"The Comic Sans Project" Seeks to Restore Good Faith in America's Most Hated Font

"Because Helvetica is sooo 2011."

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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No other typeface in history has evoked as much passion and outrage as Comic Sans. It’s critics deride it as “created by Satan in order to inflict more suffering on an already weary world,” among other unpleasant things.

The font was created by ex-Microsoft employee Vincent Connare in an attempt to design a typeface that was more child-friendly than other, more serious fonts like Times New Roman and Helvetica. Connare drew inspiration from two comics: Watchmenand The Dark Knight Returns. The finished product was underwhelming, even for Connare. “I think it’s a particularly ugly letter form,” he said. “It’s horrible.” After seeing the monster he’d created, he tried to prevent it from being released to the public.

However, Comic Sans has lately gained a cadre of defenders in the Tumblr "The Comic Sans Project." Proponents of the typeface insist that the backlash against the font is undeserved. To counter the powerful forces of hatred the font elicits, the group has embarked on a mission to “make the whole world Comic Sans. Because Helvetica is sooo 2011.” The project has since gained a notable following, but also a worthy adversary: "Ban Comic Sans."

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[via ComicsAlliance]

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