Comic Sans Shirt Round 2

A couple posts ago, I told the tale of how Comic Sans ruined the Christmas of 2010 for me. Christmas 2011 told a different story. Maybe it’s because my sister saw my post and wanted to clear her name or just because Helvetica always prevails in the end. Either way, my sister totally redeemed herself this Christmas with this gem under the tree. (See image above.) I’ll be rocking this anti-comic sans tee into the new year! Best. Gift. Ever. (However, the potato ricer I got from Grams was about equally as good because I really needed that for mashed potatoes.)

Since we are on the topic of Comic Sans, has anyone seen the Comic Sans Project? I hesitated posting a link to it because I really don’t want this web page to get any hits. However, it’s one of those things in life you should experience so you know what not to do in the future. Basically, the purpose of this website is to Comic Sans-ify popular logos. Why would one or more people waste their time doing this beats me. Like one of my design professors told me years ago, “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should”.

Although the site is hideous and makes me want to physically clean my computer screen, it is a good example of how Comic Sans degrades professionalism.

Logo courtesy of The Comic Sans Project http://comicsansproject.tumblr.com

Take this NASA logo for example. This logo went from a symbol of prestige and strength to looking like a 5th grade science club drawing in Microsoft Paint. I feel like the people involved in this project are all former tow company employees, who just get off on ruining people’s days whether it’s towing parked cars away for $200+ fines or redesigning logos in Comic Sans. Here’s their mission statement:

We are the Comic Sans defenders. We fear no fonts and we will make the whole world Comic Sans. Because Helvetica is sooo 2011.

Hmmmm… Not a fan. But as the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. You can keep tabs on their antics on Twitter @comicsansprjct.

Logo of the week – Samson Rope

What makes a timeless logo? Is it simplicity, masterful illustration work, or referencing the Bible? Maybe a combination of all three. Regardless, the Samson Rope trademark is the oldest active registered trademark in the United States making it this week’s “Logo of the week”.

Earlier this week I met with a very nice representative from Samson. We were having an interesting conversation about rope as one would imagine. However, my ears quickly perked up when we went beyond braided synthetic fibers and she mentioned that Samson had the oldest logo in the United States. Believe it or not, the logo depicting the biblical character Samson slaying the lion was registered back in 1884. Rope may not be the first thought that comes to mind when looking at the illustration alone, however to its credit, the illustration undoubtedly signifies strength and durability. Two traits any powerful, high performance rope needs to possess. Especially one who claims to be “The strongest name in rope”.

Graphically, I love this logo! I’m usually turned off by old biblical references, but the simplicity in this woodblock-print looking illustration is really attractive in a masculine way. The type choice works well too reinforcing the sharp curvature in the black stokes of the image.