Sex, Drugs, and... Typography?

August 7, 2003 10:53 AM

Behind the Typeface: Cooper Black You might not think to make a movie about the life and times of a font, but someone did.
posted by Karmakaze (18 comments total)

You might not, unless you read this thread... It was pretty amusing though. Thanks for the reminder :)
posted by stefnet at 10:57 AM on August 7, 2003

You might not think to use the search feature before you post, but someone did.
posted by jonson at 10:58 AM on August 7, 2003

you might not whorp the farfle slag, but mogwon did.
posted by quonsar at 11:14 AM on August 7, 2003

you might not link the mogwon right, but grapple squid.
posted by quonsar at 11:16 AM on August 7, 2003

*trys to convince himself that everyone didn't want to write a comment like that upon reading the post.* i am not a monkey at a typewriter, i am not a monkey at a typewriter, i am not a.......
posted by th3ph17 at 11:17 AM on August 7, 2003

Before this FPP disappears, I'd like to take issue with this brilliant Flash presentation on one point: "Pet Sounds" as the trigger of the Cooper Black revival. As I recall it, the "Pet Sounds" cover was considered a bit of a failure when it came out -- after all it was contemporary with the first wave of Fillmore, Mouse, Family Dog poster designs. That Cooper Black on the green background with the photo of Beach Boys feeding the animals ("Pets" get it?) looked extremely unhip, and I for one regretted that it did not hint and the expansive musical glories within (even if "Pet Sounds" is not the BBs greatest album: "Beach Boys Today" is). I'll bet you could find an earlier 1960s reference for Cooper Black if you looked hard enough.
posted by Faze at 11:26 AM on August 7, 2003

Brilliant! Love the "brush script" commercial during the 'ad break' :-)
posted by clevershark at 11:27 AM on August 7, 2003

"Cooper Black" is actually the first font I ever really noticed, as a distinct typeface, and made the effort to learn its name (this was like in 10th grade). Just like many other easily disdainable relics of the 60s/70s, it holds a special place in my heart.
posted by LairBob at 12:11 PM on August 7, 2003

Double Post or not, this was excellent.

Very Entertaining!
posted by Steve_at_Linnwood at 12:37 PM on August 7, 2003

I missed the original thread, but I'm very glad it got doubled. Great link.
posted by Dark Messiah at 12:45 PM on August 7, 2003

Actually, I did search. It didn't come up. I thought a one year search would be sufficient.
posted by Karmakaze at 1:05 PM on August 7, 2003

MetaTalk: I thought a one year search would be sufficient.

(Man, that's one big trackback...)
posted by languagehat at 1:47 PM on August 7, 2003

Also very happy it got doubled. That was incredible.
posted by grrarrgh00 at 4:21 PM on August 7, 2003

I guess my snark-o-meter isn't set high enough to register Karmakaze's post in the same league as a daily double or (shudder) a link to The Onion; I loved it!
posted by Dinzie at 11:46 PM on August 7, 2003

Waiting for the next installment in the Behind the Typeface series. What font will it be: Peignot? Crillee? Blippo? Eurostile? Or my personal fave, Bookman (Italic with Swash, of course...)? Any typeface used in the logos for Lifetime TV, Michael's crafts stores AND the Heritage Foundation has got to have quite a backstory...
posted by wendell at 1:04 AM on August 8, 2003

Personally, I'm waiting for Garamond to do an Apple Switch ad.
posted by eriko at 4:57 AM on August 8, 2003

You know, that would be funnier if Arial did it.
posted by dabitch at 8:44 AM on August 8, 2003

I just saw a whole strip mall that was recently redone and every bit of signage was in Lithos. Remember how ubiquitous that typeface was when it came out?
posted by Taken Outtacontext at 6:27 AM on August 10, 2003