest too much.


hrant
18.Apr.2006 8.54am
hrant's picture

> as long as we don’t talk about the sky

But then why frequent this thread?

hhp


fontplayer
18.Apr.2006 9.37am
fontplayer's picture

> methinks thou doth protest too much.

He was addressing me personally. I was trying explain myself better. I don’t mind the opportunity to dialogue. And I certainly am not as intimidated as some people might be.

> But then why frequent this thread?

You get your humor where you can. The subject heading is hilarious, and deserving of some fun.


George Horton
18.Apr.2006 10.19am
George Horton's picture

Gays can hardly be blamed, but one can legitimately judge their lives to be imaginatively and morally impoverished since, on average, a narrower empathy is cultivated in loving someone of one’s own sex. That may not really be true, but it’s surely vacuous to pretend that disapproval of homosexuality has to be an irrational vice.


pattyfab
18.Apr.2006 10.24am
pattyfab's picture

Morally impoverished???

I’d say on the contrary that in living a life that resists cultural sterotypes gays might be forced to cultivate more empathy. I’d hardly call the evangelical bigots that run my country (USA) either empathetic or moral. Or compassionate.


hrant
18.Apr.2006 10.30am
hrant's picture

So George that means you think bisexuals are best? And **** even better?

> disapproval of homosexuality has to be an irrational vice.

Not an irrational vice, certainly.
But the more one strays outside one’s village, the more it’s counter-productive.

hhp


George Horton
18.Apr.2006 10.30am
George Horton's picture

Well, all the clever gays I know have ended up loathing the bored spitefulness of the gay “community”.

No, Hrant, because dogs present smaller alternative centres of self to people than women do to men or men to women.


hrant
18.Apr.2006 10.31am
hrant's picture

Clever? Is disapproval of cleverness an irrational vice?

> the bored spitefulness of the gay “community”.

And the rest of Western culture is how exactly?

hhp


George Horton
18.Apr.2006 10.35am
George Horton's picture

You misunderstand me - “clever” was not meant to be snide.
The rest of Western culture is just a little less extremely bad, having some residual and vague conception of virtue forced on some people by parenthood.


pattyfab
18.Apr.2006 10.40am
pattyfab's picture

Is the gay community more “spiteful” than the religious right?

And where do you get the idea that parenthood imbues anybody with any conception of virtue?


hrant
18.Apr.2006 10.48am
hrant's picture

I myself find that parenthood imbues one with joy and fear.

Plus gays can be parents too. It’s not like bringing up kids
requires live demonstrations of sex with the opposite gender.

hhp


George Horton
18.Apr.2006 10.58am
George Horton's picture

I shouldn’t have started this. Sorry!
Patricia, I don’t know anyone on the American religious right personally, I’m afraid. I got this idea about parenthood and virtue, in its sophisticated form, from Kant, Hegel and Scruton.
> Plus gays can be parents too.
Yes, and that seems a good thing - or it will be once the children stop getting beaten up at school.


Miss Tiffany
18.Apr.2006 11.02am
Miss Tiffany's picture

Please bring this thread back on topic.


George Horton
18.Apr.2006 11.06am
George Horton's picture

OK: try ITC Tiffany.


pattyfab
18.Apr.2006 11.07am
pattyfab's picture

I couldn’t help reading Scruton as Scrotum.

Which is a sign that Tiffany is right, we need to get back on topic.


hrant
18.Apr.2006 11.23am
hrant's picture

> Scruton

Damn, another esoteric accented cap to design?!

hhp


Yaronimus-Maximus
18.Apr.2006 11.42am
Yaronimus-Maximus's picture

hi - i don’t know if i post it too late, but i thought about something. i just did it in freehand in a minute or so, but i bet there are several fonts that resemble this.
anyway this is “gay” to me (in both ways)


typotheticals
18.Apr.2006 6.20pm
typotheticals's picture

I feel you are all looking or approaching it from the wrong direction. To be gay is a state of being, not choice (my opinion) therefore dont look for a font that you feel is gay rather look for a font that appeals to people of the alternate persuasion.

Ask for opinions from people who are gay, and not from people who are straight.


fontplayer
18.Apr.2006 6.28pm
fontplayer's picture

> Ask for opinions from people who are gay, and not from people who are straight.

