FontCast #10 — Jim Parkinson, part 1 of 2

In our search for typographic designers with interesting stories to tell we knew we didn't have to go far to find Jim Parkinson — he's just across the water from FontShop San Francisco in Oakland.

Jim is a Bay Area native, returning after a short stint at Hallmark in Kansas City to design the iconic logotype for Rolling Stone during its heyday in the early 70s. That work led to hundreds of other magazine and newspaper nameplates (Newsweek, Billboard, Esquire, LA Times), band logos, and typeface designs over the next four decades.

At 69, Jim is still going strong, wielding FontLab and paintbrush to create new works of art. We met him at his home studio to talk about letters and life, from the days of beatniks and hippies to his takes on art school and businessmen (AKA cigar-smoking twits). This is the first of two parts from our visit. Look for Part Two next week.

Fonts by Jim Parkinson: j.mp/dwOPKU
Logos by Jim Parkinson: j.mp/d5mA2y
See more FontCasts: fontcast.com

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Jim Parkinson
• FontShop
• lettering
• type design
• Rolling Stone
• Newsweek
• Roger Black
• Rick Griffin
• San Francisco Chronicle
• San Francisco Examiner
• fonts
• typefaces
• typography
• Hallmark
• interview
• graphic design

[videonut11]

Jim Parkinson is one of the temples of typography.

[manzaxl]

he is the MAN