Our History
Font30 Press was founded in 1993 by Dr. Reginald P. Forthmore, III, in a converted garage in Columbus, Ohio. The press’s founding purpose was singular: to create a rigorous, peer-reviewed publishing home for scholarship on the cargo short — a garment that, as Forthmore memorably put it in his founding prospectus, “exists at the precise intersection of utility and embarrassment, and therefore deserves study.”
In its first decade, Font30 operated with two employees, one binding machine, and a distribution network consisting primarily of Forthmore’s graduate students carrying boxes to academic conferences in roller luggage. The press’s first title, Surplus to Requirements: The Military Origins of the Cargo Trouser, sold 143 copies — 41 of which were purchased by Forthmore himself “for gifting purposes.”
By the mid-2000s, Font30 had established itself as the definitive publisher in the field, owing in no small part to the fact that it was the only publisher in the field. The press relocated to a proper office in 2007, hired its first acquisitions editor in 2009, and achieved ISSN registration in 2011, a milestone that Forthmore celebrated by purchasing his first and only pair of cargo shorts, which he wore once and has not located since.
Editorial Standards
All Font30 titles undergo a rigorous double-blind peer review process conducted by a standing board of 11 scholars. Review periods average 14 months. One manuscript has been under review since 2016; the author has been informed that this is not a bad sign, per se.
We do not publish popular science. We do not publish anything described in the proposal as “accessible.” We have, however, recently launched a semi-accessible companion series, Font30 Shorts (est. 2023), which publishes works between 80 and 120 pages for readers who appreciate cargo short scholarship but lack the attention span for the full monograph experience. Sales have been modest. We remain committed.
The Forthmore Prize
Established in 2015 to honour contributions of exceptional distinction to cargo textile scholarship, the Forthmore Prize is awarded biennially. Recipients receive a certificate, a £500 book allowance redeemable exclusively at Font30 Press, and a commemorative pair of cargo shorts in academic navy. Previous winners are listed in the endpapers of every Font30 title published after 2016.
Mission Statement
To publish work of the highest scholarly merit on the history, sociology, philosophy, material culture, and cultural politics of the cargo short and related multi-pocket legwear traditions. To advance the field. To ask the questions others have deemed unworthy of asking. To answer them, with footnotes.
Font30 Press. Est. 1993. Columbus, Ohio.