font issue 005 from FontShop

With bits about graffiti and redesigning the alphabet, this one’s about legibility

The good guardians of type at FontShop have come out with the latest issue of font magazine, issue 005. On the heels of 004, with that memorable cover by Underware, this issue approaches the subject of legibility through two routes:

Firstly, Ian Lyman looks at the graffiti culture and its many ramifications, artistically connecting graffiti artists to such deconstructionists as Derrida and architects such as Zaha Hadid, who question form, asking us to look at this widespread and sometimes misunderstood art form as a way to look at the essence of the letterform, that injects life and vigor into it.

Secondly and, for me quite memorably, Marian Bantjes takes a look at our 26 letter Roman alphabet, across a sheet of grid paper irreverantly:

Marian’s blunt-spoken and howlingly-hilarious critiquing on each letter might offend the faint-hearted and might cause a bit of eyebrow-raising and head-scratching but will ultimatly entertain, just like all good satire ought to.

All this with the usual assemblage of inspirational font specimens and a bit of news…

font Magazine is free; get on this list at FontShop’s site here.