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Typography: Chinese Oreo Cookies, Part 4
Oreo DeLight Thin CookiesRegular and ThinRegular OreoStrawberryTransformers Tie-inGolden Strawberry(Next post on Monday: Watchmen)
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Street Scene: Watchmen
•NEWYORKCITY•Rutgers Street near the F line’s East Broadway subway station entrance on Madison Street, March 2009On this day six years ago, Watchmen premiered in Los Angeles.(Next post on Monday:...
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Typography: Watching the Future
Spring forward. Today is the live presentation of the Apple Watch.“Electric Wrist Watch Marketed”The New York TimesJanuary 4, 19571964 Sony newspaper advertisement reproductionThe 44th Annual of...
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Anatomy of a Logo: The New Guardians
On Wednesday, February 24, 1988, I met with DC design director Richard Bruning to discuss a number of logos including The New Guardians. I returned to my studio and sketched out a few designs.I settled...
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Lettering: Sigmund Ullman Inks
The Inland PrinterDecember 1899The Inland PrinterMay 1900The Inland PrinterJuly 1900The Inland PrinterSeptember 1900The Inland PrinterOctober 1900The Inland PrinterFebruary 1919(Next post on Monday:...
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Lettering: Lowercase g, Part 2
SpaldingArt in AdvertisingMay 1895BurlingtonThe CosmopolitanApril 1900Luudborg’sThe CosmopolitanApril 1900AdvertisingCurrent AdvertisingDecember 1900Growing GinsengAmerican Ginseng Company1903Judged,...
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Lettering: Alvin R. Dunton, Master Penman
1812, Hope, Maine — October 8, 1891, Camden, MaineMarriage and census records have birth years ranging from 1810 to 1818.First Exhibition and Fair of the Massachusetts Charitable Mechanic Association...
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Under Cover: Asians and Pacific Islanders and the Civil War
April 12, 1861 marked the beginning of the American Civil War. A Civil War timeline is at the National Park Service, which published a new book, Asians and Pacific Islanders and the Civil War. The book...
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Lettering: It’s written all over your face.
Geyer’s Stationer, October 14, 1920Cartoons Magazine, July 1917The Cosmopolitan, April 1900Cartoons Magazine, September 1917Cartoons Magazine, September 1915(Next post on Monday: New Gods)
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School Days: Tom Harter’s Lettering Class
Tom Harter was an advertising design instructor at Arizona State University. One of the core courses was lettering. Below are the plates, by C. Elliot Smith, from Harter’s lettering folder.Below are my...
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Anatomy of a Logo: Quicksilver
On May 1, 1996, Mark Gruenwald called and offered the Quicksilver logo to me. It was for the Uncanny Origins series. Over the next couple of days, I developed three designs.I drew guides lines to...
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Creator: Platt R. Spencer, Master Penman
November 7, 1800, East Fishkill, New York – May 16, 1864, Geneva, OhioPlatt Rogers Spencer was the youngest child born to Caleb and Jerusha, and creator of the Spencerian writing system.1830 United...
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Comics: Spider-Man’s Gas Mask, Très Chic
Cartoons MagazineSeptember 1917“Millinery, Military, Marine and Modern”By Clare Tice Amazing Fantasy #15August 1962Jack Kirby and Steve Ditko coverSteve Ditko unpublished coverThe Amazing Spider-Man...
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Lettering: Aldren A. Watson
Aldren A. Watson hand-lettered the first American Artist logo. He may have designed the title’s previous name, Art Instruction. It is not known if Aldren studied with a calligrapher or was self-taught....
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Lettering: Daniel T. Ames, Master Penman
1835, Vershire, Vermont – August 26, 1909, Mountain View, California1860 United States Federal CensusOswego, New YorkName / AgeDaniel T. Ames 231865 New York State CensusSyracuse, New YorkName /...
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Creator: Elaine Rawlinson
The First Woman Who Designed a United States Postage StampElaine Rawlinson was born in Manhattan, New York City, on January 26, 1911. Her birth date was found on a 1932 passenger list at Ancestry.com....
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Typography: Bock Ngar Chy Co.
Who’s Who of the Chinese in New YorkWarner M. Van Norden1918Lee Shew Hung—was born in San Francisco in 1882. At the age of four he was sent home to the land of his forefathers to receive Chinese...
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Anatomy of a Logo: The Question
The Question logo was commissioned by Robbin Brosterman, a designer at DC Comics, who said a book, compiling the 1987 to 1990 comic books by Dennis O’Neil and Denys Cowan, was going to be published....
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Lettering: British Printing Ink Advertisements
The British PrinterJanuary-February 1899The British PrinterMarch-April 1899 The British PrinterMay-June 1899The British PrinterJuly-August 1899The British PrinterSeptember-October 1899The British...
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Comics: Fred Iger, 1924–2015
Frederick Hillel “Fred” Iger was born in New York City on July 12, 1924. His birth date was in a public record at Ancestry.com. His parents were Morris Leib Iger and Lenore Schnapp, who married on July...
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