Comic Sans walks into a bar, and the bartender says, “We don’t serve your type.”
It’s true, if typefaces could walk and talk, I would discriminate against Comic Sans. I hate the font.
Maybe it was the time I received my first Beanie Baby in second grade and ripped off the tag. (Any beanie baby enthusiast would know that it’s against beanie baby etiquette, they even sell tag protectors). Or maybe it was the garage sale sign (I didn’t go), restaurant menu (I didn’t eat), midterm exam (I stared at it for a full five minutes before I began), or countless club posters around campus (I ripped them all off the wall).
I don’t know exactly when my hatred for Comic Sans began, but one thing still remains true: It’s time to kill the overexposed font. It’s time to ban Comic Sans.
According to graphic communication professor Brian Lawler, type is one of the most eloquent means of expression. Comic Sans however expresses something much different.
“It’s unfortunately ugly and unfortunately overused and abused,” he said.
The favored typeface of human resource managers and high school librarians, Comic Sans was designed by Vincent Connare and released by Microsoft in 1995. Connare was inspired by the lettering style of comic books he had in his office, including Batman and Watchmen.
Connare originally designed Comic Sans specifically for comic book style talk bubbles and not for general use. The font’s initial name was Comic Book, however Connare didn’t think the name sounded fit for a typeface. He used sans referencing a sans-serif font because most of the lettering (except for the uppercase I) doesn’t have serifs, the small features at the end of strokes.
Fifteen years after Comic Sans induction, the font has been abused so excessively it threatens to erode the foundations upon which centuries of typographic history have been built. From Gutenberg’s letterpress to the digital age, type, like music and art, has a rich history.
Throughout history, the design of letterforms has been influenced by the prevailing cultural climate. The letters printed in Renaissance Europe by Johannes Gutenberg were a direct interpretation of the ornate gothic handwriting of the day — blackletter. Blackletter influenced the italic cut type, Bembo, which was informed by 16th century Italian handwriting.
Contemporary typography functions as a kind of weathervane for the era, with designers expressing themselves through type. Type is a voice; it’s very qualities and characteristics communicate to readers a meaning beyond mere syntax. This voice speaks louder than the text itself.
For example, when designing a “Do Not Enter,” “Danger” or “Caution” sign, the use of a heavy-stroked, attention-commanding font such as Gill Sans Bold or Bell Gothic Bold is appropriate. Traffic signs are set in sans-serif typefaces (actually called Highway Gothic) which are developed by the United States Federal Highway Administration to maximize legibility at a distance and high speed.
Typesetting such messages in Comic Sans would be ridiculous. Though this is sort of misuse is most common on posters around campus, it is unjustified. Comic Sans as a voice conveys silliness, irreverence, absurdity and is too casual for such a purpose. Writing your résumé in Comic Sans is analogous to showing up for a job interview in a clown costume.
Additionally, sans serif fonts are not typically used for large bodies of text. If you examine most textbooks, they are set in serif type. This is because the serifs in text lead your eye from one letter to the next and promote easy comprehension. One more reason why Comic Sans shouldn’t be used for lengthy e-mails, college essays or exams.
On campus, typography is most effectively expressed through The Type Directors Club, the current show at the University Art Gallery. The Type Directors club is an international organization founded in 1946 whose members include design professionals, typographic designers and typophiles. The exhibit features excellence in the use of typography, calligraphy, hand lettering and other letterforms.
The show clearly exemplifies the power and clarity of a well-chosen typeface. They’ve made it a point not to include Comic Sans.
Right on. I hate Comic Sans so much that I refuse to buy any merchandise on bancomicsans.com until they change the font on it. I don’t care if it has a big red slash through it, I’m not wearing Comic Sans on my body.
Then again, I’m a freak.
Here’s an opinion you could try writing, “The Banality of Arial.”
Owing to the hegemony of Microsoft Word, Comic Sans is the only type font I have that both conveys a sense of informality while maintaining legibility. Word’s other distinctive sans-serif fonts, like Forte or Bradley Hand ITC, achieve their distinction at the cost of legibility.
Brian used to work on designing type fonts. Perhaps the world is ready for a replacement for Comic Sans. He could call it Pozo Dams.
there are plenty of fantastic replacements for comic sans, len. apparently you just don’t own them. i suggest archer and amplitude if you’re serious.
I got a new office computer today and had a look at it’s version of Microsoft Word. There is a font in it called Amienne which is a big improvement over Comic Sans.
oh, wow… i hope that was a joke. amienne? not legible. not cute.
I love Comic Sans. I know what I’m getting and it is very legible, Even when I shrink it to a small size. I am stunned to find people expending this much energy against a very nice font.
Daniel, I like Comic Sans much much better than your graphics if what is above is an example.
I have set Comic Sans as my default font in windows and office to include Excel. I would change this note to it but it is your site so I will be a courteous guest.
When I heard Leo LaPorte discussing this, i thought about changing at first but then decided not to. I like it. I will continue to use it.
Thanks
DrMarty
Sara,
You’ve got to be kidding. Archer?? Amplitude?? These are truly terrible fonts. I would delete them from my list. I would never use them. And more importantly, they have no similarity to my favorite font, Comic Sans. They are blocky with sharp edges and corners and are hard to read.
If you are going to suggest a font, at least suggest ones that might substitute.
DrMarty
I didn’t know Dr. Marty Bragg was so passionate about Comic Sans… haha, good to know.
I also disagree with Daniel about Comic Sans. It is because it’s casual and light-hearted that I love it. Perhaps I’d feel differently if I were in highway construction or government, but I’m a tech writer and use Comic Sans in instant messaging all the time. Someone mentioned Amienne…I do think it’s a beautiful font, but it’s also hard to read. I tried it out and had to blow it up to 18 pt to be at all legible for me, but the person I was chatting with said it was very hard to make out. So I switched back to Comic Sans!
Sad…blogging about hating a font.
I love Comic Sans for some uses. it’s a perfect font for doing mockups and wireframes… it looks halfway casual and sketch-like, yet halfway legible… it straddles the line between sketch and real life design. You know what font is 500x worse than Comic Sans? The type in the CAPTCHA I had to enter in order to leave this comment! 🙂
…or the font this site uses. Seriously, 9pt serif? Do you hate being able to read, or something? The irony of a “typophile” using 14px Georgia is amusing.
Somebody has a lot of time on their hands if they are worrying about a typeface. Here at the Creative Workshop, we use Comic Sans a lot and I have have never really thought about worrying about how it looks. No one has ever complained about it. Most of the people involved with the Creative Workshop are adults.