David Carson  is an American graphic designer, art director and surfer. He is best known for his innovative magazine design, and use of experimental typography. He was the art director for the magazine Ray Gun, in which he employed much of the typographic and layout approach for which he is known. In particular, his widely imitated aesthetic defined the so-called “grunge typography” era.

Carson was born on September 8, 1955 in Corpus Christi, Texas.

He attended Cocoa Beach High School, was class president for three years, and still considers Cocoa Beach, Florida to be the place he is “most from”.

He attended San Diego State University, graduating with “Honors and Distinction” a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology.

Carson’s first contact with graphic design was in 1980 at the University of Arizona during a two-week graphics course, taught by Jackson Boelts.

From 1982 to 1987, Carson worked as a teacher in Torrey Pines High School in San Diego, California. During that time, he was also a professional surfer, and reached a 9th in the WSA pro 4A division Carson had his own signature model surfboard with Infinity surfboards, and his own signature model fin with rainbow fin co. He still surfs regularly at his property in the Caribbean.

In 1983, Carson started to experiment with graphic design and found himself immersed in the artistic and bohemian culture of Southern California. He attended the Oregon College of Commercial Art, only for a couple months before accepting an unpaid internship with Action Now magazine, formerly Skateboarder magazine. That year, he went to Switzerland to attend a three-week workshop in graphic design. The teacher of the workshop, Hans-Rudolf Lutz , became his first great influence.

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