Friday, August 27, 2010

An Open Letter to James Cameron: Special Edition

Dear Mr. Cameron,

A letter such as this can hardly do justice to the overwhelming gratitude I’m hoping to express herein. Your most recent film, Avatar, has finally legitimized my work in a way I’ve only ever dreamed of.

Goodness knows I’ve worked hard the past 26 years to make a name for myself. And it’s felt great coming to the aid of New Age spa owners, suburban party planners, and young couples looking to save money by making their own wedding invitations. But only now, by appearing in your movie, have I been given mainstream, high-level recognition as a serious typeface. And for that, I thank you.

Imagine my delight so many months ago at seeing the trailers and posters for this, your much anticipated return to science fiction movie making. To see the title AVATAR (all caps!) typeset in yours truly. Well, I practically wept. And to be rendered in such an artificial luminescent way... finally, in the hands of a true visionary such as yourself, my potential to look totally badass had been realized.


Little did I know that that was only the tip of the iceberg (no Titanic reference intended!). After seeing the finished film (in Imax 3D of course), I can easily say it is the greatest movie ever made! To think, among your many bold choices as a filmmaker—soldiers who fly helicopters despite mastering interstellar travel; inexplicable floating mountains; and humans still petty enough to commit genocide in order to acquire precious minerals such as the very cleverly named unobtainium—that I would be one of them. Kudos to you for not spending a single cent of your massive budget on an expensive, attractive font for the subtitles, and opting to put me to the task instead.


Shockingly, as if you hadn’t already done enough for me, when the title card appeared at the end of the picture, there I was again! Chills, I tell you, chills. I hardly have words, even now, to describe my sheer admiration for this final master stroke: glowing, green letters filling every inch of the screen. A lesser director man might have settled at filling the screen left to right, but not you. You saw me, in my humble proportions, and said No, not big enough. Undoubtedly, a few mouse-clicks later, your most talented technician had me soaring to new cap-heights. Let me never come back down.


Thank you Mr. Cameron, thank you!


Yours in friendship and wanton servitude,


Please note, Pr*tty Sh*tty was chosen as the forum for publication of this letter because of its long standing impartial, and unbiased stance on matters pertaining to design. The views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the author of this blog. They are the views solely of the author of this letter.

Editor’s Note: Just as Avatar is best scene through uncomfortable, headache-inducing glasses, this Special Edition Open Letter is best viewed with the font Papyrus installed in your system’s fonts folder.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Quiet Time

Some of you might have noticed there’s been no new posts the last couple days. Sorry about that. Life’s a bit jumbled right now, and it’s hard for me to keep up with this blogging stuff. So, I’m afraid it’s gonna be pretty quiet around here for the next couple weeks. Check back in for the occasional post, though. And I’ll be back at it full time before too long.

Friday, August 20, 2010

U Haul Graphics




Pr*tty
This particular illustration isn’t my favorite, but I’m a fan of this line of U Haul trucks that essentially act as ads for state-themed attractions. They’re not exactly legible on the go, but U Haul trucks also tend be parked a lot, so you can read them then. And the illustrations, for the most part, are quite nice.

Sh*tty
By contrast, another line of their trucks are made up to look like their cartoon mascot, Lil’ Sammy. Needless to say, the illusion that this real truck might look like the cartoon version because of these graphics is about as convincing as... well... something that isn’t at all convincing.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Clipart on Signage

It’s not unusual to see businesses include pictures of the products they sell on their signage. Often, those pictures are some form of clipart, or at least in the vein of clipart.




Pr*tty
I think it’s important that a sign’s clipart be A) attractive, and B) consistent.

Sh*tty
Otherwise you get an organic, mis-matched top hat with your worm-infested frozen yogurt.

You think they sold that one sandwich yet?


Regardless, neither of these signs can hold a candle to this magnificent, franken-font, sign-as-catalog beauty:



I know, I know. It’s like the double rainbow of signage.


Speaking of which, I saw a double rainbow on a recent drive across the country. This was in New Mexico. Sadly, only one of them went “all the way.”



