Mostly Ghostly typeface by Chad Savage

Horror Icon Set, by David Arazim, via Smashing Magazine

Halloween Icon Set, by css creme

ArcGIS Scary Symbols, by Esri. Esri symbols, for the most part, are very friendly. I had a hard time coming up with even these few Halloween-oriented point symbols. (I searched for “devil” and only came up with a dust devil symbol, for example!) From left to right we’ve got: vandalism fire, symbol of ancient which with the help of generic tadalafil helps to avoid potency problems, tree 4, ghost town, and skull and crossbones.

The cartography on citymaps.com is a unique departure from Google, Bing, and Yahoo map styling. CityMaps, which launched in June 2011, uses a basic grayscale basemap of roads and city blocks to form the basis of its map, which contains rich information about store locations. The store locations are depicted via logos in some cases and typography in others at the “hood” zoom level and the block zoom level. There is also clickable real-time information from twitter and coupon sites. While restricted geographically at the moment, they do have plans to expand to cities other than New York.

Looking for a different style of map? This one of The Hoosier State supplies a kitschy* bit of inspiration.

*I don’t think of “kitsch” as derogatory, even though some of the official definitions regard it as such. It’s not bad. It’s just different.

In the June 2008 issue of SEED magazine, there’s an article titled “Building a Bright Continent” by James Wilsdon. Accompanying the article is a 1.5 page collage-type illustration that includes part of a map of Africa:

What interested me was the technique used to show the mountainous terrain, which can be seen in this close-up:

I’m not sure how the smudge technique was accomplished by the illustrator, who is credited as Tez Humphreys, but I’d sure like to know. It’s not only “smudge” looking but it also has a pixelated quality to it.

Map of Afghanistan, 1878 (Only a portion of the map is shown.)

With the cartographer’s current obsession with de-inking, modernizing, and subduing cartography, it can be refreshing to re-familiarize ourselves with historical maps that were of a decidedly more-inked flavor. Here are some resources for refreshment along that vein:

• A multitudinous collection of selected title headings from Sanborn fire insurance maps at BibliOdyssey provides inspiration for those needing to add historic touches to their map work. This collection is also interesting from the standpoint of just how many different ways you can create a flashy title header.
• You can download a historical symbol set for ArcGIS here. I particularly like the north arrow options and the textured ocean background.
• And of course do not forget to look at the David Rumsey collection of historical 18th and 19th maps. This is an amazingly rich source for research and inspiration.

Whether you are making a presentation or making a map, these sites can inspire you to make it interesting:

Your Content Doesn’t Have to be Boring
Watch the Simmons clip. My favorite part? Where he says, “electronic devices, even the cool ones, have to be turned off during take off and landing.”

Xtranormal Movie Maker
Make a short clip to show off at the beginning or end of your next meeting (even a scrum!). @Taliesn once made one of these where the Queen of England says that I was the best speaker at Ignite Spatial NoCo but alas, I don’t think he ever made it public.

slide:ology: The Art and Science of Creating Great Presentations
This book, by Nancy Duarte, is great for teaching you how to make lively presentations that people will actually listen to. Mine is often thumbed-through!