A Designer's Eye: Comic Lettering, Pt. 2 - Bad Lettering

In my last post, I showed some examples of some really great comic lettering (both in word balloons/caption box and in sound effects). Much like the soundtrack to a film, when comic lettering is done well the reader doesn't even notice the word balloons as separate from the art. But, when it is done poorly, it sticks out like a sore thumb and really detracts from the readers experience.

Below are two such examples. The first is from the third issue of Sgt. Rock: The Lost Battalion. This page is some overrun with sound effects, that the reader can even enjoy the painted panels of art. It draws the eye away from the sequential art and leaves it hanging in dead space. The second example is from an issue of NASCAR Heroes. The lettering in this panel is just all over the place and different colors used for each effect really clashes with the artwork.