A Brief History Of The World's Most Hated Typeface

Comic Sans: often misused, often maligned, never mistaken.

Calvin Straw
Created by Calvin Straw
On May 7, 2017
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Let's talk about Comic Sans...

There are few things more people can agree on than a strong dislike or even hatred of the Comic Sans font, but few can claim a thorough knowledge of its history, or, indeed, even a complete understanding of their distaste for it aside from a feeling that they've seen too much of it in their lifetime. So let's take a moment now to learn a little bit more about that decades-old enemy of style: Comic Sans. Then you can read more about its origins below!

Why was it created?

Some people may think Comic Sans was created for the sole purpose of inappropriate workplace use. But actually, the font was created with a very specific purpose in mind, a children's computer program called Microsoft Bob that was meant to help teach kids computer skills. When Comic Sans creator Vincent Connare saw the program and realized the dog teaching the kids spoke in Times New Roman, he wanted to create a font that would be fun and inviting instead of harsh and official.

Dogs don’t talk in Times New Roman! Conceptually, it made no sense.

Vincent Connare

The Guardian, March 28, 2017

How was it made?

Knowing that he wanted to create a font that was more accessible, Connare turned his attention to comic books. Specifically, he studied Watchmen and The Dark Knight Returns to draw inspiration from the hand-lettering in them, but the resulting Comic Sans was a creation all his own.

I could have scanned it in and copied the lettering, but that was unethical. Instead, I looked at various letters and tried to mimic them on screen.

Vincent Connare

The Guardian, March 28, 2017

At one point, an employer suggested that the font was too asymmetrical, that the p's and q's should mirror each other, but Connare insisted that the font was meant to be messy.

I said, 'No, it’s supposed to be wrong!'

Vincent Connare

The Guardian, March 28, 2017

How did it become so wildly unpopular?

According to Tom Stevens, who initially began trying to place Comic Sans in programs, the font just kind of took off on its own at first, becoming a staple of offices trying to make things more fun. But then, groups who saw it as being overused began to arise. Still, Stevens remains awed that the font has caused such a stir in the world.

The backlash, the level of hatred, was just amazing – and quite frankly funny. I couldn’t believe people could be so worked up over something as simple as a font.

Tom Stevens

The Guardian, March 28, 2017

But what do you think?

How do you feel about Comic Sans

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