Meet The Man To Blame For Comic Sans

Megalith

Megalith

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Batman? Watchmen? Microsoft Bob? I thought Comic Sans was invented in like, a day, just because they needed a font to amuse little kids, but it turns out there is a more interesting history behind it. The inventor, Vincent Connare, claims it is the best thing he has ever done.

You remember Comic Sans. You know, that irreverent, off-kilter font that came pre-programmed on 90s versions of Microsoft Word? In fact, you probably have very strong feelings about that font. Here’s the story behind the most polarizing font ever made.
 
But you didn't you it for this story? oh i see it isn't supported here. :arghh:
 
Willypants said:
I don't get the hate. Can someone explain it to me?
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I don't completely understand the extreme hate that some have for it but I did grow to dislike it. Mainly it was just way overused and used in the wrong situations which is easy since there's very few situations where it is appropriate.

It's hard to read and bulky so it should never be used for for a body of text, short titles in large type is about all it's good for. It's also not professional looking which further limits the appropriate uses.

To be fair back then Times New Roman was probably the most popular font and it's almost as hard to read.
 
The hate probably comes from serious events (eg: funerals, emergencies, road detours) using comic sans to tell you of said emergency. [8]
 
I used to use this in Mid and High-School for writing papers because it was so much larger and more generously spaced out than Times NR. You could literally turn a paragraph into a 2 paged double spaced masterpiece in 5 minutes before class started to complete the weekends report that was do on Monday. May this man find eternal peace and comfort.

Edit: 1994-2001
 
As I mentioned, I always kind of liked Comic Sans. So I have changed everything Win 10 to that font. It's different, and I like different. If I get tired of it I will switch back.

For those of you who vehemently hate the font, I'm not trying to piss you off.

Relax, find your happy place.


I don't even know if you see the font.

Actually, if somebody could tell me, I'd appreciate it.
 
Wyodiver said:
As I mentioned, I always kind of liked Comic Sans. So I have changed everything Win 10 to that font. It's different, and I like different. If I get tired of it I will switch back.

For those of you who vehemently hate the font, I'm not trying to piss you off.

Relax, find your happy place.


I don't even know if you see the font.

Actually, if somebody could tell me, I'd appreciate it.
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No, just looks like Arial to me.
 
I work with like eight Graphic and Industrial Designers. To them it's a big hipster thing to over the top hate it. They're taught in school that it's worse than Hitler or something, and should never be used in any situation. One of us engineers made a sign in Comic Sans to poke the bear and found it scribbled over in sharpie, ripped to shreds and taped back on the computer that had it.
 
Nashligo said:
I work with like eight Graphic and Industrial Designers. To them it's a big hipster thing to over the top hate it. They're taught in school that it's worse than Hitler or something, and should never be used in any situation. One of us engineers made a sign in Comic Sans to poke the bear and found it scribbled over in sharpie, ripped to shreds and taped back on the computer that had it.
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You mean like this?
243.gif
 
My hate of it is very simple and it is a hate of it being misused not so much the font being used properly. I spent years in the corporate environment in the late 90's-early 2000's. I had to deal with that font being used by every single woman in the office no matter how inappropriate it was, on everything. For the record that isn't a sexist statement, just a flat fact in the companies I worked for personally. That is why Comic Sans receives so much hate, around a decade of inappropriate use in major corporations and people got fed up seeing it. When used appropriately, it doesn't even phase me.
 
Willypants said:
I don't get the hate. Can someone explain it to me?
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This is one of [H] best Apple hate threads yet due to the subtlety. The video states Mac OS was the first to pick up the font (2:31 mark)......hence it's all Apples fault. As always.


Personally I find these type of videos very interesting. It's not as interesting now-a-days because are literally 1000's and 1000's of font types out there. But pre wide spread computer days, these guy put a lot of thought into these fonts and it's the little things about the spacing and the use of serifs. You don't think about it at first, but when it's pointed out it makes sense.

I saw this movie several years ago about the font Helvetica, and it was interesting to listen to something so mundane like font be explained in such a state of meta.

 
Meeho said:
It's not anymore? What is popular these days?
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If you asked someone they would probably say Arial (or Times New Roman even) because they don't many names, but without knowing it, for most people it would be Calibri because it's what Microsoft defaults to in Outlook and Word.
 
westrock2000 said:
If you asked someone they would probably say Arial (or Times New Roman even) because they don't many names, but without knowing it, for most people it would be Calibri because it's what Microsoft defaults to in Outlook and Word.
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New times Roman look decent and I fucking hate San serif. I shouldn't look like l.
 
Meeho said:
It's not anymore? What is popular these days?
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I don't know what is "popular," but Calibri is very easy to read on screen and in print. Lucida Console has replaced Courier New as my favorite single-spaced font for the same reasons.
 
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