Well, if it isn’t one of MyFonts’ celebrities of the moment. Welcome. But you are offering a radical idea here. The Foster’s must be clouding your judgement.
: )


typotheticals
18.Apr.2006 6.53pm
typotheticals's picture

Victoria Bitter thanks. Fosters is a bit frogpond for my tastes


dezcom
18.Apr.2006 7.07pm
dezcom's picture

If you think Fosters is frogpond, try Miller Lite, it is stagnant frogpond:-)

ChrisL


Geoff Riding
18.Apr.2006 7.26pm
Geoff Riding's picture

Drink REAL BEER... Coopers Sparkling Ale, thanks! ;^)


typotheticals
18.Apr.2006 7.34pm
typotheticals's picture

Yes, Coopers is not a bad drop either, pity XXXX was bought out and formula changed, it used to be a great drink.


George Horton
18.Apr.2006 8.12pm
George Horton's picture

I’ve actually got quite a good idea for this job, Lorenza: Times Eighteen bold for display, Plantin Light for text. If you want I can explain the logic of this, but I think it’d be pretty cool.


typotheticals
18.Apr.2006 8.36pm
typotheticals's picture

The way this thread is twitching, next it will be what beers do gays like.

Back to the origin. I have no idea what would constitute as a ’gay’ font, nor what text type would appeal to gays. I still stand by my first comment. Ask the people who are actually gay.


fontplayer
18.Apr.2006 8.54pm
fontplayer's picture

> The way this thread is twitching, next it will be what beers do gays like.

Actually that would be interesting, if you ask me.
And no I am not padding out my posts. hrant is in a league of his own, I figure.


typotheticals
18.Apr.2006 9.26pm
typotheticals's picture

Dennis, are you padding out your posts to try to top Hrant as the most posted ;)


hrant
18.Apr.2006 10.39pm
hrant's picture

> hrant is in a league of his own, I figure.

I’m on top by number-of-posts, sure, but they’re mostly one-liners - sometimes even single words! In terms of actual total bytes, John H has got me beat by an order of magnitude at least.

hhp


Nick Shinn
19.Apr.2006 7.53am
Nick Shinn's picture

Ask the people who are actually gay.

Why? Typographers spec type for all kinds of readers who they may or may not have anything in common with. A professional opinion is different from a “focus group” opinion.

Having said that, I don’t believe that there is such a thing as an inherently gay type, or that sexuality should be prescribed by cultural norms, although it does become associated with them, in the form of stereotypes and cliches.

It’s in the context of specific usage that typographic form acquires meaning.


fontplayer
19.Apr.2006 8.00am
fontplayer's picture

> It’s in the context of specific usage that typographic form acquires meaning.

That sounds profound. I will have to use that.


hrant
19.Apr.2006 8.32am
hrant's picture

> Typographers spec type for all kinds of readers ...

Good point.

And Graham, what if you’re creating a design for starving Africans?
You’re going to round up some type designers from amongst them?! :-/

> It’s in the context of specific usage that typographic form acquires meaning.

Although I don’t believe there’s a specific shape that
conveys “homosexual”, this is certainly unrealistic.

Shapes, like colors, do have inherent meanings. Red means things that green doesn’t; an inverted triangle means things that a circle doesn’t. This is simply because we live in a physical world with certain fixed attributes, and furthermore we interpret this world with a brain wired in a fixed way. We’re not abstract beings living in an aether.

hhp


paul d hunt
19.Apr.2006 8.38am
paul d hunt's picture

Shapes, like colors, do have inherent meanings.

i don’t believe these meanings are “inherent.” i believe that these are culturally learned and vary from individual to individual. just like to me farao can say sexy while to lorenza it says goofy. it’s like those commercials that show an image of an wrinkled woman and overlay words like: old, wise, frail, beautiful, &c, highlighting that we can all see different things in the same thing.


George Horton
19.Apr.2006 8.50am
George Horton's picture

The news from science is that it’s a Bit of Both.


hrant
19.Apr.2006 8.51am
hrant's picture

The associations I’m speaking of are very vague and primitive (which is why you can’t convey “homosexual” through shape very well) so it’s predictable that there can be large individual variances in the interpretation of specific fonts (although in some cases the overall interpretation, especially if the target is a specific demographic, can be predictable enough to be worth leveraging). But if a top-heavy rock is falling on you and you try to culturally-relativize it away, the resultant color will be red and not green. :-)

> it’s a Bit of Both.

