A mixed bag of Cumulus & Foam.

Published by YouWorkForThem,

in conjunction with Armchair Media.

© 2010 Stefán Kjartansson.

All rights reserved.

Printed in Canada.

No part of this book may be reproduced

or transmitted in any form or by any

means, electronic or mechanical,

including photocopying, recording or

by any information storage and retrieval

system, without the written permission

of the Publisher, except in the context

of reviews.

Cumulus & Foam is a family of three

typefaces: Cumulus & Foam & Vane,

Cumulus & Foam & Crumpet,

Cumulus & Foam & Naugahyde.

The graphic designers who graciously

donated work to this book:

Aaron Byrd,

Farbod Kokabi,

Dongwoo Kim,

Elise Mattingly,

Justin Van Hoy,

John Ferguson,

Josh Boston,

Kevin Byrd,

Mariel Childes,

Michelle Haft,

Peter Rentz,

Rodney White,

Shari Eaton,

Siggi Eggertsson and

Wade Thompson.

Anna Malsberger for the foreword.

Nate Steiner, Mindy Stombler and

Elise Mattingly for naming.

Alena Cason for copy editing. Mike Cina

for early encouragement. Michael Paul

Young for bringing to market,

YouWorkForThem and Armchair Media

for publishing. The Dutchpress

for shipping.

About Gratitude

As it is in life, it is in art: beautiful is easy,

reassuring, and affirming. It commands

a comfortable space, and reliably adheres

to the rules established therein. In its

style, message, and momentum, beautiful

is a confirmation that our systems make

sense, and, in its most successful form,

allows us to inhabit that proof. And we

are blissful to be there! It is a space that

hears our tremors, and responds with a

mollifying “hush”. In this way, beautiful

itself did not need to be created; it was

created because it is needed.

What, then, of the unbeautiful? The value

of a dischordant note, garish palette,

misshapen form? Cumulus & Foam is a

specimen for such investigation. In Stefán

Kjartansson’s newly-minted font, the

characters spawn awkward spaces

and strange intersections. Dialogues

within the unruly family are without

agreed message, and the three uppercase

typefaces — with surnames Crumpet,

Vane, Naugahyde — have abandoned the

classic unifying key. Their influences

are discernible — brash collisions of the

1980s, art deco’s voluptuous bubbles, and

dadaism’s implausible juxtapositions —

but otherwise they are incorrigible.

In short, they don’t seem to be listening

to the rules of beauty, and they don’t

really care. And herein a freedom was

born. They tease us with allusions

to peacocks, mustaches, umbrellas

and feathers. They blossom, heave,

and knock each other around. They are a

glorious parade of grotesque enthusiasts.

They offer proof of nothing. The duty of

the unbeautiful is not to affirm; rather,

it is to develop.

And development is directed by

discomfort. Like other unbeautiful

creations, Cumulus is not an easy read.

Its delicate origins (in Didot) are

perceptible, but this familiarity is cloaked

with malproportioned outgrowths and

misfigured swellings. Not only have

the characters all but eluded recognition,

there is a sense that they haven’t ceased

to form. As clouds transmogrify when

borrowed for a dream, so does Cumulus

bloom and thrust when committed to

a baseline. The relationship between

letterform and hand is inverted. This

prompts a second thought. What does it

spell, and what does it mean. What else

could it spell, what else could it mean?

Directing the protean elements almost

becomes a process of mutual adapta-

tion. As nuances are discerned, Cumulus

nudges and we reconsider. And what was

previously an absence — of reassuring

proofs — is now a different sort of beauty:

a coalescence of disjointed systems

with all sorts of notions. Pitch-perfect

articulation is possible, though final

messages might surprise.

Cumulus is not passive, though it will

negotiate. And by the time you’ve all

agreed, Cumulus has won. It revels

and dominates, its reign unchecked.

Even when airbrushed.

Anna Malsberger

Foreword

Cumulus & Foam & Vane close-up.

Cumulus & Foam & Crumpet close-up.

Cumulus & Foam & Naugahyde close-up.

Cumulus & Foam & Vane alphabet.

Cumulus & Foam & Crumpet alphabet.

Cumulus & Foam & Naugahyde alphabet.

Charles Bukowski — The Genius of the Crowd.

After a laborious year, it was time for

my special child’s very first road test.

I called upon a few of my favorite

designers to see how she fared

without my guidance. I handed each

a copy of Cumulus & Foam, followed

by an emergency number, an obvious

lack of instruction, and a crash helmet.

Then I left.

The following specimens are what

I received in return.

Guest designers

Specimen designed by Siggi Eggertsson. (siggieggertsson.com)

Specimen designed by Peter Rentz. Letter size is relative to frequency of appearance in English language. (peterrentz.com)

Specimen designed by Mariel Childes. (marielchildes.com)

Specimen designed by Son & Sons. (sonandsons.com)

Specimen designed by Shari Eaton. (sharieaton.carbonmade.com)

Specimen designed by John Ferguson. (publikspace.com)

This typeface specimen sheet is designed by Josh Boston / joshboston.com

Specimen designed by Josh Boston. (joshboston.com)

Specimen designed by Aaron Byrd. (aaronbyrd.com)

Specimen designed by Michelle Haft. (michellehaft.com) Photography by Geoff Ellis. (geoffreyellis.com)

Specimen designed by Farbod Kokabi. (letsgetboring.com)

Specimen designed by Dongwoo Kim. (networkosaka.com)

Specimen designed by Justin Van Hoy. (thedutchpress.com)

Specimen designed by Kevin Byrd. (kevinbyrd.com)

Specimen designed by Elise Mattingly. (elisemattingly.carbonmade.com)

Specimen designed by Rodney White. (rodney-white.com)

Cumulus & Foam & Vane.