Watching Words Move

The obvious stocking filler for type and graphic folk. Brownjohn, Chermayeff and Geismar packed so much into this little book with one typeface (Standard Medium) in one size (forty-eight point) and one colour (black) to produce an amazing collection of visual puns like NON-CONFORMISt or nO!se or qu"o"te or EXPEN$IVE.

In 1962 I bought a copy of Typographica Magazine that included the original forty-eight page booklet, held into the mag by cord which ran through a small hole punched through the pages. I thought at the time it was a wonderful example of American design, exuberant and simple and in the same style as the work of Herb Lubalin (genius) Otto Storch (Art Director for McCall's magazine), Bill Golden (CBS) or Rudolph de Harak.

There is though an extremely small difference from the original booklet and it is, interestingly, on the word spec-cif'i-cal-ly, the wrong font apostrophe is not at the same angle...just thought I would mention it!

Thanks to Chronicle Books this lively little book will intrigue and provide an inward smile to a new bunch fans.

A very cute little book about how words can become images by stretching one's typographic imagination.
Using a single plain font over white space throughout, the authors prove that though "every picture is worth a thousand words," every word is also worth at least a few pictures as well.
Probably the inspiration for Teresa Monachino's 'Words Fail Me'- they're no doubt very similar books. I bought them both and I do recommend to anyone who appreciates visual/verbal play, not only those who want to learn how to construct it.