Who designed Comic Sans MS, and what was their initial reaction to its widespread, and often criticized, use?

Comic Sans MS was designed by Vincent Connare, then a typographer for Microsoft, in 1994. His initial reaction to its widespread and often criticized use was largely one of surprise and some amusement. He designed it quickly for a specific, informal purpose (speech bubbles for animated characters) and never intended it for serious or professional applications, noting that its misuse is what generated the controversy, not the font itself.