Typeface Review: "Bank Gothic"

What It Looks Like:

Got picture here.

Its History: Created by Morris Fuller Benton in 1930, "'Bank Gothic' as a typeface made exclusively of small capitals, which adds to the technical impression it creates. Morris Fuller Benton took inspiration from a late-19th-century gravestone, whose inscription he recorded by taking a rubbing.

"In February 2007, Linotype released a wonderfully reinterpreted and expanded version of Bank Gothic, Morris Sans, designed by Dan Reynolds under type director Akira Kobayashi. For the first time, the geometric typeface was available in three weights and two widths, with a lowercase and a great number of extras. The new typeface takes its name from its original 'inventor'." (Source below.)

It is part of a family of fonts with a long range of varieties of weight such as Light, Light Condensed, Medium, Medium Condensed, Bold, and Bold Condensed.

Poster for the movie "I, Robot" featuring the typeface Bank Gothic.
Picture available here.

What Type of Font Is It: Grotesque Sans Serif - "developed in the 19th century, [they] evolved from display type, sign-writing, and architectural lettering. Grotesques combine legibility with visual interest and are well adapted to a range of functions, from informational signage to display typography, exploiting the dynamics of space, scale, and alignment." (Source below.)

How You Can Design With It: With its legibility useful as a way to communicate something in a short and bold burst of text, like a poster or book cover, but can also be used in smaller blocks of text.

Where You Can Get It: Available for a free download here: http://fontzone.net/font-details/BankGothic+Md+BT+Medium/ and http://www.fonts101.com/fonts/view/Uncategorized/53668/BankGothic. There are Bank Gothic Alternatives available for purchase here: http://www.fontshop.com/fontlist/alternatives/bank_gothic/.

Descriptive Terms For It: all-caps, classical, large blocks of text, modern, readable, sans serif, scifi, strong, technical, versatile, variety, and whole family.

Sources: http://luc.devroye.org/fonts-46711.html, http://www.100besttypefaces.com/74_Bank+Gothic.html, "The Complete Typographer: A Manual for Designing with Type" by Will Hill, 2nd Edition, p. 118, and http://www.typeoff.de/2008/04/10/this-typeface-will-break-your-heart/.

Examples:

Poster for the movie "Gridiron Gang" featuring the typeface Bank Gothic.
Picture available here.

Poster for the movie "Event Horizon" featuring the typeface Bank Gothic.
Picture available here.

Poster for the movie "Ironman" featuring the typeface Bank Gothic.
Picture available here.

"Starship" Musical Review

"Starship" album cover.

Another musical from the wonderful and talented bunch of Starkid Productions. For the first time in my life, I wish I lived in Chicago. This musical is called "Starship" and was written by Matt Lang, Nick Lang, Brian Holden, and Joseph Walker.

"Starship" poster.

"Starship" centers around the life of Bug, an unusual bug who lives in a hive where everybody is given a job that is decided by the Overqueen of the hive and they have to do their job for the good of the hive. Bug wishes more than anything to become a nobel Starship Ranger. The Overqueen places him in the Hatchery, where he shoves eggs in living mammals chests. Through luck (or is it?) Bug finds an unconscious Starship Ranger named February in the Hatchery and proceeds to help her find her way back to her spaceship. Bug is almost killed for his betrayal of the hive's safety for letting the ranger go, but his friend Roach, who happens to be the Overqueen's new lover, saves him.

Joey Richter (R) and
Dylan Saunders kick it up a notch.

A bug named Pincer that happens to live on the same planet as the hive hears of Bug's plight and wishes to help him find a way to bring the humans back to the planet, surely just out of the kindness of his heart and not out of the groaning of his stomach for human brains. Then Bug is given a human body which he can control psychically. Bug joins the humans on their ship and all sorts of shenanigans happen henceforth.

Brant Cox as Roach.

I'm sorry, I can't put anymore than that without ruining the story for everybody, but you get the idea. Lots of love and acceptance and overcoming the evils of an intergalactic force. Oh...did I mention there's puppets? Yeah, it's pretty awesome!

From left to right: Joe Moses, Lauren Lopez,
Joseph Walker, Dylan Saunders, and Julia Albain.

The story took up a lot of time on this musical. But it was a remarkable and very humorous production. I would've gladly shelled out money to watch this live, although the quality of the Youtube videos simply can't be beat. The bad guys were fantastically evil. I loved the rip on "That G. L. E. E.! Always making crazy adaptations of everything!"



