#OPINION
Just like any other font, people have their own opinions regarding Comic Sans however, unlike the others, this font has become the joke of graphic design. Mostly unliked by most people who are in and outside the field, the font is objectively funny. But for a reason.
Comic Sans was a font first created for Microsoft Bob that then failed. Inspired by the Batman comics (hence the name), Comic Sans is nowadays mainly used in children’s books, especially after researchers proved that it helps dyslexic kids.
I believe that the jokes around Comic Sans started with the release of Holly and David Combs’s manifesto “Ban Comic Sans Manifesto”. The manifesto discusses the unprofessionalism and unseriousness of the fonts’ craftiness and goes on about preserving the traditions and historical integrity of typography.
While I think that the manifesto presents some good points, I don’t feel like banning every font just for the sake of its “unseriousness” is the smartest move. I see no harm in creating typography that breaks from the traditions and can be fun. I believe that graphic design shouldn’t all be tied down to “professionalism” and can leave room for experimentation.
With that being said, I personally feel neutral about the Comic Sans font as it is just like any other font for me and has its own origin. I think that there is a place and time for when this font can be. used to be both serious (dyslexic campaign for example) and unserious (memes and comics) given the structure of the font.
Antonov, Z. (2022, October 11). How comic sans challenged the design community’s inclusivity. Little Black Book | LBBOnline. https://www.lbbonline.com/news/how-comic-sans-challenged-the-design-communitys-inclusivity
Geoff. (2011, March 10). Ban comic sans. 1000Manifestos.com – Inspire, collect and share 1000 manifestos > create a world that works for more people. https://1000manifestos.com/ban-comic-sans/