Gelica was designed by Dave Rowland and published by Schizotype. Gelica contains 14 styles and family package options. The font is currently #34 in Hot New Fonts.
When work started on the design of Gelica, there wasn’t the same glut of retro-ish soft serifs there is today, and if I’d managed to complete it quicker, it might have been more trendsetter than bandwagon jumper, but that’s the way it goes sometimes! I still think it’s useful and unique enough to be a worthwhile addition to your typographic arsenal.
Although obviously influenced by Cooper, it actually owes more to the lesser known Goudy Heavyface and Ludlow Black, particularly in the concave serifs. I wanted the family to be friendly and approachable, but not overly cutesy, and usability was always the prime concern. A nice weight range with matching italics was a must, along with useful OpenType features, and various figure styles.
This is a display family first and foremost, but is also comfortable at smaller sizes for longer copy, and so works well in a supporting role to a more exuberant titling font.
