Typographica is a review of typefaces and type books, with occasional commentary on fonts and typographic design. Edited by Stephen Coles, also of Fonts In Use and The Mid-Century Modernist.
Founded in 2002 by Joshua Lurie-Terrell. Relaunched in 2009 by Coles and Chris Hamamoto.
Set in Anchor by Eric Olson, FF Dagny by Örjan Nordling and Göran Söderström, FF Quadraat by Fred Smeijers, and Lucida Sans/Grande by Charles Bigelow and Kris Holmes.
Brought to you by this month’s nameplate sponsor, FontShop, MyFonts, Veer, Wordpress, and the letter B.
Fiodor Sumkin for Amnesty International
Belarusian illustrator Fiodor Sumkin fled his country at age 18 to avoid the draft. He survived by selling his paintings on the street in Moscow. After hopping around Europe, doing work for various magazines, he now lives in Amsterdam without a passport.
His boisterous drawings are marked by meticulous ornamentation, a distinctive shading technique, and frequent nods to the psychedelic ’60s. His interest in typography is apparent and he’s even begun to experiment in FontLab.
Sumkin’s latest assignment is a very personal one: an appeal to Belarusian president Alyaksandr G. Lukashenka to “stop the obstruction, harassment and intimidation of civil society activists engaged directly or indirectly in the promotion and defence of human rights in Belarus”.
There are no wild, flowing flourishes or Moscoso letters in this restrained piece, but it’s still unmistakably Sumkin. His hand drawn Farnham and Stilla demonstrate why type is often most effective when it’s not really type at all.
See also: Saatchi & Saatchi’s stamps for Amnesty International and awareness campaign in Poland
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