Monday, June 5, 2023
Subscriber Login
My Profile
SpotlightNews
  • Home
  • News
    • Election 2022
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime and Police
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Fire Departments
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Obituaries
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Food and Recipes
    • Health & Fitness
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
    • New Scotland
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • Election 2022
    • Business
      • Spotlight On Business
      • Spotlight on Finance
    • Crime and Police
    • Discover-Towns
      • Discover Coeymans Selkirk and Feura Bush
      • Discover Delmar
      • Discover Glenmont
      • Discover Guilderland
      • Discover Latham and Boght
      • Discover Loudonville
      • Discover Menands
      • Discover Slingerlands
      • Discover Village of Colonie
      • Discover Voorheesville and New Scotland
    • Fire Departments
    • Government
    • Milestones
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Obituaries
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Food and Recipes
    • Health & Fitness
    • Music
    • Theatre
  • Hot Spots Calendar
    • Calendar Listings
    • Submit Your Event
  • Opinion
    • Blogs
    • Our Opinion
    • Point of View
    • Your Opinion
  • Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
    • New Scotland
  • Classifieds
    • Employment – Hire Power
    • Services In the Spotlight
    • Classified Listings
    • Advertiser Login
  • Subscribe
    • Subscriber login
    • Give the gift of news
    • Join us – subscribe today
    • Newsletter sign up
    • Renew Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Spotlight News
No Result
View All Result
Home The Spot

A humorous eye on typography: Former professor pens book, “A-Holes: A Type Book”

Allison Fry by Allison Fry
July 12, 2016
in The Spot
Reading Time: 2 mins read
If you’ve been wanting to write a book about A-holes, it’s too late. Curtis Canham just beat you to it. Courtesy of Curtis Canham

If you’ve been wanting to write a book about A-holes, it’s too late. Curtis Canham just beat you to it. Courtesy of Curtis Canham

Local designer Curtis Canham has managed to combine two very different worlds: comedy and typography. Through his tongue-in-cheek coffee table book entitled “A-Holes: A Type Book,” the former professor has brought life back into the world of type.

Canham’s book covers the history, notoriety and anatomy of A-holes – you know, that little circular or triangular part in the center of the letter A, and is a joyous read for both typophiles and those who have never given the topic much thought.

The idea came about when he was teaching at Saint Rose in Albany, “It was graphic Design 2. One of the projects we were doing was to create your own typeface,” said Canham. He decided it would only be fair if he also took part in the project, “I figured if I had time to do it then they would have enough time to do it.” It was during this project that Canham was attempting to explain the space in the center of an R — upon calling it an R-hole, they all realized there were other letters with similar features, such as the A-hole, and the natural humor of the term had everyone laughing.

From there, he decided to run with the idea. “Once I started, it just kind of spun,” said Canham, who finished the entire book in less than 3 months. He described the book as a “fun passion project,” and kept it local by using a bookmaker in Troy to help create the first batch of copies. Following the success of his Kickstarter campaign, which saw donors from not only here in the Capital District, but across the globe, Canham has since hired a literary agent and is looking to get the book published.

On his local success, Canham claims that he isn’t exactly a household name just yet in Ravena, where his family is currently residing. “I’ve kept it on the down low in Ravena.” Canham jokes that while it isn’t an inappropriate book, it has some cheeky humor, “I say to my daughter ‘Don’t say your dad wrote a book about A-holes.’”

In the meantime, Canham is using his comedic and typographic skills to make the study of type interesting again. Through the American Institute of Graphic Arts, Canham gives talks to kids who are graduating and going into the design field. “I try to make it humorous because I find that the kids welcome it,” says Canham, who jokes about how dismal it can get talking about famous typographers, most of which are no longer living.

While we anxiously await a more widespread release of Canham’s work, you can learn more about type and get a good chuckle by following his Instagram @YayforAHoles, where he is building a following with his collection of charts, quotes, and A-holes in the wild.

Tags: a-holesCurtis Canhamtypography
ShareTweetShareShare
Previous Post

Jersey Mike’s opens with a fundraiser for Bethlehem Central High School runners

Next Post

Screen printing with a smile: Sawyer’s Screen Printing & Embroidery does all of the work in house

Leave Comment

Stay Connected with Us

Recent News

Memorial Meltdown was held at Charles R. Wood Park in Lake George, Saturday, May 27.

SPOTTED: Memorial Meltdown 2023

June 5, 2023

OBITUARY: Annmarie Griffiths of Slingerlands

June 5, 2023
The Sure Stay Hotel on Wolf Road in Colonie. Photo by Amy Modesti/ Spotlight News

Migrants come to Colonie – Plan for 400 to stay at Sure Stay Hotel stopped with suit

June 5, 2023

Bethlehem Area Weekly Police Blotter May 24th – 31st

June 4, 2023

Hot Stories This Week

  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Photo by Tom Heffernan Sr.

Arrest made in Delmar Deer Run Apartment fire – Video

June 2, 2023
Delmar Fire Department

Updated – Breaking News: Multiple building fire near Cherry and Kenwood Avenues

May 30, 2023

Colonie Area Weekly Police Blotter May 24th – 31st

June 3, 2023
The Sure Stay Hotel on Wolf Road in Colonie. Photo by Amy Modesti/ Spotlight News

Migrants come to Colonie – Plan for 400 to stay at Sure Stay Hotel stopped with suit

June 5, 2023
Memorial Meltdown was held at Charles R. Wood Park in Lake George, Saturday, May 27.

SPOTTED: Memorial Meltdown 2023

June 5, 2023

OBITUARY: Annmarie Griffiths of Slingerlands

June 5, 2023
The Sure Stay Hotel on Wolf Road in Colonie. Photo by Amy Modesti/ Spotlight News

Migrants come to Colonie – Plan for 400 to stay at Sure Stay Hotel stopped with suit

June 5, 2023

Bethlehem Area Weekly Police Blotter May 24th – 31st

June 4, 2023
Spotlight News

Spotlight News, The Spot 518 and Capital District Family Now are divisions of Community Media Group, LLC. Our local offices are located at 341 Delaware Ave, Delmar, NY 12054. You can contact us at 518.439.4949.

Browse

Follow Us

  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact the Editor
  • Employment
  • Our Team
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Legal Notices Portal

© 2022 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Election 2022
  • News
    • Crime and Police
    • Fire Departments
    • Milestones
    • Real Estate and Housing
    • Schools
    • Sports
    • Spotlight On Business
    • Spotlight on Finance
  • The Spot 518
    • Galleries
    • Art
    • Theatre
    • Music
    • Food and Drink
    • Health & Fitness
  • Hot Spots Calendar
  • Newsletter Sign Up
  • Opinion
  • Classifieds
    • Advertiser Login
    • Service Directory
    • Hire Power – Employer Spotlight
  • Capital District Family Now
    • Parenting News
    • Senior News
  • Towns
    • Albany County
    • Bethlehem
    • Colonie
    • Guilderland
  • Log In
  • Subscribe

© 2022 Community Media Group, LLC - 341 Delaware Ave. Delmar, NY 12054. 518.439.4949