Exactly.

hhp


Paul Cutler
19.Apr.2006 9.34am
Paul Cutler's picture

Man and His Symbols - Carl Jung

One of my favorite design books…

peace


Nick Shinn
19.Apr.2006 9.45am
Nick Shinn's picture

vague and primitive

Right, type shapes have inherent meanings, primitive in the sense of being so basic and hence vague and generally metaphorical (open to multiple readings/interpretations), so don’t tell much on their own.


hrant
19.Apr.2006 9.49am
hrant's picture

Good - with that “much” you’re backing off from “It’s in the context of
specific usage that typographic form acquires meaning.” Keep going. :-)

hhp


Nick Shinn
19.Apr.2006 9.51am
Nick Shinn's picture

so don’t tell much on their own.

How about “they set the stage”?


typotheticals
19.Apr.2006 3.37pm
typotheticals's picture

Hrant, Nick, you both have good points. I still personally feel asking someone who is not Homosexual, or even Bi, about something that would, or could, appeal to gays, be it food, fonts or beer, is a question asked in wrong direction. Also Sexual orientation does not neccessarily dictate these people have a different taste in textfaces that we have. It could be another case of stereotyping.

Is there a starving African Type Designer ?


fontplayer
19.Apr.2006 3.56pm
fontplayer's picture

> > It’s in the context of specific usage that typographic form acquires meaning.

> ...this is certainly unrealistic.

I thought it sounded profound enough for a quote, but I guess now I’ll have to find an image with two characters and have one saying it, and the other saying “Hogwash!”.


typotheticals
19.Apr.2006 4.27pm
typotheticals's picture

Irrespective of the typeface used, the meaning of the words remain the same !


lunyboy
19.Apr.2006 11.05pm
lunyboy's picture

OK, enough lurking for me... The typeface, in the case of a book cover, can COMPLETELY dictate the meaning of the words. There was a great ad in cmyk magazine a few years ago from a student for a type foundry, the gist was that if you set the words “will you marry me?” in a horror typeface it changed the meaning quite signifigantly.
I choose not to lob an opinion on the “gay” issue, or the “beer” issue, although I find it ironic they are coexisting. I am Junged out right now with joseph campbell’s “hero of a thousand faces” and I get less sympathetic with each read.
At some point, someone mentioned American typewriter, and I am inclined *ahem to agree.


IMHO the photography has to speak, so let the flavor of the images dictate to you how they want to be represented. Don’t hot-button the gay thing.
Good design is beautiful and interesting
Great design is invisible and speaks for itself


typotheticals
19.Apr.2006 11.48pm
typotheticals's picture

Disagree. The meaning does not change. Changing the style it is displayed in can alter, or affect ones perception in regard to the meaning, but the actual, or literal meaning does not alter. “I eat dog biscuits” displayed in a script may give impression of frivolity of doing so, and a jaggy typeface may give impression of shock, or disgust, but the actual statement “I eat dog biscuits” does not alter one iota. The typeface alters the mood the way the statement is recieved, but not the meaning.


hrant
20.Apr.2006 1.25am
hrant's picture

Graham, I think you’re underestimating the inherent ambiguity in any natural language. Not always, but often enough the content can have multiple interpretations, depending on context and even the reader - and this is what can give Design a central role in communication; especially because written language doesn’t benefit from the gestural and tonal richness of spoken language (all we have is measly italics).

hhp


typotheticals
20.Apr.2006 4.55am
typotheticals's picture

Yes... You are correct. Written language is fairly rigid when put beside the spoken word. Inflections on the spoken word can purposely alter the perception of a statements meaning, with the intention of actually say one thing while meaning another. I suppose I am being a bit pedantic(?) about it, but I put that down to my acerbic nature. It isn’t too good to focus upon one narrow section and block out the surrounding information. As, after reviewing the previous messages on this thread, I seem to have done.

Unfortunately we dont have the emotive variety available to us in the typefaces that we can produce vocally. Maybe we can come up with some emotion accents to add in the new opentype format :) Sounds like a challenge to me.

To get back to the book, I feel a typeface that looks festive and partylike, while retaining a clear visual readability would probably suit.


