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Comic Sans, Font of Ill Will

Kelson writes "The Wall Street Journal profiles Vincent Connare, designer of the web's most-hated font, Comic Sans. Not surprisingly, the font's origins go back to Microsoft Bob, where he saw a talking dog speaking in Times New Roman. Connare pulled out Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns for reference, and created the comic book-style font over the next week. 'Mr. Connare has looked on, alternately amused and mortified, as Comic Sans has spread from a software project at Microsoft Corp. 15 years ago to grade-school fliers and holiday newsletters, Disney ads and Beanie Baby tags, business emails, street signs, Bibles, porn sites, gravestones and hospital posters about bowel cancer. ... The jolly typeface has spawned the Ban Comic Sans movement, nearly a decade old but stronger now than ever, thanks to the Web."

10 of 503 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Similar to Windows hate? by EdZ · · Score: 5, Funny

    It is easily readable

    Yes. Compared to, say, Wingdings.

  2. Re:Similar to Windows hate? by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 5, Funny

    Comic Sans itself isn't a bad font. It is easily readable, and more than anything else, that is the best measure of a font.

    Just because it is so popular people hate it. It's like people hating on pop stars, Windows, and Kraft Parmesan cheese.

    I AGREE. PRO TIP: THE MOST EASILY READABLE SUBSET OF ANY FONT IS THE CAPITAL LETTERS. YOU SHOULD ALWAYS USE CAPS TO MAKE YOUR MESSAGES EASIER TO READ.

  3. Re:Similar to Windows hate? by omnichad · · Score: 5, Funny

    That was funny. And hard to read.

  4. Not only e-mails by adamjaskie · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've gotten change requests and requirements specs in Comic Sans.

    --
    /usr/games/fortune
  5. awesome font! by rubycodez · · Score: 5, Funny

    I'm going to start using it at work, often. it fits. I hope it infuriates many.

  6. Re:I asked a professional graphic artist . . . by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Of course, she's going out with you... So there's no accounting for taste.

  7. Re:Similar to Windows hate? by Schraegstrichpunkt · · Score: 5, Funny

    [citation needed]

    That pretty much sums up religion in a nutshell.

  8. Re:Similar to Windows hate? by Hal_Porter · · Score: 5, Funny

    the reason they went on to use only capitals? apparently you can't write the name of the christian deity in all lowercase.

    Yes you can. It's not like he's going to strike you down with lighting bolts or something.

    god

    See, nothing ha

    --
    echo -e 'global _start\n _start:\n mov eax, 2\n int 80h\n jmp _start' > a.asm; nasm a.asm -f elf; ld a.o -o a;
  9. A much worse example by whereverjustice · · Score: 5, Funny

    Last year I visited the museum at Rideau Hall, the official residence of the Governor General of Canada (the representative of the Queen). They had a copy there of the royal letter formally appointing the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada. It was set in Comic Sans. I am completely serious.

  10. Re:Similar to Windows hate? by digitig · · Score: 5, Funny

    And "A" for Allah.
    And "B" for Baal.
    And "C" for Ceridwen.
    And "D" for Demeter.
    And "E" for Ereskigal.
    And "F" for Frigg.
    And "G" for Ganesha.
    And "H" for Horus.
    And "I" for Ishtar.
    And "J" for Juno.
    And "K" for Krishna.
    And "L" for Loki.
    And "M" for Mithras.
    And "N" for Neptune.
    And "O" for Osiris.
    And "P" for Pan.
    And "Q" for Quetzalcoatl.
    And "R" for Rama.
    And "S" for Shen-Yi.
    And "T" for Tiamat.
    And "U" for Uzume.
    And "V" for Vulcan.
    And "W" for Xi Wang-mu.
    And "X" for the other bit of Xi Wang-mu.
    "Y" for Yhwh, as you say, and the other bit of Shen-Yi
    and "Z" for "Zeus".
    Talk about a loose specification? "The Deity"?

    --
    Quidnam Latine loqui modo coepi?