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Pablo Ferro (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Typography)

Since Jay’s name-checking title-designers, I see his Saul Bass and raise him one Pablo Ferro. Most famous for his opening credits to Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove, you’re probably more familiar with his work than you think. Pablo’s resume includes the groovy title sequence for the original Thomas Crown Affair, and the Strangelovesque typography for the Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense. The best part is that he’s still working; who can forget the bizarre title sequence for Napoleon Dynamite with all the credits written in food?

Edit:Amid points out that Pablo has been widely miscredited for Napoleon Dynamite. More info here. Thanks, Amid!

  • http://elnegromagnifico.blogspot.com/ Al aka El Negro Magnifico

    Yup, Ferro gets props too. I read a pretty cool story about him in Print recently.

  • http://elnegromagnifico.blogspot.com Al aka El Negro Magnifico

    Yup, Ferro gets props too. I read a pretty cool story about him in Print recently.

  • berlin

    Yeah, it’s excellent and he is excellent.

  • berlin

    Yeah, it’s excellent and he is excellent.

  • http://drawdammit.blogspot.com/ Clay Sisk

    Wow…I love that sequence from Napoleon….I can’t believe it’s the same guy…Great research work!

  • http://drawdammit.blogspot.com/ Clay Sisk

    Wow…I love that sequence from Napoleon….I can’t believe it’s the same guy…Great research work!

  • http://www.cartoonbrew.com/ Amid

    Ferro is an awesome designer. His roots are in animation; he started working in TV commercials in the early-50s at New York studios such as Tempo and Elektra, before starting his own studio Ferro Mogubgub and Schwartz in the early-60s. But Ferro was not responsible for the NAPOLEON DYNAMITE titles. This post at Designer Observer (http://www.designobserver.com/archives/000175.html) clears up the issue about his involvement in the film.

  • http://www.cartoonbrew.com Amid

    Ferro is an awesome designer. His roots are in animation; he started working in TV commercials in the early-50s at New York studios such as Tempo and Elektra, before starting his own studio Ferro Mogubgub and Schwartz in the early-60s. But Ferro was not responsible for the NAPOLEON DYNAMITE titles. This post at Designer Observer (http://www.designobserver.com/archives/000175.html) clears up the issue about his involvement in the film.

  • http://www.awesomeblurry.com/ lily

    Hey, a friend and I were just marvelling at how an obnoxious hipster-jerkoff movie like Napoleon Dynamite could have such a great credit sequence… that explains it!

  • http://www.awesomeblurry.com lily

    Hey, a friend and I were just marvelling at how an obnoxious hipster-jerkoff movie like Napoleon Dynamite could have such a great credit sequence… that explains it!

  • http://www.free-hogtied-clips.pain-bdsm-torture.com Mia Swartling

    free hogtied clips

    Drawn! The Illustratio…

  • http://www.noded.com/noded jr

    He also did the Men In Black Titles which are similar to Dr Strange Glove.

    Sorry I’m late to the party but just discovered the post.

  • http://www.noded.com/noded jr

    He also did the Men In Black Titles which are similar to Dr Strange Glove.

    Sorry I’m late to the party but just discovered the post.

  • renos

    I was Pablo’s designer for two years. We did the titles for “Mickey One” and “The Russians Are Coming…” together plus many commercial films and institutional films.
    If you look closely at the titles in “Strangelove”…you’ll see Pablo’s mistake…”base on the book…”

  • renos

    I was Pablo’s designer for two years. We did the titles for “Mickey One” and “The Russians Are Coming…” together plus many commercial films and institutional films.
    If you look closely at the titles in “Strangelove”…you’ll see Pablo’s mistake…”base on the book…”

  • http://youngandhungry.wordpress.com/2007/05/15/dr-strangelove-irl/ Dr. Strangelove IRL « young and hungry

    [...] Pretty fascinating. I love that movie, it’s truly Kubrick’s masterpiece and it’s visually stunning (I was once obssessed with the handdrawn lettering in the title sequence by Pablo Ferro, which you can read a bit about here).  [...]

  • http://ajmcguire.com/?p=107 State bird joke at ajmcguire.com

    [...] to cop the typography from the intro titles to Dr. Strangelove.  That’s kinda how I write anyway.  Spent many years hating anything written in all caps [...]

  • http://legitimateathomework.com/203/no-fee-work-at-home-jobs-great-opportunity.php NO FEE WORK AT HOME JOBS Great opportunity

    [...] Comment on Pablo Ferro (or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and … [...]

  • http://drawn.ca/2008/12/30/30-unforgettable-movie-opening-sequences/ 30 Unforgettable Movie Opening Sequences » Drawn! The Illustration and Cartooning Blog

    [...] Dr. Strangelove (featuring lettering by Pablo Ferro: [...]

  • http://zbstudio.net/?p=15 30 Unforgettable Movie Opening Sequences | zbStudio.net

    [...] Dr. Strangelove (featuring lettering by Pablo Ferro: [...]