Vincent Conner told how 20 years ago accidentally invented
the font Comic Sans and why it is loved by ordinary people and hate designers.
Two years ago, the European Center for Nuclear Research,
where the Large Hadron Collider, have found the Higgs boson "God
particle". That is, scientists have searched for her for forty years, and
that's the day when I finally found all know about Comic sans font. Professor
Fabiola Gianotti scored his presentation, explaining the results of the study,
my font. I have this story now often think of when I say that Comic Sans only
idiots chooses, and clever use of them never will. I guess I could become a millionaire like Bill
Gates and I'm invented Comic Sans, working in Microsoft. Settled there in 1993,
I was already over thirty. Actually, since my childhood I dreamed of becoming a
professional baseball player, and even went to college to play for the local
team. Due to a hand injury with sports had to tie. Enrolled in the New York
Institute of Technology on graphic design, experimenting with photography, even
worked in the newspaper, and then my girlfriend dragged me to the company
Compugraphic, here I am already engaged fonts.
Hardly sitting at Microsoft, by the way I met with Gates, then Company
from time to time special days, when he became acquainted with new employees,
and among 350 newcomers awarded a short conversation, and I turned out. We
talked about work, nothing interesting. And for Comic Sans I took by accident
in October 1994 colleagues showed advanced development of the company is a
program Microsoft Bob, which was to help new users understand the system.
Imagine an ordinary room in the house, on the wall hung a calendar and clock on
the table, Phonebook and letter-box. This is all the programs that can be
opened. And there's a special assistant cheerful yellow dog named Rover.
Developers were obviously too lazy to bother, so when Rover started to explain
something, his remarks were written the classic boring font Times New
Roman. To me, it immediately caught my
eye: Well, tell me what the dog as talking? I offered to draw the font to have
fun, something in the style of comics. In the office, just lay a couple of
original editions of "Keepers" and even "The Return of the Dark
Knight" Batman - so that Comic Sans was a good source of inspiration. The
work took only three days, the letters turned slightly negligent, such free,
deliberately wrong, as if written by hand.
However, the dog had not talked to my font, but maybe it's for the best:
Bob was one of the major failures in the company's history. Consolation,
perhaps only by the fact that is the project has worked, among others Melinda
French, future Melinda Gates Foundation. But Comic Sans soon turned into an
extra package Windows 95. So if all that talk about a memorable date, for me
it's more on August 24 when the operating system is out officially, but my font
is called, went to the people. Although, generally speaking, this is not
intended. In Microsoft I worked for six
years. Engaged, among other things, Greek and Cyrillic versions of Comic Sans:
remember, had to tinker with tails "u", "d" and
"c" they get too short and inexpressive. Do not think that all
these years, I somehow actively followed the life Comic Sans; he actually lived
separately from me. When in the late 1990s, the two designers have sent me a
letter in which politely informed that launch a campaign to boycott the font
and asked to use my photos on posters, I did not pay attention. Surprised to
remember where people have so much free time, well resolved. Now, of course, I constantly hear the news
about Comic Sans. Friends send pictures, readers tweeted. The font used in the
most unexpected and often inappropriate situations - in fact, so his hate and
professionals. Well another beach towel in Australia, but I was told that they
had seen Comic Sans on the memorial to the victims of World War II in Holland.
I would not say that it is appropriate. Once upon a time I was very angry, and
then I realized that nothing I can do about it: people choose what they like.
To some, you know, and Justin Bieber on the soul.
Sometimes I get tired of Comic Sans, in the end; I made
another Magpie, Trebuchet, Webdings part and other fonts. On the other hand, it
has long been a part of pop culture, and nowhere on does it not hide. Now I
have in the fridge is creme fresh, imported from France, logo dialed Comic Sans.
Here is the site of the Vatican posted a photo album dedicated to the previous
Pope Benedict, text typed Comic Sans. But the restaurant's menu somewhere in
France and the announcement on the pole, but my own wife, Susan, on all parties
representing me as the father of Comic Sans. If people choose my font from the
hundreds of others, so he he really likes, so - yes, I would like to be
remembered as the man who invented the most favorite font in the world.