God Save Grotesque
God Save Grotesque is a typeface made in response to Jamie Reid's artwork for the Sex Pistols. It takes the cut-and-paste ransom note lettering of 1977 and rebuilds it as a working digital font, keeping the rough edges instead of cleaning them up.
2024Process
The project started with a close study of punk graphics, above all Jamie Reid's work for the Sex Pistols. His collages and lettering put détournement into practice, turning the imagery of the state and the tabloid press against itself. The 'God Save the Queen' sleeve remains the sharpest example.
I designed the type in Glyphs 3 and Illustrator. Each character carries deliberate faults, from uneven cuts to shapes that intrude on their neighbours. The intention was to resist typographic polish, not to recreate a period look.
God Save Grotesque comes in two styles. Inverted follows the reversed-out lettering of the 'God Save the Queen' single sleeve, while Regular is heavier and closer to the zines and flyers of the Never Mind the Bollocks era.
It is not a neutral typeface. It suits protest posters, headlines and culture jamming, and not much else.
Jamie Reid's "No Feelings", 1977
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