Once again I find myself inspired by resident BADG author Nate Voss. His recent venture into typography reminded me of this terrific sign I nearly choked on a year or so ago. It’s presence dominates an Edmonton intersection, overcoming the likes of suburban giants such as Blockbuster, KFC and McDonalds.

The first time I saw it, I had just rolled up to the stoplight and did a double take at this nearly sixteen-foot tall titan of typographic terror that sits unsettlingly close to the street. There was silence in our car, until my wife read it, as it appeared, in an eighth-grade boy’s puberty-stricken voice, “baAAYYYWWwood.”

Now, every time I drive by this corner, the same voice finds its way out of my lungs, and every time I see typographic exercises like the ones Nate is undertaking, this sign flashes into my eyes, and I feel compelled to warn students, designers and the general public to be careful with type. It is very powerful, and mustn’t fall into the wrong hands.