An Open Letter to People Who Publish Books

[mayhap]

Dear People Who Publish Books,

Kindly refrain from setting the text of your book in Comic Sans MS.

Merely using it for, say, the title, or a passage that is intended to be handwritten, is already trashy beyond belief. Mistaking it for an appropriate font for the body text indicates a level of incompetence, not only in your chosen profession of design, but in life itself, so dangerously high that I firmly believe that, for the good of mankind, you should promptly be shot.

Take this nickel and buy yourself a real font, kid.

Snobbily,
mayhap

P.S. It's bad enough when you drag your own classless oeuvre through the mud like this, but when you reprint fucking Babar, faithful companion of my childhood, in this hellspawned font, you know this means war.

Comments

[prillalar]

Ah, I was just discussing this with one of the designers at work the other day.

http://bancomicsans.com/home.html

[mayhap]

Hee. That site is priceless.

"The FoNT foundation has determined that according to these trends the only typeface anyone will use by the year 2030 will indeed be Comic Sans."

[sdn.livejournal.com]

i hate that font with a passion beyond belief.
signed, someone who publishes books

[mayhap]

Preaching to the choir, true, but still.

[supertigerbabe.livejournal.com]

I used to work at a school where all the information sent home from the office was in Comic Sans MS... I raised hell until we got rid of it, and everyone thought I was crazy. Glad to know there are others out there who feel the same way I do.

[mayhap]

*raises a glass*

Keep fighting the good fight. ;)

I typed up many a worksheet and letter home at my old job in a third grade classroom, trying to make them as visually attractive as possible. I think there was exactly one font on that computer that I didn't use at one point or another.

[coercedbynutmeg.livejournal.com]

It makes me think of "The Sims." Which is fine, if you're actually playing Sims. Otherwise, back the fuck off.

[mayhap]

I think it's pretty tacky in the Sims, too, although I was willing to ignore it (although not happily ...). Actually, the Nintendo Gamecube uses it too. Maybe I need to address a second letter to "People who publish video games"?

[literaticat.livejournal.com]

I think you are my new best friend. I have actually discussed this topic with people from Abrams. I received a series of blank looks, followed by nervous chuckles and backing away. What I find more reprehensible is the release of faux-Babar cheapo holiday themed tie-ins which serve no purpose but to tarnish that noble King's reputation and take up landfill space.

[mayhap]

That is truly sad. Of course, if anyone involved had had any respect, or sense, this ongoing travesty would never have begun in the first place. But at least you tried!

I wonder where all my old Babar books are ...