I’ve never been a huge KISS fan but I couldn’t help but take notice of these illustrations on the outside of this building in the East Village in NYC. When doing a search for nice guy eddie’s, Yelp classifies it as ‘dive bar’ and ‘burgers’. That pretty much sums it up.

Driving in Cleveland last weekend, I was at a red light and glanced over and almost had a heart attack. This just might be the scariest thing I’ve ever seen. That sponge-like thing saying Let us wipe you down is pretty freaky. He’s right up there with Stephen King’s clown from It. Nothing good is going on here except for the *hope* that since it is under new management, this fine establishment will be overhauled in the very near future.

The apostrophe in both of these pictures are so effortlessly perfect, I almost didn’t notice them.

Almost.

I love comparing the same words from different cities. It really drives home how cultural influences affect design choices.

The picture on the left just says Charleston to me. The way the sun is shining. The palm tree. The rod iron bench in front of the restaurant. The lettering even reflects the cool, low key vibe of the city.

The picture on the right is 100% NYC. The lack of sunlight due to the tall buildings. The endless blocks of concrete. The way the sign is hanging out for pedestrians to catch a glimpse of as they walk by. Check out their website for additional views of the super cool sign.

Same words. Different cities.

I did some research about it and found that it was The Cleveland Cooperative Stove Co. founded in Cleveland in the late 1800s. The company made ornate coal-burning stoves and later gas ranges and air-conditioning equipment.

The last picture is the left side of the building.

If this doesn’t get your Monday off to an awesome start, I don’t know what will.

For my 1ne post today, I’ve got this beauty.

If I lived in Tequisquiapan, Mexico and needed to get my hair cut, I’d go here based on the styling of these letterforms alone.

The amazing attention to detail, the consistency of the strokes, the beautiful kerning…I’d look like a movie star leaving this place for sure!

Happy weekend!

Would Copy Cop be as awesome if there was just one cop? Doubt it, plus it’s a pretty clever way to visually show ‘copies’.

Scary dude babysitting my kids? No thanks. Plaster scary dude as a series and it becomes more interesting to look at. Gotta love NYC.

The picture on the left was taken as a blizzard was passing through. Sorry for the crappy image but the & and L were just too awesome to ignore. That sign says to me ‘yeah, we serve food but the Lounge is where it’s at people!’ That L has had one too many drinks I think. Seems like he might be drunk dialing the n later on this evening. And what’s up with the g? Her poor descender got cut off like she’s had one too many! Awwww.

I’m still not sold on this sign from NYC. Something about it seems off to me as a whole. Looking at it each single letterform though, it is pretty sweet. My favorite part is the way the R is cradling the O in the first word. It’s a beautiful combination. The space between the last R in Reservoir and the T in Tavern, not so much. That R is hitting on the T and the T has his back turned and want’s nothing to do with her. Awkward!

How beautiful are these pictures?!

The picture on the left was taken in Tequis. I was in such awe with the beauty of the lettterforms I thought, why not shove my kid in front of it? My thought was killer typography + my awesome little boy = instant classic. What I wasn’t banking on was his bored, tired and disinterested expression. Such disrespect! Is the type crumbling under the pressure of his glance? Sure looks like it. Good thing I saved naming my daughter after a font and not this little guy. I have a long way to go with him and his appreciation for typography. One day, when he’s a famous typographer (no pressure), this picture will be solid gold.

Speaking of solid gold, check out DIXIE. This picture was snapped in downtown Columbia, SC. The colors, the kerning, the wear and tear. I think I’m in love. Thanks, David for this beauty.

Happy Valentine’s Day type lovers!

The picture on the right was sent in by Erin Kinsella (thanks Erin!) along with a picture I had posted a few months ago. From the moment I saw this picture, what caught my eye the most was the ampersand. She’s such a lady, so elegant. It’s as if Sausage and Peppers are her two sons and they are graduating from college today. She couldn’t be more proud. It never ceases to amaze me how one character can carry such a story.

As an added bonus, check out HOT. Man, if it weren’t for those 3 lines on either side of the O, I don’t think I’d get that it’s really HOT!

Ahhh, the beauty of it all. Another post about one hotel, 3 different signs. Can you believe this?! Ok, I’m gonna just dive right in.

Top left picture is taken on the right side of the building, in the parking lot of the strip mall next door (hence the awesome fence). This script font in upper and lower case is meant to have tighter kerning so the letters connect which is made obvious by the u and r. Man, looking at that is like watching a movie of 2 people climbing up a mountain, one slips, the other reaches for the dude falling (cue the dramatic music)…and…just out of reach. ooops, he fell.

The picture underneath is taken on the other side of the building in their actual parking lot. Enter type treatment #2. They’ve now switched to a different font in all uppercase. The kerning actually isn’t that bad, except for the ginormous space between the 2 words.

Last but not least, the grand finale. Back to upper and lower case for the logo of this fine establishment and, hey! they serve liquor and food! But, my most favorite part of all, is the black letters. I look at them and can literally see the letters running for their lives to escape this trifecta of bad typography. I think my favorite is how the O in LIQUOR is so scared to escape that he had to jump behind his buddy U for safety. Being the brave guy U is, he grabbed O by the stroke and created a ligature as they make their great escape. I love it.