For the uninformed, uninvited or uninitiated, there is a long-standing and deep-seated (and I dare say wrong-headed) hatred of the Comic Sans font. I can’t explain it, nor do I participate in it. But it is most assuredly out there. Don’t believe me? Well then take a gander over here:
Seems a bit harsh, no? Why all the animosity? Seriously, for some folks out there, the most vile and villainous things that have ever existed are as follows:
- Hitler (specifically)
- Nazis (in general)
- Anchovies (another item deserving of defense)
- Comic Sans
Frankly, I don’t get it. It is as well meaning a font as exists. It means you no harm. Walk with me, will you?
History
We can all thank Microsoft designer Vincent Connare for Comic Sans. Apparently inspired by some of the comic books lying around his office, Mr. Connare set to work creating Comic Sans in 1994. By 1995, Comic Sans MS (it’s official name) had become a part of the standard font set available in most Microsoft products. And since then, the world has been a better place. Hard to argue that, so don’t bother.
A Defense
I think it was Charles Dickens that first coined the phrase, “Haters gonna hate.” And this is a classic case of hateration. Comic Sans is a font dedicated to something that the world just needs more of – whimsy. I think we can all agree that you can never have enough whimsy. I know that whenever I am making my grocery list, and I yell to my wife, “Hey, do you need anything from the store?”, she always responds with, “I think we’re out of whimsy.” So I buy more. I like to keep the house chockablock (it’s a word) with whimsy.
And it’s not like there are other fonts out there trying to pick up the whimsy slack? Seriously, Times New Roman? Garamond? Verdana? And don’t even get me started with Chiller and Wingdings? They are pretenders to the throne. Long live the king!
Seriously, a world without whimsy is nothing but a vast, bleak dystopian hellscape, where parents feed on their own children. If you want to live there, move to Detroit. If not, strap in and embrace the glory that is Comic Sans.
Thank you Mr. Connare.
(Passive)Aggressivist 