And since today is apparently all about bonus images... Mangy wiener dog in a hat and sunglasses:

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Wednesday Waffler: West Side Transport


Here’s a slightly better look at this logo.

If this logo was just the red W with the words West Side, it would easily fall into my Pr*tty category. But the clumsy and grossly mis-proportioned attempt at adding the word Transport as if it were a trailer on a truck leaves a lot of room for doubt.

Still, I can’t decide. Is it a 10-4, or 10-33?

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Small-Scale Pig Raising and A Guide to Raising Beef Cattle




Pr*tty
One of the fun parts about visiting a farm is the reading materials available. Of course, if you’re a designer, the covers of those reading materials tend to be even more intriguing. Having never actually opened the book, I’m using this cover as a guide for raising pigs in my back alley. Somehow it hasn’t turned out as awesome as this. Go figure.

Sh*tty
I imagine the cold, accusatory glare of these beef cattle hindered sales of this book. Let’s face it, if you really want to sell a beef-raising book, put a big juicy steak on the cover. Preferably not a blue one.

Monday, August 16, 2010

Charles P. Rogers and Curlz



Pr*tty
Not exactly my sort of thing, but sufficiently old-timey and charming nonetheless.

Sh*tty
When designers talk about how the general public is becoming more and more visually acute and sensitive to branding and identity cues, I can’t help but look at something like this and think all that talk is wrong. Honestly, even as an average person, how do you put up Curlz lettering in a window with that identity and not think, “Maybe this doesn’t match. Maybe by doing this I’m securing a special place in hell for myself.”

Repent now ye sinners.

Friday, August 13, 2010

FTW Week: Postosterone


Ok, I never do this, but this poster for The Expendables (which opens today in theaters nationwide) hits the nail firmly on the head with its aggressive, potent manliness (only less gay sounding than that).

And if that’s not enough man-centricity for you, enjoy these moustaches:




Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to go roll in the large pile of money paid to me by The Expendables producers.

Thursday, August 12, 2010

FTW Week: If the shoe fits



Whatever this font is (maybe it’s bespoke), it’s awesome. Every time I see this, I can’t help but smile at its crisp, clean geometry, and its palpable charm. That apostrophe-S is like fertilizer for goose bumps.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

FTW Week: Quite a yarn



A dry cleaner/tailor in my neighborhood put these magazines up in a window display, and I totally swooned at this Spinnerin logo. Turns out they used to make yarn, and this magazine about knitwear. I’m convinced. Anyone wanna make me that skirt?

Also in that window, and making me long for extra-large buttons on all my sweaters (and hair-like textures in all my logotypes):


Tuesday, August 10, 2010

FTW Week: Black gold




There’s two things I’ve learned about fuel oil trucks in the time I’ve been living in New York City. 1) They’re remarkably elusive, and difficult to photograph; and 2) they’re almost always amazing looking.

The lettering on that Statewide truck is so brilliant it should be speaking at the next TED conference. Right after this incredible street vendor hot dog sign:


No, this delectable triclops has nothing to do with fuel oil trucks, but today’s post was late, so I figured you could all use a little bonus.

Monday, August 9, 2010

FTW Week: The key master

I figured, since I’ve had two WTF Weeks now, why not switch it up and show a little love with a FTW Week. It’s hardly fair to let some really great designs languish in my photo library waiting for counterparts. So now is their time to shine.





This awning is a total train wreck, but it could be covered in the pelts of a thousand soft, fluffy kittens and I would still stand in awe of this amazing neon creation. I only wish I had a picture of it turned on, but we all know that would make heads explode with delight, so it’s safer this way.

Friday, August 6, 2010

J.R. Watkins packaging and website




Pr*tty
It’s safe to say that most of the Pr*tty work I feature here isn’t, in the conventional sense, pretty. This, however, is a happy exception.

Sh*tty
It’s always baffling to see such a clear and distinctive aesthetic in the design of a product’s packaging, only to find the corresponding website is a total betrayal of that aesthetic. I understand that certain functionalities trump style, but as my wife would say, if you’re gonna be a bear, be a grizzly. The packaging has claws, the website has ill-fitting dentures.

