Thingbat/Blockhead
Designer
Rudy VanderLans
born 1955
Typographer
John Hersey
United States, born 1954
Date1993
MediumOffset Lithograph
Dimensions32 1/2 x 22 1/2 in. (82.6 x 57.2 cm)
ClassificationsPoster
Credit LinePoster House Permanent Collection
Object numberPH.705
DescriptionJohn Hersey created Thingbat in 1993, with Blockhead following in 1995. Aware of Emigre’s reputation for promoting unique digital typefaces, he contacted the company to see if it would be interested in selling the fonts. Emigre added both to their inventory, producing this poster to advertise their arrival in its catalog. The poster is roughly divided in half, showcasing the complete alphabet for both typefaces, with Blockhead on top and Thingbat on the bottom. The topmost section features the four versions of Blockhead’s illustrations printed in black, as well as the four versions of the typeface’s letters in red. By typing each lowercase letter followed by each uppercase letter, and then overlaying the alphabet on the illustrations, Rudy VanderLans created a visually cacophonous and fun composition that showcases the complete fonts. The same technique was used for Thingbat One and Thingbat Two’s 111 glyphs in the lower half of the poster.On View
Not on view
