The Business Cards in American Psycho Weren't All That Special

In the 2000 movie American Psycho, Patrick Bateman and a few colleagues pull out their business cards and compare them. The scene sets up the characters as a collection of empty suits who are bent on one-upmanship regarding the most mundane details. The cards aren't particularly attractive to the audience, but it was a memorable scene. It hits different for typographers, printers, and designers.

Hoban Cards, "a tiny letterpress printing shop located in Chehalis, Washington," goes in deep to explain the four cards in that scene, plus another card featured in the film. The lines from the original novel use fictional fonts, and the descriptions don't match what we see onscreen. Plus each card has a list of flaws and design problems that belie the pride with which they are presented. If that scene has been bothering you for those reasons, you'll be glad to know you aren't the only one.

Hoban Cards has an extensive catalog, with examples printed for all kinds of fictional characters, and even more at Instagram.  -via Metafilter