Gotham. Not simply a typeface, rather an idea.
by Adrian John Ross Moore

Designer Tobias Frere‐Jones was commissioned by ‘GQ’ with the intention of developing lettering for their men’s magazine that was ‘masculine, new and fresh’. Gotham emerged as the resulting geometric sans serif, which would later be published by Hoefler & Frere‐Jones in 2000 and become their most iconic typeface. Gotham’s style alludes to the nature of its origin, which was born of an age of handcrafted urban signage, with particular reference to the calculated craftsmanship in the sign of the ‘Port Authority Bus Terminal’.

It is a typeface that exhibits the ‘mathematical reasoning of a draftsman’ that is defined by its circular counters, short ascenders and descenders and characteristically flat terminals, a style characteristic of an art form developed before digital and designer type was made possible. This was an important element that Frere‐Jones wished to preserve “I suppose there’s a hidden personal agenda in the design, to preserve those old pieces of New York that could be wiped out before they’re appreciated” Siegel (2002). However it is not simply the technicalities of Gotham that is intriguing, rather the historical context of its title that establishes its depth and sophistication.

Gotham is a name that has developed an identity throughout history and not just within the United States. Washington Irving first coined the term Gotham City in a literary publication titled ‘Salmagundi’ in November 1807, a phrase that later became a widely popular pseudonym as a reference to New York City. However this alludes back to the time of King John, when the people of Gotham, Nottinghamshire became imbedded in the pages of history as a town known for their simplicity. This came about as the result of a plan by the townspeople, a plan to feign stupidity, as a way to discourage the king from inhabiting their village, establishing courts and other facilities and disrupting their quality of life.

The identity and associated imagery that became synonymous with Gotham City was developed through its visual and literary exploration within many of the comic strips published by DC Comics. It was first developed by Alan Moore in the comic ‘Swamp Thing’ #63 in the late 80’s, however it later became more heavily detailed within the comics of ‘Batman’, as a city cut off from the rest of the United States, and forced into a perilous spiral of social and urban decay. However amongst the stories of corruption and destruction within this city, inhabited by a society characterised by a suffocating cynicism, shines through themes of resilience and resourcefulness that act to define the very nature of Gotham.

The parallels that this typeface draws from the historical context of its name is the very essence of its beauty, simple in its construction, but subsequently revealed as a resilient and resourceful collection of lettering. It is immediately received by its audience as familiar and practical, be it in the context of publications, posters and web pages or featuring successfully on the Freedom Tower as well as establishing the Obama brand, advertising ‘Change’ in his winning 08 election campaign. It is characterised by a fresh and modernist style that is harboured by an aesthetic that alludes to an established and confident typographic voice that Hoefler & Frere‐Jones describe as “Friendly without being folksy, confident without being aloof, Gothams many moods run from hip to nostalgic to brash to eloquent” Hoefler & Frere‐Jones (2000), enabling it to become an astoundingly diverse and timeless typographic display.

References.

Hoefler & Frere‐Jones (2000). ‘Gotham: History’. Retrieved 24.7.10 from
http://typography.com/fonts/font_overview.php?productLineID=100008

Siegel, Dimitri (2002). ‘Is Gotham the new Interstate?’ Retrieved 24.7.10 from
http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/personalities/is_gotham_the_new_interstate.php

Romano, Andrew (2008). ‘Expertinent: Why the Obama “Brand” is working’. Retrieved 25.7.10 from http://www.newsweek.com/blogs/stumper/2008/02/27/expertinent‐why‐the‐obama‐quot‐brandquot‐is‐working.html

Heller, Steven (2008). ‘To the letter burn’. Retrieved 24.7.10 from
http://campaignstops.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/04/02/to‐the‐letter‐born/