Vincent Connare, Inventor Of 'The Most Hated Font,' Defends Himself

[Liberal_in_LA]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/29/vincent-connare_n_3837441.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

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"Comic Sans looks like someone threw up on the keyboard and that's what came out," graphic designer Dave Combs told The Huffington Post.

Combs is one of the many haters of Comic Sans, a font that looks like the writing in an old-fashioned comic book, that was invited by Vincent Connare 20 years ago.



Connare knows what he did. He calls comic sans "the most hated and most loved font in the world."

A typographic engineer, Connare was working at Microsoft in 1993, when he was asked for his input on a new program's fonts. "When I loaded the CD a little dog came up. He talked in a speech balloon like you would get in a newspaper cartoon strip, but it was in the system font Times New Roman," Connarre says. "I thought, 'That's silly. Dogs don't talk like that.' So I said it would look better if it looked like a comic book."

He drew some letters on the computer, and three days later Comic Sans was born. The font was featured in Windows 95, and soon ended up on every computer in the world.

[xxqqqzme]

1. I often use it

in emails and 'reminder' notices in a local newsletter.

[Liberal_in_LA]

2. i stopped using it years ago. it started to look cheesy to me

[madokie]

3. I like it

Wish Linux had it

[hunter]

10. I have it.

In Debian I used Synapatic, searched for "Microsoft fonts," and then selected "Installer for Microsoft TrueType core fonts."

Here's some instructions for Ubuntu:

http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/15495/add-microsoft-core-fonts-to-ubuntu

Microsoft released these "core fonts" for free use. Installers for non-Microsoft operating systems are easily found.

[madokie]

20. cool, thanks

[Harmony Blue]

4. I love it as it reminds me of my childhood roots

[scarletwoman]

5. An old favorite:

[Jefferson23]

6. lol, good one. n/t

[phantom power]

19. That made me laugh, in spite of my inability to relate to font snobbery

[Jesus Malverde]

7. I was sure this came from microsoft "bob"...nt

[A Little Weird]

8. I don't understand the comic sans hate.

I like it - but I do recognize that it is not always appropriate. IMO, there are many worse fonts out there.

[stevenleser]

9. People worry about stuff like this? WTF?

There are about three trillion things I would worry about before I get to one out of several hundred fonts on my machine.

[rug]

11. Personally, I despise rounded serifs.

[arely staircase]

12. I compose all my formal correspondence in wingdings. nt

[rug]

13. It's a code.

[MisterP]

14. there are many fonts BASED on actual comic lettering

this is the Rob Liefeld of comic fonts

[Liberal_in_LA]

15. examples please

[MisterP]

18. and they ALL explicitly mention Comic Sans in the title...

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2030201/killing-comic-sans-5-alternative-fonts-that-protect-your-dignity.html
http://www.sitepoint.com/eight-more-alternatives-to-comic-sans/
http://bancomicsans.com/main/?page_id=98 (yes, they even have a MANIFESTO)
http://www.blambot.com/
http://www.fontpalace.com/ (just a general, invaluable resource)
http://www.onextrapixel.com/2013/02/15/25-free-comic-fonts-to-use-instead-of-comic-sans/
http://www.fontscape.com/explore?9BU
http://comicsanscriminal.com/

[Nevernose]

16. For a while I was convinced Rob was a computer

Someone or something that could technically draw, but since it was unable to move itself, was basing its art on a description -- an appriximation -- of how real people look and move.

[Egalitarian Thug]

17. Signs your perspective might be somewhat skewed toward the inane...

Worrying about this, or any, font? You need some time to reassess.

[Scuba]

21. What we really need is a sarcasm font.