Marionette
HEX · W.A. Dwiggins (inspiration); HEX
A text typeface built on W.A. Dwiggins's 1937 M-formula, replacing conventional curves with flat planes and sharp edges for a distinctly angular but surprisingly readable result.
About
Marionette takes its name and its construction logic from Dwiggins's puppet-making methodology, in which flat planes and sharp edges substitute for organic curves. The large x-height and exaggerated details sustain readability at small sizes and in tight-set dense text, while the graphic angularity becomes more visually arresting when set large. The typeface expands a handful of Dwiggins's sketched glyphs from the Experimental No. 223 project into a full Latin character set.
Classification
An angular, flat-plane serif derived from Dwiggins's 1937 M-formula technique, which replaces conventional curved strokes with flat planes and sharp edges. The sharp geometry and high x-height give it a distinctive character that sits between text and display use.