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A person stands with their back to the camera, cleaning a large wall covered in black and white typographic posters. The posters feature names of musicians and performers, including “Frank Sinatra”, “Tony Bennett” and “Elvis Presley”.

Graphic Design: We can't get enough of typographic talent Alex Fowkes

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Date
8 January 2014

The great thing about this job (apart from all the laughs) is that you can stumble across great content when you’re not really looking. So it was this weekend when I picked up a copy of the London Comedy Film Festival (LOCO) programme and was immediately drawn to the lovely illustrative typography which occurred throughout. It’s the work of Alex Fowkes, who I recognised when I got to his portfolio from the sublime typographic mural he did for Sony Music last year charting the label’s history. There’s so much to enjoy on his site though – from a bowling alley identity to publications, album artwork, T-Shirts and even a label for a rum bottle; Alex is a master at creating technically excellent visuals which crackle with personality but don’t ever feel forced in their fun-seeking.

A large white wall graphic reads “Columbia was born 1887” in bold red and black typography. Text below explains the founding of the American Graphophone Company and its transition to the Columbia Phonograph Company.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Sony Music Timeline

A long white corridor features a wall covered in a black and white typographic mural. The wall lists various music artists in bold, varied fonts, including “Cyndi Lauper”, “Wham” and “Whitney Houston”.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Sony Music Timeline

A white office wall is covered in a large typographic mural featuring names of musicians and bands. Legible names include “David Bowie”, “Lou Reed” and “Earth, Wind & Fire”. The wall runs alongside a glass balcony overlooking an open-plan workspace below.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Sony Music Timeline

A person sits in a red sculptural chair, looking towards a grey sofa in a minimalist room. Behind them, a large typographic wall mural reads “We can chart our future clearly & wisely only when we led to the present”.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Sony Music Timeline

A set of four vintage-style promotional cards for “Pin-up Bar & Bowling Lanes”. The designs use a red and mint green colour palette with retro typography and illustrations. One card features the brand logo with a pin-up figure, while others offer a “Free Drink”, “Free Bowling”, or a “Loyalty Card”.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Pin-Up Bowling Alley

A retro-style poster for a “Pin-up Pop Up Diner Bar & Bowling Lanes” launch night. It reads “Save the date” for “Thursday 15th September 2011” at “Spinningfields” in Manchester. The design features bold, 3D typography and illustrations of a burger, a bowling ball and pins. It lists “Norman Jay” and “Pin-up Allstar” as performers, alongside jive dancing lessons and a magician.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Pin-Up Bowling Alley

A red and white illustration of a vintage hot rod car. Above the car, stylized text reads “Balls Booze” and “Pin-up Presents”, while a banner below reads “Burgers & Beats” and “Life in the Fast Lane”.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Pin-Up Bowling Alley

A red cursive sign reading “Pin-up” is mounted on a white brick wall. Below it, rows of white cubbies hold pairs of bowling shoes, each marked with a size number.
Above

Alex Fowkes: Pin-Up Bowling Alley

A black bottle of “A Late Night Tipple” premium spiced rum rests in a wooden crate filled with straw. A matching gift tag leans against the bottle, reading “Pa Rum Pum Pum Pum” and “The Late Night Salon”.
Above

Alex Fowkes: A Late Night Tipple

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About the Author

Rob Alderson

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Rob Alderson is a freelance writer, editor and strategist. He was previously editor-in-chief of It’s Nice That and WePresent, and editor of Design Week. He publishes the newsletter Undo, which tries to make sense of how AI is changing design work, the design process and the design industry.

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