Uppercut Angle

Joachim Müller-Lancé’s Uppercut Angle is a rather sporting fellow, originally developed for the Krav Maga training center of San Francisco (Krav Maga is a simple, efficient self-defense system that has become equally popular in Hollywood and with law enforcement). Joachim has spent several years training, hitting things and people whenever he needs a break from kerning.

The design idea sprang from pencil sketches for the center’s new identity, where it can be seen on the school’s t-shirts and other articles. Uppercut Angle’s shapes are not calligraphic or handwritten, but more like lettering seen in comics or sports logos. Its brush movements are imaginary—not too literally brushy. The shapes are economical and efficient; simplicity makes the font versatile, holding up in small as well as big sizes.

Uppercut Angle is decidedly analog, muscular but not bulky, with the fluid but determined movements of a boxer or martial artist – not theatrical but powerful, fast, confident and dynamic. This all-uppercase design includes a handful of alternate shapes in the lowercase position. The glyph repertoire supports over 270 languages, including Vietnamese, Oceanian, and more.