<p>If you've ever watched Dear White People (the 2014 film or the Netflix series, both directed by Justin Simien) and are interested in typography, you may have noticed the presence of a familiar character: Cooper Black.</p><p><img class="”alignnone" size-medium wp-image-5697″ src="”http://legacy.anacouto.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/cartazes-dwp-640×473.jpeg”" alt="””" width="”640″" height="”473″" /></p><p>It's everywhere, from the series logo to the titles, credits, and much of the text, even in the printed materials that appear in the plot. Take a look:</p><p><img class="”alignnone" size-medium wp-image-5699″ src="”http://legacy.anacouto.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/exemplos-dwp-640×320.png”" alt="””" width="”640″" height="”320″" /></p><p>In fact, besides the exquisite photography, solid performances, and a courageous and relevant theme, the use of typography in the series seems very meticulous to me. Pay attention to the scenes that feature prominent text; there's always something to notice. But before continuing to talk about the series, it's worth going back a bit to learn more about this classic typeface. Cooper Black was designed in 1921 by Oswald Bruce Cooper and launched the following year by the Barnhart Brothers & Spindler type foundry. In fact, it was commissioned as a sequel to the Cooper Old Style font, designed a few years earlier.</p><p><img class="”alignnone" size-medium wp-image-5702″ src="”http://legacy.anacouto.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/usos-cp-640×279.jpeg”" alt="””" width="”640″" height="”279″" /></p><p><img class="”alignnone" size-medium wp-image-5700″ src="”http://legacy.anacouto.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/fonte-cb-640×384.png”" alt="””" width="”640″" height="”384″" /></p><p>It wasn't the first typeface designed with rounded serifs, but it certainly gained prominence at the time and became a precursor to the so-called "fat faces." Due to its almost authoritative impact, balanced with its friendly and playful forms, and its good legibility, Cooper Black quickly became a sensation in the advertising world during the first half of the 20th century and was used extensively, attracting numerous copies and forcing competing foundries to launch typefaces with the same appeal.</p><p>(+) To learn more about Cooper Black and its creator, I recommend reading this article on <a href="”http://www.eyemagazine.com/feature/article/telling-and-selling”" target="”_blank”" rel="”noopener”">Eye Magazine.</a></p><p>Going back to DWP, one question wouldn't leave my head:</p><p><strong>Why Cooper Black?</strong></p><p>Such a forceful and careful use didn't seem random. Searching around, I couldn't find any text linking the film/series to the source, so I went to ask those responsible. IMDB only gave me two names: <a href="”http://kodywynne.com/”" target="”_blank”" rel="”noopener”">Kody Wynne</a>, responsible for the design in the film and <a href="”http://www.blairstrong.com/”" target="”_blank”" rel="”noopener”">Blair Strong</a>, Wynne, who is responsible for the series, worked on the film's poster in 2014, but told me that the logo, which already used Cooper Black, was developed by another designer, so he wasn't responsible for the choice. He also couldn't tell me who that designer was.</p><p>The mystery continued because Blair Strong, the designer responsible for the Netflix series, also followed the design language already present in the film, where the use of Cooper Black was already abundant. Even so, she was very kind and told me a little about the development of the graphic design elements within the series:</p><p><span style="”color:" #000000;”>”"I researched Ivy League universities and student organizations to find patterns in ornamentation and iconography."”</span></p><p>Strong explains that virtually every house or campus at the fictional Winchester University received a backstory, including its founding date. She then researched popular sources from the time these organizations were founded to create their logos and visual identity.</p><p><span style="”color:" #000000;”>”"For example, since Winchester was supposed to be a historic American university, I often used Baskerville for 'permanent' signs and plaques on campus. Because most of the Black student organizations on campus were established decades ago, I developed classic ornaments and more contemporary logos for each of them, as I imagined the students would. It was a lot of fun developing that world!"</span></p><p><span style="”color:" #000000;”>It was really cool to imagine which organizations would have their logos professionally designed and which would have been made by small groups run by the students themselves.”</span></p><p>She also sent me some really cool images of what was developed for this universe. You can see the care that went into everything being imagined and designed.</p><p><img class="”alignnone" size-medium wp-image-5698″ src="”http://legacy.anacouto.