Effective Typography

Continuing to look at typography and it’s role in design, I have to address the concept of book covers and the graphic novel. If there is anywhere where font and image need to co-exist harmoniously it’s within the frames of the comic book. A great example – one of my all time favorite graphic novelists, the artist that really turned me on to the genre, Chris Ware.

I remember reading this book years ago after my sister decided to check it out from the library to bring on vacation. By the end of the week my entire family had read it. This act of excellent book selection was prompted by a Ware exhibit we had seen together earlier that summer at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago. Ware is a master of design layout. Within the borders of the page, his frames are all over the place in different shapes and sizes. Occasionally arrows point to the next sequence, creating an exciting world for the viewer, but sadly not for his protagonist, Jimmy Corrigan. This book cover is a great example of how effective Ware is at combining image and typography. Various fonts are at play here, but with the tight color scheme and the radial balance it all works; drawing the viewer’s eyes to absorb every word.

If you want to see more of where that came from, check out Drawn & Quarterly’s website. The site is very visually appealing, and a work of art in its own right. And it should be as they publish works by the likes of Clowes, Brown, Ware, and Barry.