Yaronimus-Maximus
20.Apr.2006 6.07am
Yaronimus-Maximus's picture

i agree with lunyboy - this american typwriter is interesting becuase it has diversity. on the one hand it’s a typewriter face with it’s “formality”, on the other hand letters like C and R have these little things which make the more “feminine” (i don’t know how to call these little things but there is something ornamental in them). this face no too formal, it has round edges and that’s another quality. it would look even more interesting if it has lighter wheights.


Nick Shinn
20.Apr.2006 8.07am
Nick Shinn's picture

Just for a moment, look at the problem from a different angle.
What does a straight typeface look like?
Something that would be used for important heterosexual occasions?


hrant
20.Apr.2006 8.13am
hrant's picture

That’s actually harder, because “deviations” (as long as they’re not
too obscure) are easier to find associations for than the “mainstream”.

hhp


paul d hunt
20.Apr.2006 10.08am
paul d hunt's picture

where are the pink pilcrows when you need them?


lore
21.Apr.2006 10.55am
lore's picture

Oh dear..I can’t turn my back, can I? I was away for a couple of days and look at the mess!!!


lore
21.Apr.2006 11.42am
lore's picture

ok...I went through the threads including the digressions about morality and beer.
Now...I wasn’t going to bother replying but Dennis..(sigh)why do you think there’s something funny abou the topic, do you giggle everytime one says the word GAY? Yes, I did call it A GAY TYPEFACE? because I wanted to draw some attention to the forum but I think it was pretty obvious that I wasn’t looking for a “spiteful, frivoulous and sophisticated” font...I mean nobody can seriously think it is possible to give fonts human attributes, right?
However I do agree that you can somehow subvert the meaning of a text with the use (or misuse) of a specific font style. You can’t probably change the meaning but you can affect the reading experience. Nothing new about it.
Party celebration, festive is all useful not because of the cliche of gays dancing at the sound of Abba but because it is about GAY PARADES. But I am so not convinced about typewriters...I really don’t get it.


fontplayer
21.Apr.2006 12.01pm
fontplayer's picture

Dennis..(sigh)why do you think there’s something funny abou the topic,...?

Like a typeface can be gay. I’ve used a few fonts that were trying to poke parts of themselves where they don’t belong in another letter, but that was a quality problem.

That why it reminded me about the joke: “Is that chair saved?” ...

But one problem is I failed to note the obvious; that there might be a lot of gays in graphic design. I madew a few off-hand comments, and then I had to dig a deeper hole, so to speak, trying to explain something.

I was trying to examine my thoughts on the matter this morning, and realized, that aside from any moral issues involved, my gut feeling is that male gayness is disgusting to me (if I start trying to imagine). Not much I can do about that. But a female being attracted to a female is not. Women are soft and cuddly. Who wouldn’t want to get with that? - This is mainly to clarify how I personally feel, not to instigate a bunch of people to gang up on me.

On the other hand, if I keep on going this thread could pass the Typophile Beta Bug Report in number of responses.

But back to the matter of fonts, I saw these heavy Bodoni variations in another thread which I couldn’t find (I looked up the links in browser history), but I think they looked great for a festive titling. I even had two of them. See what you think:

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/bagraphics/sahara-bodoni/sahara-bodoni/

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/urw/craw-modern/

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/urw/didoni/urw-d-normal/


hrant
21.Apr.2006 12.25pm
hrant's picture

Well, thanks for being honest*. In fact in some ways (although not
the disgust part - my benchmark for that is totally different, and
almost entirely outside the physical realm) I feel quite the same way.

* Although this should ideally extend to speaking your mind whether the
group/person in question is present or not (although I admit that can be hard).

And really, nobody should feel guilty for his emotions. But we are all responsible for our actions, so for example not giving somebody a job (at least one that isn’t inherently heterosexual) because some aspect of his own emotions disgusts you is not good. Human society cannot be harmonious under such draconian standards.

hhp


fontplayer
21.Apr.2006 12.49pm
fontplayer's picture

But we are all responsible for our actions, so for example not giving somebody a job ...because some aspect of his own emotions disgusts you is not good

Agreed, and I am capable of forgetting about that aspect of a person in order to hang and work, although I haven’t been challenged with anyone “over the top”.

And in the same way I might look for a Jewish lawyer or doctor, if I wanted fashion advice, I wouldn’t mind Clinton’s (What Not to Wear) advice on something that works for me. Unfortunately none of his stores would have shirts to fit me.


lore
21.Apr.2006 1.05pm
lore's picture

Typophile Beta Bug Report? I don’t even know what that is...I am soooo not interested in this kind of competition. It’s about QUALITY not quantity and how useful are your contribution going to be to me ( and everyone participating.


