Horizon of Mortality.

I wouldn't call myself a Bond fan, as such, if only because to me the film franchise grew increasingly unimaginative and derivative as it hulked along, but I did quite enjoy 2006's Casino Royale. It seemed like a fresh start, (somewhat ironically, given it was the third screen adaption of the novel), and it seemed to have some soul to it. It wasn't simply going through the motions, playing to expectations and clinging desperately to the long established formula.

In addition to the script, a small detail of Casino Royale that I enjoyed was the promotional logo from the poster, which cleverly worked the iconic '007 pistol' into the film's title, which is set in Century Gothic).


And it's a device I see they've used again in the title for this year's Quantum of Solace, which is set instead in House Industries' popular Neutraface.


The composition's a little awkward, but it works well enough. I wonder if perhaps this will become part of the Bond brand, necessitating the inclusion of at least two Os in all future titles? I imagine not, but now that they've got a run-on (two's a run-on, a run-on of two), I hope so. Although not if it proves so restrictive that Bond titles fall back into the predictable keyword mix 'n' match of the past: A View To A Kill, Licence To Kill*, The Living Daylights, You Only Live Twice, Live And Let Die, Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day... BINGO! It was like self-parody at the end there. Um... Time/Space + Life/Death = New Title! Next?

And so it was a pleasant surprise to hear the latest Bond offering was to be titled Quantum of Solace. Um, sorry? Quantum? Of Solace? Who uses those words anymore? Who even knows what that title means? Brilliant!

All of which compounded the disappointment in then hearing the hyper-talented Jack White had written the theme song and called it... Another Way To Die. Groan. Jack, you're killing me! I never thought you could be the weak link in a chain. If you had to tread old ground, couldn't you have called it Fell In Love With A Spy?

I haven't seen the film yet, so no idea how it compares to Casino Royale, but hopefully the logo isn't the best thing about it. And hopefully we'll see the Double-O device again when James Bond returns in...


Horizon of Mortality? Hey? How's that for title? Ticks all the boxes: Distance of space + Reference to death + Double-O condition = GOLD! And Avenir seems like an obvious enough choice for the face. I guess only time (or the IMDb) will tell...

* Yes JJ, the original title, Licence Revoked, would have been much better. :)

Mad Type.

I spotted a few of the typographic anachronisms in the otherwise wonderful Mad Men (especially that glaring Lucida Handwriting in the opening titles), but Mark SImonson got the lot. Great post.

Quicksilver.

One of the great things about Typohile.com is that from time to time the designers of the many and varied under discussion will pop up and chime in themselves. As happened in this thread where Dean Morris, the designer of Letraset's Quicksilver (1976), stopped by and gave a brief little history of his iconic, love it/loathe it typeface.

Great read.

I have found the exit!

Clever use of type in the underground carpark of Melbourne's own Eureka Tower. Shame the choice in typeface, Helvetica Neue Bold, wasn't as creative.

Font Conference.

Crossed north-east arrow, rotated black square, black square, black square, upward-pointing arrow in a rectangle!

Hehe.

Darth Vader.

Only you could be so bold. Hehe.

And under that mask I reckon he's pretty grotesque as well.

Putting a Typeface to a Name.

Two posts concerning the fonts chosen for the identities of the three main contenders in the US Primaries: Non-Fontogenic from H&FJ and McCain's Optimum Look by Steven Heller for The New York Times.

I'm a bit late to the party with these links, but as the Primaries are still underway it's sorta kinda still topical. Of interest, anyway. Although judging by the comment string on Hellers' piece, that's up for debate. At least one commenter considers choice of typeface to be akin to discussing how a candidate coordinates their tie with their shoes. I take their point, but I disagree. Typefaces can have character and can communicate values, and in these identities they haven't been chosen at random or because they were already installed on the receptionist's PC. No, they were chosen very carefully, very deliberately, and at the very least they can tell you how a candidate wants to be perceived, which, taken within a broader context, can be revealing.

I wouldn't recommend voting for someone based upon their choice of typeface (although if anyone turns out campaigning with my beloved Decorated 035 I might have to reconsider...), but, as I say, that doesn't mean it's a discussion that can't be of interest, or even of value.

UPDATE: Only related through the clever pun in the title, but Change We Can Believe In is a post from H&FJ on the new face of British currency. Stunning.

Mind yer Ps and Qs

... and your Os, Gs and Cs too, apparently. Hehe.