Gendy AlimurungHelvetica is the font–excuse me, typeface–that won't quit. We see it everywhere (remember Gary Hustwit's documentary film Helvetica?). Here, in order of ascending awesomeness, are nine excellent and hilarious takes on the typeface to rule all typefaces.
9. Metallica Helvetica
I'd like to see this one by Yann Serandour in actual tee shirt format. It's currently a wood etching. Says the artist, it is “The inversion of two radically opposed visual identities. Helvetica is a font created in 1957 by the Swiss graphic designer Max Miedinger (1910-1980) for the Haas Type Foundry in Basel. Metallica is an American heavy metal group formed in 1981 in Los Angeles.”
It has a companion piece, with the word Metallica printed in Helvetica.
8. Hollywoodvetica
A poster for Gary Hustwit's Helvetica documentary. I'm not sure what typeface the real Hollywood sign is cast in. Any of you design nerds know?
7. Sex, Drugs, Helvetica, Bold
This tee shirt by Collapse Design is also available in red.
6. You Are More Perfect Than Helvetica
Now that's love. Weird. Nerdy. But love. (From TheVoiceThatSaid's Flickr.)
5. Helveticookies
Beverly Hsu made these cookies with Helvetica-shaped cookie cutters also of her own making. Many layers of playful font geekiness in this one. Helvetica as a cookie-cutter typeface.
4. Helveticaca Baby Onesie
Dress your baby in Helvetica. Note the clever use of color–brown “caca.” Creators RowBoatPress say the onesie is an “Easy way to separate the font nerds from the herds!”
3. Elvetica, or Helvistica: The King
This image, by Retrofuturs' Stephane Massa-Bidal, also comes in tee shirt format.
2. Helveticat
Yes, I know this one doesn't make a lot of sense. But it involves a cat. And I like cats.
1. The “It Hurt Like HEL-vetica” Tramp Stamp Tattoo
Graphic designer Glenn Sorrentino was joking around with his friends about how stupid it would be to get an “I <3 Helvetica" tattoo. “An even stupider idea would be to get it as a tramp stamp,” he says. “Well, I got good reviews from my posse and impulsively I got it last night.”
You know what's even better than impulsively getting a Helvetica tattoo? The design-geek comments that spring up afterwards. “What made you go with bold?” said one commenter. “I personally like the lowercase a that does not terminate at the baseline. Having said that, neither do I have the balls to get something like that on my body. More power to you.” And: “Are we sure that isn't Arial?”
What is this guy going to do when Helvetica goes out of style?
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