Hyperspace Race got its start as a design for the video game Marvel Strike Force. After creating Ultimatum for the game graphics, they asked for a simpler, more readable version for large blocks of text, which Comicraft eventually released as Space Race.

There are usually leftovers when I create a font — trials and errors that sometimes get repurposed, but more often are left in the folders to gather digital dust. With Space Race, the leftovers were in my head. As I was working those letterforms, I imagined so much more I could do with them.

So when I had time late last year, I started messing around — just how wide and skinny could I make these letters?

And how bold?

The results were already looking good.

As it came together, I started seeing similarities to fonts I’d loved growing up. The ultra-wide-and-bold is, OK, just a WEE bit like Eurostile (aka Microgramma), which was the first set of letters I’d recognized as a kid in different places — from my favorite band’s album covers, to the Asteroids control panel…

…to graphics in my favorite movies. (Eurostile has appeared so often as the “font of the future” in movies that somebody wrote a whole book about it. Great read for font nerds!)

Eurostile was also the first font I ever got to USE, in the form of Letraset rub-on letters I found at the art supply store…

…and then put on my OWN band’s stickers and album covers.

Meanwhile, the ultra-light ultra-condensed was looking a bit like Univers Condensed, which you've probably seen in the credits at the bottom of movie posters.

Then it hit me — GREAT SCOTT! I could make the ultimate ultra-tall-and-skinny, ultra-wide-and-bold sci-fi font, with every weight and width between.

Of course, if it was going to be the ULTIMATE sci-fi font, well then certain letters would have to connect, like Star Wars and Centipede and the NASA "worm" logo…

…and there would have to be strategic gaps and slices like Blade Runner and Tron and the Thompson Twins logo…

This design was quickly spiraling out of control. I wanted it to have all of these cool features, while also being functional and versatile — to look awesome at big sizes in logos and headlines, but also be readable in large blocks of text at small sizes.

In contrast with my quick start, getting all of these weights and widths to work together, and the connectors to line up, and the variable controls to work without letters colliding and parts flying off… it sometimes felt like I was going BACK in time instead of forward.

But in the end, Hyperspace Race became the most ambitious, complicated font I’ve ever attempted. It was also a lot of fun, and I’m really proud of the result: It has connecting letters! Eight weights in five widths! And a nifty variable font that lets you choose any width, weight or angle between!

When I was a kid, I would wonder, “who designed these letters? How do other people get ahold of them and use them?” Now I’M someone who makes them, and other people get to use them, and that makes me infinitely happy. Hopefully you're enjoying using it too.