The fifth issue of the German Slanted magazine is finally for sale, and you’d best hurray and place your order today; as far as I know, there are less than 200 copies left.
Slanted.de is a blog run by a nest of collective graphic design energy eminating from the southwestern German city of Karlsruhe. A few years ago, they began publishing an eponymous magazine, which has already been covered on TypeOff. here, here, here, and here. The printed Slanted issues are must-reads, and like any self-respective euro graphic designer mags, must-looks. Slanted’s editors continue to push forward a combination of typography+illustration that I can’t say I always understand, but I certainly always enjoy. It is an honor for me to be able to contribute to this magazine in the small ways that I can.
The newest issue is entitled “the antiqua boom issue,” which requires a bit of explanation. While many typography words are the same in German and English, the term for serif typeface is traditionally not among them. We English-speakers tend to refer to them by a number of monikers, serif, roman, etc. In German, they are typically called Antiqua typefaces, as opposed to sans serifs, blackletters, etc. But even with sans serif there is some confusion…
No matter. This issue is about the new boom of serif typeface use in graphic design, especially in Central European typography, where it seems to have been dormant for awhile. One need only flip through an issue of the mainstream German economics magazine brand eins, or any new and trendy title on a French or German magazine rack, to understand what they mean here. You see 16th century revivals everywhere! Garamond, Sabon, type inspired by later Dutch examples…
Why should those of you outside of Germany buy Slanted? To learn what is going on, of course. Many of the articles are printed in both German and English, or just in English. Also, a number of hot serif faces are discussed and displayed in the issue’s pages, including Feijoa, Whitman, and FF Maiola. Article text is set in LaPolice BP and Greta Text. So if you buy Slanted, you’re getting like a 264-page printed specimen of these great typefaces. Plus, it wasn’t designed by any of these foundries! Does that make it more objective? Maybe. Does it make it worth 15 euro (plus shipping)? You bet!
Order Slanted directly for the source, while supplies last.
Still not convinced? Read what these fine gentlemen have to say about the Antiqua Boom: Nick Blume and Ivo Gabrowitsch.