TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Fri Dec 13 00:43:08 EST 2024

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ABOUT

The Fontry [Michael Gene Adkins]

The Fontry is a Watts, OK, based outfit, est. 1992 by Michael Gene Adkins (b. 1965, OK) and James L. Stirling (b. 1964, OK): Digital type for computer-aided signmaking, with fonts designed for signmakers by signmakers.

Since 2009, they have been producing various digitizations of alphabets designed by Alf R. Becker in the 1930s and 1940s. Gene Adkins designed ARB-187 Moderne Caps AUG-47 (2013, didone), ARB 85 Modern Poster JAN-39 (2011, after Modern Poster Script, 1939), ARB-70 (1995), ARB-67 (1998), ARB-66 Neon (2010, +Block, +Line), ARB-44 (1995), ARB-96 Jitter Display DEC-39 (1999), SCRIPT1 ARB-85 Poster Script Normal (2000), ARB-66 Neonline Block, ARB114 Hillbilly Roman JUN-41 Normal (1999), ARB-187 Moderne Caps AUG-47 CAS family (2009, a beautiful didone display face), the ARB 08 Extreme Roman AUG-32 CAS family (2009), ARB-218 Big Blunt (2010), ARB-218 Neon Blunt.

Another product is the Wild Bunch Pak #3: Danthr Skal, Kastaka, Gas Bumps, Skrawl 613, Sharrpe Gothik, Levo Fraz, Kommerce, Stellar Spice, Infected Hurt.

Wild Bunch Pak #2 (50 USD) has Marbles&Strings, Keetoowah, Peppermint, Ghixm (2008: a retrospective of the horror comics and movie posters of the 1960s and the 1970s), Klash, all outline fonts. In Wild Bunch Pak #1, look for Toxia. Race Pak #1 contains 5 chiseled fonts, including ARB67, Brannt Chiseled, Excursions, JLS Ultra, and Race Checkers. 50 USD. There are also Greek Pak #1 (12 Greek fonts for 25 USD, including GRK Orbit, GRK Universe City, GRK Albert, and GREK Bodnaut) and Signfaces Narrow Pak #1. At Garagefonts, Wild Larra, Wild Ruts, Wild Toxia, Wild Nobody families (1999), Jackport (2014, athletic lettering and Western typeface family).

Adkins also designed the commercial font First Vision at GarageFonts in 1998. Review at &Type. List of the fonts on his CD.

MyFonts sells FTY Garishing Worse (2011---there is a free version at Dafont), SCRIPT1 Team (2010), SCRIPT1 Toon (2010), SCRIPT1 Voodoo Script (1999-2009, signage script), What Sound Pounds (2009), WILD3InfectedHurtNormal (2010), WILD1 Firstvision (1997), WILD1 Larra (1997, grunge), WILD1 Nobod (1997, grunge), WILD1 Ruts (1997), WILD1 Toxia (1997) and the blackletter typefaces Ironhorse and Ironrider (2007), revivals of classic wood type typefaces. FontShop link.

Some fonts are inspired by sign painter Frank H. Atkinson. These include the Broken Poster series done in 2010, FHA Modernized Ideal Classic (2011), and FHA Nicholson French (1999-2014: art nouveau).

