From Hallmark to neon signs: A look at Jim Parkinson's career in letter art
Jim Parkinson, a renowned lettering artist known for his work on magazine logos like Rolling Stone, Newsweek, and Esquire, as well as neon signs and typefaces, has died at age 83. His career spanned from Hallmark greeting cards to custom lettering for publications and sign painting, leaving a lasting impact on typography and design.
Background
Jim Parkinson (1941–2025) was an American typeface designer best known for his work on logos and custom lettering for major magazines and newspapers — including Rolling Stone, The New York Times, Esquire, Time, and Newsweek. He also designed the widely used typefaces Modesto and Ponderosa. Parkinson's career began at Hallmark Cards and spanned decades of transition from hand-lettering to digital type design. His work on "nameplates" (the stylized logos of publication titles) made him a key figure in late-20th-century typography. This obituary/tribute was published by Typographica, a respected review site covering type design and typography. The piece is likely of interest to designers and those who follow visual culture, but the general reader may need context on who Parkinson was and why his contributions to type and lettering mattered in an era before most people consciously thought about fonts.