Emil has a sympatic character, even if he has his little edges and corners. Nevertheless, Emil is not too eccentric. It' s possible to work with him and maybe Emil will go one step further towards italics...?
Apparently, it is quite easy to forget what gets a fontstruction going. Something about ultra condensed bla bla bla. The rest is just a matter of having a creative activity to occupy the mind. And if in the process you can help out a friend, all the better.