2 Rebels Speaks Up

Speak Up: I'm sure you have been asked this many times, but what does the name 2 Rebels signify? Is it a rebellion against the conventions of type? Or is there any significance to the name at all?

Denis Dulude: No, not against something. It's more like "Rebel with a cause". It was just to continue, be part of, the rebellion or the revolution of the new typography that was happening in the early 90's. I was and still am a strong believer in the contemporary typography, even if I have a great respect for what has been done in the past. The name came from the fact that at the beginning we were 2, I liked very much the name rebel, (for different reasons too long to mention here) and that the name "rebel" was already taken in Canada by a web company. I also liked the fact that it has the same pronunciation as "too rebel".

DD: I'm not really a philosopher, only a guy that loves fonts and that I would like to believe that I'm doing a little something for the world of typography in Quebec (...hopefully in Canada too) Not only by distributing and selling fonts, but by trying to make people like and respect fonts and typography. (ouf!! I'm getting serious)

DD: When I have an idea, an urge, or whatever like that, I start designing.

DD: Yes. I always start with the letter A. Uppercase.

DD: It depends on the font. KO dirty was done quite fast. I think it was a bit more than a week. But it was intended to be like that. A quite fucked up face where the spacing and kerning is meant to be a bit distressed. On the other hand I have a font that I've started 2 years ago and it's still not finished.

SU: For those who are unaware, 2rebels is also the eminent KO Creations graphic design studio. If you had to make a choice between fonts or motion graphics, which would you choose and why?

DD: (Just to clarify a bit, KO and 2Rebels are 2 different companies. KO is a graphic design studio.
2Rebels is a font seller with a home brand called 2Rebels font. We don't sell any other brand but we are distributed by other distributors of which FontShop is the main one.)

To answer your question, the winner is... motion graphic. Probably because before being a graphic designer I was a ballet dancer. I just enjoy making stuff, especially words, move on music.

SU: Much of your type design has characteristics including blurs, smears, and motion, similar to your motion graphic work. Did your motion work open the door to how you approach designing fonts or vice versa?

DD: Vice versa. I think I explore motion graphic today because type design doesn't give me the motion emotion anymore. I do approach font design differently today. Strangely in a more static way.

SU: After 15 years as an international ballet dancer, the leap towards type and design would be one that is fairly uncommon, what was the catalyst for this?

DD: Simply a new passion for graphic design.

DD: It can be anything from a badly printed fax I received to my 5 year old son hand writing or drawing. From an old movie poster to rained out lost cat ad on a telephone pole. I try to be aware of everything around me.

DD: That's a hard one. I had a few different ones at different periods, now I think it's "Flembo text"
and I don't know why!

DD: That's a hard one. I'm sure (hopefully) we are not the only one.

DD: A style, I don't know. Influenced, probably. By the continent we live in and by the European feel that Montreal has. Maybe our style is a mix of both world.

SU: As a renowned figure in the type community and a professor who has taught typography at the University of Québec in Montréal, is there any particular advice you could give aspiring students and up-and-coming type designers?

DD: Do it if you love it. If you design fonts to make money, maybe you should start playing hockey (or golf).

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