Longing For The Old Emigre
In the late '80s and early '90s, Emigre magazine was THE source for all things visual and graphic. By the end of the '90s and into the 21st century, Emigre was not only scaled down, but ultimately went away. I miss it.
For example, in Issue #15, Emigre had a focus on legibility in type.
The entire issue was filled with full-page examples of legibility definitions and examples as well as many pages of different fonts showcasing how they're used - in correct and incorrect ways. Of course, there was also a huge poster in the centerfold. (All of the issues had the posters!)
In Issue #17, it was the Wise Guys issue.
One of the wise guys was featured in an extensive article and interview with Piet Schreuders, the pre-eminent Dutch graphic designer who wowed the design community for over 20 years. Additionally, this issue featured many wonderful typographic marvels in poster design by Edward Fella.They're still inspirational today.
And Issue #18 was all about the "new" features of computer-generated type in the early '90s. This issue featured numerous pages of type "permutations" or "transmutations" using excerpts of Shakespeare's, Hamlet. Awesome.
These days, Emigre still puts out type speciman books and offers new typefaces on a regular basis. Zuzana still puts out great ones, but it's just not the same when seeing them used in a tabloid-style publication. I've purchased a few of them, and they always deliver.
So, if you're a type and old-school design magazine geek, then you'll be able to relate to my passion for the original Emigres. If you ever have a chance to get your hands on a back issue or two, jump on it. They're keepers and will be resource guides to refer to for alltime. Thank you Emigre!
Leave a comment