Stagger Lee

A typeface can be easily described as a character and it can also be treated that way when creating one. This font is based on the character of Stagger Lee, an infamous pimp and murderer who lived in Missouri in the late 19th Century. His character became a popular figure of folklore and the story of how he killed an opponent who stole his hat, a theme used in countless songs by artists such as Lloyd Price, Duke Ellington, The Grateful Dead, The Clash and Bob Dylan. The grid for this font was based on the version by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds.

It was created by choosing two of Lees character traits and translating those into graphic forms: The grid consists of a wiggly, wavey line that shows the name giving staggering and a sharply angled one that, combined with the heavy stroke width, is meant to symbolise the blunt brutality of both the character and the murder.

This typeface is a display font and should only be used in sizes of 20 point and up, to make full use of its shape and weight.

The image rights of the screenshot of the music video for "Stagger Lee" by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds belong to said artists.