There wasn't as much singing in this one (there was a lot of story to go through). But what was there was excellent! Particularly, "Kick It Up A Notch" sung by Dylan Saunders, Brian Holden, and Jaime-Lyn Beatty. "I Wanna Be" was a great way to open the show. "Hideous Creatures" was a funny way of showing how both species view each other. "Beauty" was wonderful and reminded me a lot of Disney's "The Lion King".

Lauren Lopez on Joseph Walker.

The actors were the usual suspects: Joey Richter as Bug, Denise Donovan as February, Dylan Saunders as Pincer and Tootsie-Noodles, Lauren Lopez as ass-kicking Taz and lovesick Bugette, Brian Holden as Junior, and Joseph Walker as Up, Brant Cox as Roach, and Megan Stephlen as Mega-Girl. The musical also starred Julia Albain, Joe Moses, Jim Povolo, and Jamie-Lyn Beatty.

I gave this show a 4.5 out of 5. I would've liked more singing, but that would've made the show way too long so understandably they put humor instead. I liked this one a lot.

Here is a link to the show: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLC6A915952D67F112&feature=plcp

And you can buy the songs at: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/starship/id434681556

"Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children" Book Review

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I actually really enjoyed this book. I got through it in less than two days with work and life getting in the way the whole time, so it was a fast read if nothing else. I thought it was well-written and the character was very likable. I liked the beginning; it was easily the best part of the book because there was just enough exposition and it was really creepy, almost horror novel worthy.


I would put it on par with "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern in some ways - the writing is a bit different (this book is for a younger audience and the romance isn't so romanticized, but it's there and it's lovely) but it has the same mysticism about it.


There is a note towards the back of the book that claims that all of the pictures are really that peculiar and they were collected by actual photography collectors for that reason. Even in this day with Photoshop I actually do believe that statement. You can do some strange things with film photography that you can't do with a digital camera without making it look obviously fake - I know this from personal experience.


The only thing I have doubts about is the author's name - that has to be a pseudonym (what parent would name their kid "Ransom"?).


On that note I thought it was designed very well - it's a beautiful book.


The thing I'm really excited about is whether there will be a sequel or not. The ending practically begs for one. But there may be problems with that due to whether there will be more peculiar old pictures to use that will match his story and whether the author meant there to be more to the story. It may be awhile before it comes out if Mr. Riggs actually comes up with something. I hope he does want to write more to this story, I would love to go on a journey with these wierd people.


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"The Hunger Games" Book Review

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this book! It is as good as the excitement surrounding it has led me to expect it to be. I really wish I had the other two books; this was such a fast and amazing book and i can't wait to read the others. I was hoping to have it finished by the time the movie premiered, but I shouldn't have worried. I can't wait until i get the next book and see the movie! "May the odds be ever in your favor."


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"Fever" Book Review

Fever by Lauren DeStefano
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed this one! I hope the next book comes out soon. That was quite a cliff hanger. I feel like Rhine is a much better character than some of the recent book series that have come out lately. I feel like she's realistic and strong. I wonder what the next book will be called and what it'll look like? I hope there's a happy ending for these characters, I really do. I like them and I really like this story.


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Cthulhu Book Cover

I haven't mentioned design in a while, even though it's my calling, and now I have finally found a reason to mention it at all!

This book cover may be one of the best I have seen in a long time!!!!!

It's just perfect!

It has the right amount of color - although some people might argue that gray isn't the best of colors - but this looks truly great!

It's symbolic of the vileness of London smog and the monster itself!

It is charming and elegant!

It's suitable for people into science fiction, steampunk, or anyone going through the "Classics" section because it will catch their eye! It definitely caught mine!

I really want to read this book now! But only if it wears this cover and if I can have it because I'm selfish!

What do YOU think of the cover?

"StoryTeller" Book Review

Storyteller by Amy Thomson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

It was ok, but I couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll give it another shot on another day. I originally got it thinking that it was a collection of short stories because of its title and I didn't really look at it, so maybe I'm being unfair. But I'll give it another try at another time.


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"The Host" Book Review

The Host by Stephenie Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I found it a fast and enjoyable read. I read it in only a few days which is good. I kind of wished for a stronger force with the female protagonist, but I realize that Meyer is not going to offer that. With any of her books. I don't mind self-sacrificial protagonists, but it would be nice if a few of her characters weren't so emotive. I hope that not all of her books and stories involve a woman who gets taken up with two men all of the time.


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