Lately around my place we have been getting pretty into the new HBO mini-series “Generation Kill”, it’s based off a book by the same name, written by a reporter who was embedded with a Marine Batallion (First Recon, out of Camp Pendleton, CA). The book was fairly controversial for how it was received as well as the effects it had on many of the men in First Recon (several retired early or were passed up for promotion), and this adaptation is no less the exposé. The mini-series will probably be missed by most of the U.S. (as most visionary shows are), but I urge you catch it either on HBO OnDemand or the replays that are happening all the time. It is brought to you by Ed Burns of “The Wire” fame, and is a must see if only for it’s visual aesthetics.

When I was watching the first episode and saw the typography they used I was pretty taken. It does a brilliant job of capturing what the mood of the show is. It’s rough around the edges, but has a certain order to it’s madness. I thought it was great how they created something with a very solid familiarity without going the route of some played out font we have seen too many times.

Then today I was listening to K-Rock NY on my iPhone (through AOL Radio) and I noticed something interesting…

No longer did we have an original and unique font. Now did someone rip off the other someone in this case? Probably not. It’s probably the case of 2 entities finding a font that actually fits their “brand” quite well, it’s just a shame they both come to light in a similar moment. Now you might be thinking, “Aren’t you being a little too harsh on people for using the same font? Don’t people do that all the time?” And you are right, it happens, but it usually is avoided by most designers when it is such a kitschy type font. If I had seen these both without seeing the other, I probably would think both were wonderful choices and original type creations, but I can’t change the facts, and I think the designers working on those projects should have spent a little more time on the font choice/execution.

Anyone else remember a case of a very memorable, kitschy, stock font was used for two brands around the same time? The last one I can think of was the Spiderman/Playstation 3 font, which at least both were Sony properties.

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