Howling About Typewriter Font

Typewriter font: it’s everywhere. All the hipsters have typewriter font tattoos. And every pretentious English major has a framed quote in typewriter font somewhere in their house (it’s probably ee cummings) or at least a desktop background or five, usually a quote about inspiration or love.  We see typewriter font all the time, in fact we come to expect it in certain situations (poetry books anyone?). Comics are no exception to this trend. It’s the only font used throughout the graphic novel adaptation of Allen Ginsberg’s poem “Howl” (illustrated by Eric Drooker). So, why the obsession? 

Fonts aren’t just an aesthetically pleasing way to present information; they also carry their own connotations. And good old Typewriter is no exception.  Typewriter is often used as a way to convey a literary feel, through reflexivity. What better way to remind a reader that there’s a writer behind the words than a nod to how the piece may have been produced. Typewriter also seems to convey a sense of authority, like one is invoking the canon. This quality can be beneficial to new authors or creators using new mediums which may not have the backing of the critical elite or operate under an assumption of simplicity as opposed to sophistication.

I believe typewriter font is used in “Howl” for both of these reasons. Ginsberg is a literary giant and it only makes sense to acknowledge the man who created the poem which sparked the entire graphic novel. Using the typewriter makes him a character within the comic. Typewriter also gives the sense of authority that comics do not always bring to mind; its use further highlights the authority that Ginsberg himself brings to the table as a published author.

The use of typewriter font also suggests a voice; someone is behind these words. Someone is typing them as they appear on the page. This gives a quality of action to a piece. This is especially important to “Howl” which are mostly illustrations of singular moments as opposed to sequences.

Typewriter font is a necessary part of “Howl”’s visual and narrative construction; it’s safe to say it wouldn’t read the same if it had been presented in Comics Sans.(No one takes Comics Sans seriously). 

-Christina Angeli

("Howl" was written by Allen Ginsberg and illustrated by Eric Drooker, and the graphic novel was published by Harper Perennial)