Heated Words

Unique in the histories of typography and street fashion, the lettering that is the subject of this book remains without attribution: an iron-on typeface created anonymously and passed down over decades and across subcultures.

As more than 300 richly layered illustrations in the book reveal (including previously unseen imagery from personal archives), this particular blackletter typeface—bold and imposing—decorates the fabric of the most influential music and fashion subcultures of the last half-century.

With roots dating back to the first calligraphic forms, the letters evolved from embellished military flight jackets and sports uniforms in the early part of the twentieth century to become omnipresent from the 1960s onward in youth movements in New York City. The heat-pressed letters appeared on the shirts of punks, rockers, street gangs, B-Boys, disco dancers, musicians, Hollywood actors, female skipping troops and more, through to the streetwear and catwalks of the last decade.

With contributions from insightful voices in the fields of music, fashion, and typography, this book provides a unique thread through the subcultural landscape of the last fifty years, exploring the visual branding of the outsider and the resurgence of analog typography, presented through a layout and design that echo the frenetic history of the letters themselves.

About the Authors

Rory McCartney is a creative director working within art, fashion, and music. He established Modern Construct, a creative practice with a focus on typography, and holds a research position at The Slade School of Fine Art, London.

Charlie Morgan has spent the last quarter-century at the intersection between brands and culture, working in-house with brands such as Crooked Tongues, VANS, VICE, and New Balance.