I like that one...looks pretty dynamic to me, kind of jolly too. Thanx.
Another hint : I’ve found that it could refer to the meatphor of “coming out”, in short coming out to the streets, to the day light instead of hiding because there are people out there who find you...er...disgusting and don’t even seem to realise that is quite insulting to say it in public.
Get it?


fontplayer
21.Apr.2006 1.10pm
fontplayer's picture

I would be interested to see some of the work. Whatever makes me a fontfreak, makes me thrill to see the graphic above that demos the Craw font. I am very happy I have this one.


lore
21.Apr.2006 1.19pm
lore's picture

You mean the photos? it probably won’t give you an idea because the great thing about it is the diversity of types, all sort of people, pretty, ugly, dressed up, totally normal...I do admire people that fight for their rights and go through a sometimes quite painful process until they actually come out.


hrant
21.Apr.2006 1.21pm
hrant's picture

> quite insulting to say it in public.

But much better than hiding it (which I’m
sure is the case with many people here).

Progress relies on open communication,
and open minds, but not covert feelings.

hhp


lore
21.Apr.2006 1.24pm
lore's picture

exactly...tolerance is a good think and I don’t see what good can bring to say to someone : “I don’t like gays” without eevn think that this may hurt someone. Sometimes to keep your prejudices for yourself is better.


hrant
21.Apr.2006 1.36pm
hrant's picture

> Sometimes to keep your prejudices for yourself is better.

Better for whom? Yourself. Otherwise, it’s assuming the
the person in front of you is in fact the intolerant one.
Tolerance is much much more than fake civility. Just
observe the mess the Netherlands is in now - and it was
triggered by a completely irrelevant incident! It was all
a veneer, all this time. That to me is disgusting.

hhp


fontplayer
21.Apr.2006 1.50pm
fontplayer's picture

I don’t see what good can bring to say to someone : “I don’t like gays”

I’d like to clarify that I didn’t say that. I do like some gays. Just like I like some of those WASPs. My real judgementalism comes from other traits like people who prey on the helpless, and men who beat up on women, etc.

Oddly, much of the worst untempered condemnation of gays is from Christians, who can’t hang with people who they consider “sinners”. Which is ludicrous, in that it ignores the glaring fact they are (continue to be) sinners too. And as if hatred & hypocrisy are represetative of God’s love. (see white-washed tomb analogy)


fontplayer
21.Apr.2006 1.58pm
fontplayer's picture

Better for whom? Yourself.

Exactly! And everyone’s failure to recognize my victimization is lowering my self-esteem! (to quote the wise sage Calvin)


Miss Tiffany
21.Apr.2006 2.34pm
Miss Tiffany's picture

All of this generalization is making me sick and dizzy.


hrant
21.Apr.2006 2.49pm
hrant's picture

Well, Life is a heady affair.

hhp


Miss Tiffany
21.Apr.2006 2.55pm
Miss Tiffany's picture

Lorenza, you mentioned Anisette earlier. You could also use Anisette Petite. Also on Typofonderie you could look at Parisine Plus PTF, Jean François has added all kinds of unexpected ligatures.


timd
22.Apr.2006 4.44am
timd's picture

I recently used Suburban Bold for a jewellery fashion promotion aimed at gay men and women. You might find it too circensian (thank you for introducing me to that word btw) or working against the photography, my use was for type only. It strikes me that thin faces or didones might be too “fashion”. Clarendon might be a more solid alternative.
Tim


lore
22.Apr.2006 7.03am
lore's picture

ahhhhhh! I love the Parisine Plus, very gracious!
I think we are getting really close here...thanks for that. Tim: true that thin faces can be too fashion, I hadn’t thought of that. Very useful stuff, thanx.
That suburban bold is interesting although some rightly say that I shouldn’t use a font that compete too much with the images and maybe this one tends to get too close to an image (sorry I can’t explain that too well)...look at the Y for example.


lore
22.Apr.2006 7.07am
lore's picture

I went through a script phase and a clarendon phase (didn’t like very much , just a question of personal taste)...


typequake
22.Apr.2006 3.37pm
typequake's picture

I think Veljovic would work quite well.