In 2008, The Fontry published the Greek Font Set, Copper Penny DTP (after Copperplate Gothic, but with lower case included), Droeming (an eerie family) and Earth A.D. (more eerie stuff, metallic, and with sharp serifs). It then generated a break-away subfoundry that carries fonts solely designed by James Stirling, Fontry West. Fontry West is located in Tulsa, OK. At MyFonts, these Fontry West fonts can be bought: Iron, WILD1 Firstvision, WILD1 Larra, WILD1 Nobody, WILD1 Ruts, WILD1 Toxia, WILD2 Ghixm, Greek Font Sets 1 and 2 (not Greek, only Geek-ish, made for fraternity use), and a large Comic Fanboy set which includes glyphs painted with stars and stripes (CFB1 American Patriot, CFB1 Captain Narrow, CFB1 Shielded Avenger, all made by Adkins). The CFB1AmericanPatriot family (2009), and the SCRIPT1 Rager Hevvy family (2009) are free here. JLS Overkill (2009, Bloque, Stencil, Grunge, Champion [athletic lettering], Hammer) is a sturdy family covering everything from SUV-strength stencils to grunge stencils and macho slab serif headline typefaces. After Disaster (2008), FHA Eccentric French Normal (2008, wood type after an alphabet created by Frank H. Atkinson in 1908), WHATSOUNDPOUNDS?Normal (2009) are free at Dafont. Sinder (2010) is a grunge face. FTY Konkrete (2010) is constructivist, and has a beveled weight. FTY Strategycide (2010-2018) is a similar severe headline sans family. Sinder (2010) and Demon Sker (2011) are free grunge typefaces. American Purpose (2011) is a grotesk family. American Purpose Casual and American Purpose Stripe (2011) are follow-ups. Garishing Worse (2011) is a casual bold face. Sharpe Gothik (2011) is hand-drawn. American Captain (2011, a manly retro squarish propaganda headline face; see also American Captain Patrius 02 FRE). Deathe Maach (2012) is a sturdy 6-style display family. Avengeance (2012) is a techno typeface. FHA Condensed French (2012, by Michael Gene Adkins and James L. Stirling) and FHA Nicholson French (1999-2014, art nouveau) are based on Frank H. Atkinson's examples.

Typefaces from 2013: FHA Broken Gothic (a layered chiseled family done with James Stirling, based on Broken Poster by Frank H. Atkinson), FTY SKRADJHUWN (a flared family), Iron Man of War (with layering effects, +001Rivet), Iron Man of War 2 NCV, RACE1 Brannt (prismatic, beveled, art deco), FTY Skorzhen (mini-spurred), FTY Speedy Casual, FTY Skradjhuwn NCV (comic book family).

Typefaces from 2014: FHA Tuscan Roman (2014, Michael Gene Adkins, James L Stirling), FTY Varoge Saro Noest.

Typefaces from 2015: FHA Sign DeVinne (after a popular sign painting design by Frank H. Atkinson named after DeVinne).

Typefaces from 2016: FTY Delirium (+Neon), Delirium NCV.

Typefaces from 2017: FTY Galactic VanGuardian.

Typefaces from 2021: Fty Old Sport (a slab serif athletic lettering font family, one of the best in this genre).

Typefaces made by Fontry West. Typefaces by Mike Adkins.

Fontspace link. Klingspor link. Dafont link. Abstract Fonts link. Creative Market link.

EXTERNAL LINKS
The Fontry
 [Buy fonts]
 [Designer info]
Fontspring link [Buy fonts]
Monotype link
Dafont page
Fontspace page
Creative Market page
Klingspor Museum page
MyFonts search
Monotype search
Fontspring search
Google search

INTERNAL LINKS
Commercial fonts (small outfits) ⦿ Sites with only a few free fonts ⦿ Greek/Coptic ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Blackletter fonts ⦿ Wood Type ⦿ Type scene in Oklahoma ⦿ Western fonts ⦿ Horror fonts ⦿ Greek simulation fonts ⦿ Comic/cartoon fonts ⦿ Octagonal typefaces ⦿ Stencil fonts ⦿ Athletic lettering faces ⦿ Type design and constructivism ⦿ 3D fonts ⦿ Penmanship ⦿ Signage typefaces ⦿ Modern style [Bodoni, Didot, Walbaum, Thorowgood, Computer Modern, etc.] ⦿ Copperplate ⦿ Neon tube or faux neon typefaces ⦿ Art Nouveau typefaces ⦿ Prismatic typefaces ⦿ Art deco typefaces ⦿ Sci-Fi fonts ⦿ Chiseled fonts ⦿ Tuscan fonts ⦿