This is Halloween

'Tis the season to be scary so let's explore designs of ghouls, ghosts, and Bloody Mary. Ok, maybe not Bloody Mary, I'm just a sucker for rhymes ;). 

1980-something grapes and my kid brother as a bunny... who even knows.

Growing up I never trick-or-treated or really participated in Halloween-ish activities. I went to few harvest festivals as a bunch of grapes or a Bible character so you can probably guess the kind of home I grew up in. As an adult though, I've really enjoyed getting all dressed up as different characters like a fairy, Paddington Bear, Pipi Longstocking, Amelia Bedelia, and one year most of my ad agency dressed up as one of our, very hipster, creative directors. With all the fun costumes, festivities, and scary movies though I've always noticed how terribly designed the posters, party invites, décor, etc. actually are. So... in a world where stylish products and sleek marketing are king, why is the pervasive style of Halloween hokey and scary in the worst possible way. 

Now, obviously not all Halloween design is bad. There are some beautifully designed horror films, posters, costumes, décor and party invites. In 2001 Target was tired of their typical peppering of bats and ghosts that most retailers don during the season and tasked Werner Design Werks in Saint Paul to help them step up their game and, as we would expect, gain more of the market share. Werner created a retro colored cast of family friendly characters (i.e. not scary) and combined them with varied patterns and graphics. They not only livened up the chain with signage, displays and "haunted" fun house but created everything from pajamas and t-shirts to party décor that was actually tasteful and well designed. Totally cute, totally Halloween, totally not hokey.

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Theatrical poster for Sinister II by Gravillis Inc.

On the truly creepy and scary side of Halloween; Hector Guerra with Gravillis Inc. created the poster advertising Sinister II and it is absolutely petrifying in the best way. The movie is the story of 9 year old twin boys being influenced by the evil spirit Bughuul who recruits children to murder their loved ones through ghoulish children terrorizing them with images of slaughtered families. 

The evil spirit dripping blood down the wall shows prominently in the center while the two boys looks helpless to the transformation to murderers below it. The head of the second boy captured through time lapse as he transforms from innocent victim to possessed murderer is truly unsettling. The lovely part of this though is the typography that isn't the least bit chintzy. The beautifully set, thin serif slowly degrades at the baseline and the II set as a drawing of the hanging bodies is disturbingly perfect.

Personally, I'm not a fan of scary/horror films but the poster work here is well designed and gives a taste of the horror the film brings. So whether you're a fan of family friendly or truly terrifying Halloween activities, let's take a note from these well concepted and crafted designs so any similar projects you're tasked with aren't just scary, they're scary good. 

Cursive + Imagination = Handlettering

It may not come as a shock to you today to find out that most elementary schools no longer teach cursive handwriting. When I learned that several years ago I was rather shocked and a bit outraged/saddened to hear it because it is something that, as a designer, I use quite often. 

Mary Kate McDevitt's Strength Cover for Andrews McMeel Publishing

The Common Core State Standards for teaching were introduced in 2010 and with it brought quite a debate about the actual quality of those standards. This is not a commentary on Common Core but such great public outcry led to many different solutions to keep writing as an educational component. Some schools worked it back into the language arts curriculum, some parents now teach it in their homes, and one school in Ohio is even teaching it as an arts class.

The last solution is the most interesting to me as art is likely the most common use* of cursive today. Yes, handwritten notes are lovely but with technology today literally at our fingertips it's not the go-to communication any more. BUT! By teaching it as an art at a young age we ingrain the idea to combine imagination with a basic form of communication which can only lead to beautifully crafted phrases, logos, posters, paintings, labels, signs, and other creatively designed pieces. Hand lettering teaches patience, planning, layout, hierarchy, color balance... it's a gateway drug for good design.

Dana Tanamachi for Puffin Chalk

Jon Contino for Anthropoligie's Tru Fragrance Fictions collection.

Often still, students have been discouraged by their loved ones from pursuing a career in the arts because, "You can't make a living that way". That may have been true and sometimes still can be but we have the joy of living in a time when so many graphic designers are proving that commerce not only needs beautiful design but are using it to fund their own passion projects. Jessica Hische is a typographer but first became known for her hand lettered Daily Drop Caps series, Darren Booth creates beautiful illustrations and hand letterings, Ged Palmer, Kyle Steed, Tom Lane and so many more keep combining art and letters to create both commercial work and meaningful art and design. So the next time someone complains about Common Core or cursive being a lost art, let them know that it's not lost and it is art. That it's something worth pursuing and learning and combining with a bit of imagination. 

*Totally just my humble opinion :)