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b Barn
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Lubalin got his start a few decades earlier. Born in New York in 1918, he had a slightly bumpier beginning. After being fired from his first design job when asking for a raise, he joined the ranks of Sudler & Hennessey advertising agency for 20 years. In 1964, he formed his own design consultant firm, which became what is “fondly referred to as the first international graphics cartel”. He was a pioneer of phototypography and editorial design, which was splashed across the pages of benchmark 1960s magazines, Avant Garde, Eros, and Fact.
S ! lack it : kM In contrast to Jonathan
Barnbrook, who seems to know and want to discuss
Creative individualism is resented by the people who
every possible political,
social, and economic topic,
Herb Lubalin is much more humble. He said in an
q
3
c
$ U *
interview that after 25 years
in the business he finally feels like he is finished
with his apprenticeship, and is “just beginning to
do professional work”.
Lubalin grew up during the periods of intense change of the 20th century, experiencing the conventionality of the 1950s and the subsequent rebellion of the ‘60s and ‘70s. His style encompasses so many elements of other styles, he would be most accurately described as an American Pluralist. He experimented with almost every style that can be imagined, broke almost every rule, and churned out some groundbreakingly experimental typography, editorial and graphic design.
barnbrook and lubalin :
the fun ph Lubalin worked with Ralph Ginzburg on his magazine Eros, which was sued by the
United States Postal Service for obscenity.
When asked about it in an interview, Lubalin
Both Lubalin and Barnbrook
explained, “The ruling was made by several
found success in challenging
courts. First, by a district court, the Federal
the status quo. Lubalin
Court in Philadelphia that found him guilty.
disregarded the “less is more”
Then he went to the Court of Appeals and
aesthetic in favor of bright,
the Court of Appeals found him guilty.
bold, expressive typography.
Then he went to United States Supreme Court and they found him guilty. And then he went back and was reviewed by the Supreme Court. And he was still found guilty and then his lawyers found there was some legal loopholes in the decision, so they went back to the Court of Appeals. And he was again found guilty. He was just recently given a rehearing by another Appeals Court. He feels very confident that they are going to drop the whole case.”
D
D
rejecting ctionalist hilosophy
k c u f tic ssimis re pe o m is es a nd it k tak r ld a b ro o e wo th Bar n n d r a d towa face type oach r is p h p a re d in ces a ecte p e fa ly refl H is t y s tar k but . , n s e s ig l form h ic d ssica la c n gra p er n mod sed o tly ba nctly ti n is ta d a ry bla s eve ted in p la n resen and e s are p k th in ially He th spec e n e r. , n n a m esig on to the d relati ct of ce in fa e aspe p ty seem f the mes e na ing o th ry h nam g e histo lthou into th ign. A k s o e lo . d r its them furthe ut into ve, a p ti t a h c g u provo e tho ows th tyle sh s d n a
u t s r q
z y x w v
e d c ab
gh
k
k j i h
p o n m l
n d is a as tar B , le p r xam le t t e For e la c k tal b n e had r im rook expe arnb B t a ce th ed on focus typefa g. He in m a veral le n for se troub stard a B as ame ere w the n ns; th o s a lled ate re nt ca legitim tter fo le k c erld bla a lett an o w hen d n is a rda, ect it t corr Bas ta is no g ”. in e sett d typ p re s s as tar b “ d calle
us, n o b d de d a n a s, As d d a k roo b n r a ake B m o t ed t n a w tI “I a h t s iou i t o b v ree with the ag t ’ n d i ion t d a i c o ass t s i c ion s t fa a m a xcl e n TS a S I C so S FA fascists y n S a D t R A tha T A S ate.” B bastards E R WE pri were o r p p da seeme
nO m to see
the people who order the firing of
missiles
urde
for some that would make li of the
citizen
Maybe it’s
Herb Lubalin also dealt with
easier
Ot
serious topics such as war in his designs, but his fonts were much subtler
statements. The typeface Barnbrook has also received criticism (and Lubalin is most famous for lack of) for other typeface name choices.
as
is 1970’s ITC Avant Garde. One of his creations, Manson--an exploraHe designed the font Avant tion of English typography and European Garde, a geometric sans modernism created in 1992-received criticism serif typeface with custom for being named after Charles Manson, the ligatures, for Ralph Ginzburg’s murderer. A year earlier, though, Barnbrook Avant Garde magazine, designed Exocet, named after a missile, and and it originally was meant was surprised at the lack of criticism. He for just the logotype of the remarked that it was, “very strange how magazine. It was a hard people complained about a typeface named solution for the two of them after a serial killer and not a missile. Maybe to come up with; Lubalin’s it’s easier not to see the people who order first idea was in Hebrew, and the firing of missiles as murderers—that there were also explorations would make life rather difficult for some of with the Coca-Cola font, the citizens of the West” His blunt, truthbut they eventually came ful manner of speaking comes across in his up with quite a successful type designs just as clearly. logotype. There were a
erers
ns
ife rather difficult
of the west.
multitude of requests for a full typesetting, and ITC Avant Garde was born.