Thanks to P*S* Reader and dish soap hoarder Jennifer Chan (it is Chan, right?) for sending the image and suggesting the website as a counterpart.

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Billy's Lock & Alarm Co. and ADT




Pr*tty
I like the idea that the company I might use for security has personality, and warmth. Like trusting a friend to watch my stuff. When I get home, my pal Billy is gonna get a lecture about apostrophes, though.

Sh*tty
Not entirely sh*tty, but totally devoid of any character or concept that might instill trust in the potential client. The bottom line? Absolutely Don’t Trust. Abrasively Discordant Tracking. Awfully Drab Typography. Another Design Turkey.

(A Dutiful Thesaurus Always Does (the) Trick)

Thanks to P*S* Reader and champion contributor Doug Hanshaw for the images.

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

Wednesday Waffler: NY State License Plate



Maybe you need to have grown up in New York State to find any particular delight in the design of the new New York State license plates. If you did, there’s a good deal of nostalgia in seeing what is essentially an older plate design. It’s also nice to see a design that doesn’t involve lots of colors or complicated imagery, but instead just simple type, color, and geometry.

However, the one big change they did make to the older design is also my big beef with this new design, and it’s that arched, dark blue field across the top. Why the arch? You just know someone thought it was too boring when it went straight across. You can almost hear a bureaucrat with a comb over and a clip-on tie saying “Make it pop!”* Also, that typeface is kind of ugly.



* Yes, my image of low-level bureaucrats is largely based on the characterization of authority figures in 80s teen comedies.

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Happy Birthday Pr*tty Sh*tty

It’s hard to believe, but one year ago today, Pr*tty Sh*tty went officially live.

Mind you, I intended it to be a soft launch, but it quickly became, um, not soft, when I impetuously shared the URL with my former colleagues Michael Beirut and Armin Vit, who promptly linked to me from their blogs Design Observer and Quipsologies, respectively. Shortly after, blogger Michael Surtees included me in his Link Drop and the seed of my readership really took root. Nothing like a little attention to make something like this official, so there was no turning back. Couldn’t disappoint the readers after all. So thank you to those fellas (who continue to link/tweet to me), and to you dear readers.

Anyway, I thought I’d share some of the past year’s statistics with everyone. I personally find these sorts of numbers interesting, so maybe you will, too.

Number of blog posts: 240 (I took a few breaks, sue me.)
Number of visits: 212,000
Number of unique visitors: 155,000
Twitter followers: 1,000 as of last week
RSS subscribers: I have no idea. Let’s just say millions.
Most popular post: An Open Letter to James Cameron from Papyrus (of course!)
The post I expected most to have more traffic: For All the Nay Sayers (another dig at James Cameron)
Most comments on a post: 243 (also on the Open Letter)
Meanest comment:
“None of this is even remotely funny. In fact, I'm almost embarrassed for you since you apparently thought it was so funny that it should be shared with the world. Please don't procreate. You're dumb.” (Anonymous, of course!)
Nicest comment:
“I love and respect the idea behind this blog.” (thanks Laura Marie!)


Not bad for one year, if I do say so myself.

Thanks again to everyone who reads P*S* and to anyone who’s shared the site on their own blogs, or via Twitter, or an email, or Facebook, or whatever. An additional, special thanks to everyone who contributes images... here’s hoping more of you do!

And a very special thank you to my lovely wife, who’s not only tolerated the extra time I’ve poured into this endeavor, but whose keen wit and clever mind have helped to keep me, and my writing, my sharpest. You’re the best (everyone agrees!), and I love you.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Fold-Pak and Pactiv




Pr*tty
If this were the logo for a game show about cardboard boxes, I would be the first in line to spin the giant box cutter. No whammies!

Sh*tty
That poor circle is trapped in a spherical cage of emotion.

Well, maybe I’m projecting the emotions myself. I can’t help it. Circle abuse really gets to me. Don’t worry little friend, one day you’ll roll free with the other circles, liberated from the tyranny of bad design.