Rick Cusick
Rick Cusick began his lettering career by designing illuminated signs in his hometown of Stockton, California, for the company Ad/Art Inc. He studied at Los Angeles' Art Center College of Design.
Since 1971, he has worked in lettering and typographic design. Much of this work has been with Hallmark Cards, where he has held various positions, including book designer and "master artist". As the company's lettering studio manager, he also oversees in-house font development. He himself has designed several proprietary fonts for Hallmark, which have been used on a range of cards, books and packaging. He also freelances calligraphy, lettering and design projects. As well as his freelance work, he is the proprietor of Nyx Editions, which created books and pamphlets on the lettering arts.
Between 1984 and 1990 he taught typography and publication design at the University of Kansas. He has also taught a five-day workshop at the Schreibwerkstatt, in Offenbach, Germany, and lectured at the Kansas City Art Institute, Indiana Central University, and the New York Society of Scribes.
Since 1992 he has been art director of Letters Arts Review magazine. He contributes to books and periodicals concerned with typography and lettering, such as Communication Arts and Typography 6. He has also compiled, edited and designed books about prominent 20th century calligraphers and lettering designers.
His work has been exhibited around the world. He has judged numerous competitions, including the Type Directors Club 2005 type design contest.
[LC, December 2009]
