Growing Up in Alphabet City: The Unexpected Letterform Art of Michael Doret
Edited by Norman Hathaway. Foreword by Nick Sherman. Text by Michael Doret.
A visual autobiography from the lettering legend behind iconic artwork for Kiss, Disney, the Knicks and many more
In this vivid and humorous monograph-meets-memoir, Los Angeles–based lettering supremo Michael Doret shares his top-secret tricks for making mere words into iconic words-as-images for clients such as Disney, Pixar, Time, Kiss, the Knicks and more. With more than 700 images, Alphabet City traces Doret’s influences from 1950s Brooklyn to 2000s LA, showcasing his clever logo, signage and poster projects along the way. It also presents and preserves the pre-digital process of custom lettering—from initial pencil sketches to printer mechanicals to final art (plus some spurned client proposals for good measure!). With original photo tutorials that teach all the classic lettering tricks, a foreword by type aficionado Nick Sherman and a freshly commissioned cover by Doret himself, Alphabet City offers a dose of welcome nostalgia—and endless inspiration—for letterform lovers of any generation.
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Steven Heller
For the type and lettering student, there is a lot of history to be had, but Doret’s brilliantly obsessive methodology has much to teach the digital fontographer and typographer in today’s world.
Today, as all the city, all the country and all the world celebrates NYC and the New York Knicks, (!!!!!!!), we could think of no better image to feature on our homepage. Designed by Michael Doret in 1991, the official Knicks logo might be the most iconic symbol in the world on this day. Definitely in New York City. We are in awe and in ecstasy. continue to blog
Growing Up in Alphabet City: The Unexpected Letterform Art of Michael Doret
Published by Letterform Archive Books. Edited by Norman Hathaway. Foreword by Nick Sherman. Text by Michael Doret.
A visual autobiography from the lettering legend behind iconic artwork for Kiss, Disney, the Knicks and many more
In this vivid and humorous monograph-meets-memoir, Los Angeles–based lettering supremo Michael Doret shares his top-secret tricks for making mere words into iconic words-as-images for clients such as Disney, Pixar, Time, Kiss, the Knicks and more. With more than 700 images, Alphabet City traces Doret’s influences from 1950s Brooklyn to 2000s LA, showcasing his clever logo, signage and poster projects along the way. It also presents and preserves the pre-digital process of custom lettering—from initial pencil sketches to printer mechanicals to final art (plus some spurned client proposals for good measure!).
With original photo tutorials that teach all the classic lettering tricks, a foreword by type aficionado Nick Sherman and a freshly commissioned cover by Doret himself, Alphabet City offers a dose of welcome nostalgia—and endless inspiration—for letterform lovers of any generation.
