August 2008 Table of Contents

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FEATURES

Different Strokes How a small but growing number of “creative programmers” are changing the face of type. BY EMILY KING Everybody Loves Rea Irvin An accomplished illustrator, man-about-town, and ace designer, The New Yorker’s first art editor made the magazine typeface immortal. BY EMILY GORDON

Symphonic Scripts Artist Mouneer El Shaarani is devoted to reviving and modernizing Arabic calligraphy—an art form that he thinks is largely misunderstood. BY ROANNE BELL The Last Run Seventy years, three newspapers, three states, multiple languages, hot type, cold type, longtime pressmen, and one mighty press. PHOTOGRAPHS AND TEXT BY CHRISTOPHER PAYNE

Good Type Gone Bad Seven type designers tell us what it’s like to see their fonts in unexpected contexts. INTRODUCTION BY MONICA RAČIĆ

Party Games Ancient script, traditional motifs, cuddly cartoon characters—the Beijing Olympics’ iconography is carefully calculated, and in China, it’s everywhere. BY ADAM MINTER

All of a Piece Letters—thousands and thousands of them—form the bedrock of the graffiti, commercial, and fine art of Greg Lamarche. BY CALEB NEELON

Death, Be Not Staid How personal should a final resting place be? Two memorial designers talk about the brave new world of headstone carving. BY STEVEN HELLER

DEPARTMENTS

CONTRIBUTORS Where we’re calling from.

LETTERS A Lord & Taylor model reminisces.

F.O.B. The Britney Spears Factor, Chicago posters, Bodoni’s ghost, the many faces of T, and more.

SHELF LIFE Devilish design, mass appear, K-Y—oh my!

MONOLOGUE The Law of the Letter Typography has long been a powerful tool in the shaping of nations. BY JOHN EMERSON OBSERVER Counter Points A ’70s debate between two masters illuminates the necessity of a little friction in design. BY RICK POYNOR DIALOGUE Aaron Rose, co-director and producer, Beautiful Losers. BY STEVEN HELLER

IN PRINT Vol. 18/no.1 In a 1964 issue, Jan Tschichold revealed why he abandoned modernist sans serifs. BY MARTIN FOX DESKTOP Open Range The future of OpenType. BY ANDREI MICHAEL HERASIMCHUK Plus: Fontstruct, and Linotype’s flashback.

BOOKS 1000 Music Graphics, by Stoltze Design; Cover Art By: New Music Graphics, by Adrian Shaughnessy; Art of Modern Rock Mini #2: Poster Girls, by Dennis King; Silent Pictures, by Pat Graham REVIEW BY AARON BRITT Hall of Best Knowledge, by Ray Fenwick REVIEW BY BILL KARTALOPOULOS

Signage and Wayfinding Design: A Complete Guide to Creating Environmental Graphic Design Systems, by Chris Calori; Signage Systems & Information Graphics: A Professional Sourcebook, by Andreas Uebele REVIEW BY ALISSA WALKER Kirby: King of Comics, by Mark Evanier REVIEW BY STEVEN BROWER

TYPE Stereotypes Crass ethnic type has a revealing history and, surprisingly, serves a purpose. BY PAUL SHAW END PRODUCT Box Seats BY JAMES GADDY