O
g a u g n s a u l “ virte ou
phic ogra d g typ n ti s e s nte tere is pre t n An in a io v A n posit lin’s juxta nt Luba fo n ’s e k e o betw r nbro ner s d Ba desig e an y d r n a a G ok’s M . ro s b n rn desig se Ba se u il to w lu nt they esita they aring are h e fe , c s ce y sin et typefa rrectl ses , y inco ific u c se e them u p rs ve to uilt fo to lo ct e r m r are b e o e c le s n in in e v peop s e im to de, k cla t Gar b ro o f his n Avan r a e us o a ts . B g t mis a for m s d e t in mu s e in t e r be a ays d s it w n n fi in bali , and used or , Lu fo n t s y are e ed. F e p d n th y t t in te ups w hen ing adn’ z i g ro ery he h eat in r o-Na e c ts th a t n ve v n , n a fo le r e h p e h m tt k W s ions exa lackle roup broo l opt n ed b a azi g s r c u -N i a o ’s e g B hav ro o k nd ne nolo and d a ar nb ast, a e tech use B n di the p i t ay. H to l d n e a e to u b n r cet t, “It conti n h. Lu diffe d Exo s tha esig wit rd an n mar k k o e r ti of d r n k Bas ta o o te t o in r n w b y r, ou to Bar n sn’t m neoute t am p ly wa d by n e e m it s a n u o c g in be defi ifi he c es br nts to sign k t it do e re t [for fo o of th f s], bu n p e broo o u ti gro rk b arn ques ms .” l B r o e Nazi fo r th h w g gita gain f lette hou se di up a t lity o u a l tr a y u ne nd t ivel
a s i e g rom ” s fspace er a
s ar xclu big p n’t e e a s r e a ld o d ey shou y s th e d h o t h ry. met s, as entu sign c e d t s 1 is al 2 of h digit e h t be in lin’s Luba b r e ly, h ce ting s e p e fa r y e T t l In the a tion e of a n n o r was to Inte not tion s a e r i po dr he Cor oun ugh o pe f h y t t l t e pe, a firs h th l ty a t wit e k m r o ue. use of w hniq c t e o t a l ing did sett e p y ot phot
Not only were Lubalin and Barnbrook innovative typographers, but they also made waves in the design industry on the business side. Lubalin founded the
Not only were Lubalin and
International Typographic
Barnbrook innovative ty-
Corp. along with Edward
pographers, but they also made
Rondthaler and Aaron
waves in the design industry
Burns. Barnbrook founded
on the business side. Lubalin
Virus Fonts in 1997, releasing
founded the International Ty-
thoughtfully-named fonts
pographic Corporation along
such as Prozac, Delux, Nylon,
with Edward Rondthaler
Nixon Script, Drone, False
and Aaron Burns. Barnbrook
shit
Idol, Newspeak, Moron, and Melancholia. In his book, the Barnbrook Bible, each of these fonts is succinctly described. Nixon Script is “a font to tell lies with”, and Nylon was, “designed for manic depressives”. For a man with so many fonts under his belt, one may think that he designs them arbitrarily, but each is as well-planned as the next.
Lubalin showed “how
beaut
type
can be”
tiful
A few decades before Nylon, Nixon, and Tourette, Herb Lubalin, Edward Rondthaler, and Aaron Burns founded the International Typography Corporation in 1970. They created it to fill the need for typographers to have a place in which to market their typefaces directly to users. Today the ITC Library contains over 1650 fonts, with about 60 fonts being added each year. They offer an option to the ITC submit a font, so that library anyone can submit a typeface design to contains over be considered to be added to the ITC’s 1650 fonts vas font library. ITC also started a magazine, U&lc, which Herb Lubalin designed. It was free, which made it much more acces sible than pricey Communciation Arts and other similar magazines. A wide range of issues were discussed in the magazine; the main focus was the design and typography. Through his designs of U&lc over the years, Lubalin showed “how beautiful type can be” and it continues to be a renowned resource for design and typography inspiration to this day.
i e n ph o a r g n i l a c e a m a r o etb c o x tourette
a d n o
b u l a m o c d
e a am
c ph
n o l e h c stard
a E D b R G N A V A rette grap ok rnbro nd Ba itude a n li mult Luba Both ed a ces esign d typefa n e e v h ha .T s e b c u ali efa erb L of typ C by H d e e n d , IT t Gar s desig Avan F, Hes N C s IT s Pu are by dgy u d P e , ic esign n, Goth ces d r a y lo Ser if , ITC ypefa o is , D T a e . a d g a r n m , u C Ro soram s ta r d , B o ol, Co ph, IT C Bu lse Id a a IT r a B elux, F d , G D , n o , e s a lin oron a ly p pletiv , d NF, Luba x M c E n , o u t, a p li o e gime A ic R ncho k, Re , Exoc lu d e Goth Proza wk, k in c helon , Mela , a o c n e E h o o p , r s a ty b ne Tom l, Ma Proto Bar n k, Dro Awe Infide Priori, lethin k and ond, triot, c a m o Doub P h ia , S n less D Gay, , Nylo Hope Enola Nixon eak, Awe p & s . k w e tt Ne hoc Toure s tic, S , and S a rc a hine c a M Sta te
e itud . t l u a m efaces yp of t
n i l ba
n o l e h c r e a t s
shockingly
Herb Lubalin
was an
incredibly influential
typographer who, although best known for Avant Garde, also designed a multitude of other typefaces used much more effectively
Jonathan Barnbrook is a
thoughtful
typographer
today. He also co-founded the International Typeface Corporation, which has allowed more and more typefaces to become
He channels current events, politics, and social issues to create relevant contemporary typefaces that are arresting yet suprisingly beautiful. He will forever be remembered as a 20th and 21st century typographer and graphic designer as his typefaces are effective social commentaries that are reflections of this time in which we live. available today. Both Barnbrook and Lubalin will leave behind a vast legacy of type, but also a
well-designed slice of history from which they emerged.
Drone itc serif gothic coma c o lo p ho n
busorama
ronda
echelon
exocet Maggie Winters d es i g n e r
Typography 3 c las s
professor Francheska Guerrero
lubalin graph
bastard
tourette
AV ANGRDE