Letterforms: Bawdy, Bad and Beautiful: The Evolution of Hand-Drawn, Humorous, Vernacular, and Experimental Type

by Steven Heller, Christine Thompson

A publishing first, this is the only book on the market to examine the intriguing history, evolution, and application of four specific genres of dynamic hand-drawn, vernacular, humorous, and digitally driven. The book provides a historical context for each genre and explores the anatomy of its type, with a look at the form and function of representative examples. Selected full alphabets and letterforms are presented with text on their origins and analog or digital evolution, and work produced by a wide range of designers shows how these typographic forms are applied. The authors then assess how these forms will continue to evolve.

192 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2000

About the author

Steven Heller writes a monthly column on graphic design books for The New York Times Book Review and is co-chair of MFA Design at the School of Visual Arts. He has written more than 100 books on graphic design, illustration and political art, including Paul Rand, Merz to Emigre and Beyond: Avant Garde Magazine Design of the Twentieth Century, Design Literacy: Understanding Graphic Design Second Edition, Handwritten: Expressive Lettering in the Digital Age, Graphic Design History, Citizen Designer, Seymour Chwast: The Left Handed Designer, The Push Pin Graphic: Twenty Five Years of Design and Illustration, Stylepedia: A Guide to Graphic Design Mannerisms, Quirks, and Conceits, The Anatomy of Design: Uncovering the Influences and Inspirations in Modern Graphic Design. He edits VOICE: The AIGA Online Journal of Graphic Design, and writes for Baseline, Design Observer, Eye, Grafik, I.D., Metropolis, Print, and Step. Steven is the recipient of the Art Directors Club Special Educators Award, the AIGA Medal for Lifetime Achievement, and the School of Visual Arts' Masters Series Award.