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/estudos-dwp-640×464.jpeg”" alt="””" width="”640″" height="”464″" /></p><p><span style="”color:" #000000;”>”"Justin (Simien) had a very specific vision regarding the look and style of the show. He was very good at communicating this to me and my team, paying attention to details such as fonts and Pantone colors."”</span></p><p>Since even the designers who worked on the film and series (at least those I managed to contact) couldn't tell me whether the choice of Cooper Black was intentional or not, I continued my search. After reading a bit, I came up with a few hypotheses:</p><p><strong>1. Use in advertising and pop culture</strong></p><p>As I said before, Cooper Black (and its later variations) became one of the most used fonts in advertising between the 1920s and 1940s. After a hiatus in the 1950s, it returned with considerable force in the mid-1960s, now in Pop Culture. Some say that this revival is due to the cover of the seminal Pet Sounds by the Beach Boys. The fact is that in the following years many artists released albums whose covers featured Cooper Black, which once again established it as a design icon in the 20th century. Given the plot of the series, where black students struggle to be heard amidst an overwhelming majority of white students, it makes sense that the chosen typography has a clear link to advertising and Pop Culture (even if this link is more evident to the American public). After all, much of what is seen in the series is a kind of advertising war, as a tool for spreading messages (from both sides).</p><p><img class="”alignnone" size-medium wp-image-5701″ src="”http://legacy.anacouto.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/fonte-cb-varios-640×472.jpeg”" alt="””" width="”640″" height="”472″" /></p><p>(+) To get a better idea of the widespread use of this type in advertising and music, I recommend the <a href="”http://fontsinuse.com/typefaces/7357/cooper-black”" target="”_blank”" rel="”noopener”">Fonts in Use</a> – one of my favorite websites.</p><p><strong>2. “The Black Menace”</strong></p><p>When Cooper Black emerged in the 1920s, it didn't exactly express a visual heritage from any already established and traditional typeface of the time, although it incorporated some aspects of Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and handwritten typefaces (with which Oswald had extensive experience). Adding to this the unpretentious forms of the typefaces, Cooper Black was not well received by critics at the time, although its use in advertising was a success. Typographers and owners of traditional foundries called it "the Black Menace." I haven't been able to discover exactly why this nickname existed; I imagine it has to do with the dense "stain" of black ink it left on the text, due to its fat face. What seems clear is that the nickname was pejorative (perhaps even racist) and reflected a certain disdain, even fear, of what was new and "black." Sound familiar?</p><p><strong>3. Cooper Black and Black Counterculture</strong></p><p>Cooper Black reached its peak of use in the 1970s and also became the most popular font for those who wanted to produce their own t-shirts, hats, and various other DIY (do it yourself) items. It could be seen on the uniforms of various street dance groups between the 1970s and 1980s and may even have influenced the "inflated" aesthetic of graffiti lettering. Linked to the origins of the movement, Cooper Black remains present in Hip Hop to this day, appearing on iconic album covers and apparel.</p><p><img class="”alignnone" size-medium wp-image-5696″ src="”http://legacy.anacouto.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/blackculture-cb-640×437.jpeg”" alt="””" width="”640″" height="”437″" /></p><p>(+) This article from <a href="”http://www.complex.com/style/2013/08/cooper-black-font-hip-hop-album-covers/”" target="”_blank”" rel="”noopener”">Complex</a> It gave me the clues to make that connection and explores the link between Hip Hop and Cooper Black well. Go check it out, it's worth it!</p><p>Perhaps I'll never know for sure if this choice by those in charge was conscious or not. But the truth is, it's very interesting to note how these things... <em>Zeitgeist</em> They linger in the air and (re)create connections that can sometimes go unnoticed, even by those who create them.</p><p>Does this connection make sense to you as it did to me? It would be great to continue this discussion in the comments. If anyone has any new information, I'd love to know. And for those who haven't watched Dear White People yet, I highly recommend it! The first season is already available on [platform name]. <a href="”http://www.netflix.com/”" target="”_blank”" rel="”noopener”">Netflix</a>.While you're at it, check out the movie which, besides being fun and witty, serves as a prequel to the series.</p><p> </p><p>Post originally published on <a href="”http://medium.com/vertentes/a-tipografia-em-dear-white-people-8abb1dfa830e”" target="”_blank”" rel="”noopener”">Johnny Brito's medium</a>, senior graphic designer at Ana Couto Branding.</p>
