Ban Comic Sans MS?

I heard about this earlier in the week when Boing Boing carried a brief post about it. Please don't think that I'm some sort of anti-Comic-sans-ms bigot. Far from it, in fact. I believe that we should be inclusive towards all fonts, regardless of both their merits and shortcomings. It's a path toward a happier, saner world where all typefaces co-exist free and unhindered. This bright vision of a shiny new society, free from the shackles of anti-Comic-sans-ms bigotry, should be the common goal of all true progressives.

...and now, having written all that mealy-mouthed, feel-good stuff up above, I may just have to clean this keyboard with Lysol.

THE GROWING CAMPAIGN TO BAN A FONT

By Martin Skivington

Posted Sunday, 25 Mar 2007 03:42:23 GMT

(LINK)

Somewhere in the murky underworld of graphic design there is a band of renegade activists who answer to no-one, and are willing to fight against anyone using the Comic Sans font.

You know the font-- it's goofy-looking and a bit cheese. You will have seen it used everywhere, from movie posters and powerpoint presentations, to corporate logos and car park signs. So what's the problem?

Folks behind the 'Ban Comic Sans' campaign say it's disrespectful to the old art of typography. It's use implies naivety and silliness, and should be confined to pink lettering on little girls' bikes-- and not on serious media forms.

But what of the campaigners-- a shadowy bunch, they use quasi-religious terms like "the sanctity of typography" in their propaganda, while appealing to the "working man" to join their campaign erradicating a simple computer font.

So are they a dangerous militia? Or just some peeved designers armed with little more than stickers and an artistic temperament. I spoke to the movement's head-- who I'll refer to only as "Dave" --to find out if it's all about art, or all a bit fart.

Earz: I assume that you lot at 'Ban Comic Sans' are designers?

Yes, that's correct. My wife Holly and I are both graphic designers, and when we realized that we shared a common disgust for inappropriate Comic Sans usage we decided that rather than just complain about it we should take action.

Earz: Why, according to your manifesto, should comic sans be banned?

In short, it's just not safe for unregulated public use. It should be handled like controlled substances or firearms, and should be used only by licensed professionals in very specific settings. Since we can't have it that way, I'm afraid it should be banned altogether.

...Using comic sans in serious literature is akin to wearing pink to a funeral, and should be avoided at all costs by persons with a brain. For more information, stickers and propaganda on the ban comic sans campaign, check the link below.

# www.bancomicsans.com.