DC Comics Unveils New Logo for "Rebirth" & Beyond

[byrd156]

Oh yeah - here's my latest variation on the "bullet".

I think, oddly enough, that version #11 is my new fav'. It's very similar, but slightly simplified and tweaked. Remove a few lines, increase or decrease the thickness of a few others... VOILA!

What do you think lads and lass's? = )

Attachment 35819

8 looks pretty awesome, I like all of those designs.

[L.R Johansson]

Ah, okay, thanks.
(Damn, their corporate I.Q. is dropping by the year... )

Maybe they could use 'bullets' like----> • in lieu of stars?

You know, that's not a bad idea! I think I saw someone do that in this thread as well - and it works rather well.

I like the little triangles inside the circle. They remind me of compass points.

Yeah, now that you mention it - they kind of do... Which variation are you thinking of though? #10? I'm starting to like that one quite a bit, myself.

8 looks pretty awesome, I like all of those designs.

Cheers mate! = ) 8, huh? Interesting...

I was thinking along same lines.Attachment 35824

That does look pretty good! = ) Only thing is, we can't have no stars... :' ( Legalities.

[mr_crisp]

You know, that's not a bad idea! I think I saw someone do that in this thread as well - and it works rather well.


Yeah, now that you mention it - they kind of do... Which variation are you thinking of though? #10? I'm starting to like that one quite a bit, myself.


Cheers mate! = ) 8, huh? Interesting...


That does look pretty good! = ) Only thing is, we can't have no stars... :' ( Legalities.

10 does look good.

[L.R Johansson]

The Journey continues!! This time around, I'm trying something new... I'm trying to incorporate the star into the logo, without using a star! A stylized star that is. Versions 14-16 are using a form of semi-realistic version of a star - an actual round ball with spikes of light emitting from it.

I don't think it's working though, so I actually feel as if #12 is the best one yet! xD Simple and elegant.

new-dc3.jpg

[byrd156]

The Journey continues!! This time around, I'm trying something new... I'm trying to incorporate the star into the logo, without using a star! A stylized star that is. Versions 14-16 are using a form of semi-realistic version of a star - an actual round ball with spikes of light emitting from it.

I don't think it's working though, so I actually feel as if #12 is the best one yet! xD Simple and elegant.

new-dc3.jpg

I would go with 15 but make the target lines more bold and a little longer. Still love 8 the most though.

[Spazz_Al_Ghul]

I quite like the new logo. It's clean, it's classic, it looks like it belongs on the cover of a comic book. I also really appreciate the subtle bits of flair in the letters. It helps make the logo look somewhat unique, while still looking very simple and standard.

[Atlanta96]

Why is it that average people on the Internet are better at everything than the people who actually get hired? It's ridiculous.

[Potanical Pardon]

Ey, you seem very knowledgable tho' - could you maybe give some feedback on my stuff? = ) I'm trying to improve, so a couple of pointers would definitely help.

I think you have good natural ideas/inclinations. Basic fundamental classes and skills will help. After that learn grid systems and typography.Those are imperative. As far as software - Illustrator or old Freehand (old as in before Adobe bought it). But never underestimate/ignore paper and pencil/marker/pen/whatever.

As far as specifics, all of the above will fix things but you'll notice on your own that you'll have to imagine and plan for various applications on different media. The pinline strokes in almost all of your logo ideations will disappear when tiny like a favicon or even as a mark on stationary/envelopes. And then the opposite problem exists if you're needing those logos in a trade show or on a 70 ft TV/display. You'll have to plan for B&W, BWGrey, different paper stocks, different color mediums that aren't just paper, motion, business cards - again the pinstripe stroke is problematic here again.

Essentially you'll learn to create what's called a style guide. They vary in complexities, but they're essentially bibles/guidebooks for a company to utilize to maintain brand consistency company wide internally and to customers/clients. They are very, very detailed. You have to think of every eventuality that things can be used. And it's not just the logos. This includes the exact colors (Pantone) to be used whether web, print, cloth, whatever. How much space between lines (leading) in sentences if on a letter. How much space between lines if it's an email. How much space between lines if it's an instant message. The same with space between letters (kerning). What typeface and fonts...and these are very exact. You can't just go and pick arbitrarily. Letters, emails, brochures, headings, blu-ray cover, poster, calendars, shoes, the annoying label tab on the back of shirts, the annoying label tab on the inside side of shirts, coloring books, cereal boxes, bold, italics, all of it are very specific depending on what and where you're going to use them on, e.g. Bob's business card can't be in Century Gothic Heavy 12pt and Emily's is Century Gothic Bold 11.999999pt. They have to be consistent and exact every time. 3-fold brochures specifications may be entirely different from bi-fold brochures. The style guide informs all kinds of things too - what food/drinks get stocked in a fridge, what color/style furniture in the workplace. The wall color paint/trim colors, textures, flooring, lighting (what lightbulbs/shades), and on and on.

All of this thoroughness is why logos/brand & identity campaigns take lots of time and can range between $25k-2 or 3million depending on the company. And imagine that EVERYTHING - cereal boxes, stationary, office signs, socks, underwear, night lights, Pez dispensers, all of those materials have to be produced/reproduced over and over by a printer (person not machine) in their humongous awesome printers (machines) repeatedly until proof approval. That's expensive.

So this isn't just a blue circle with "DC" in it with notches on a whim for those who think it's too plain, simple, empty, flat, retro, "I could have made that/My kid could make that/The average person could...". (I feel like I just did that Devils Wear Prada speech but for graphic design. Hahaha. Sorry.)

Grid example on current DC logo that should immediately help your ideations:



The logic and math will translate to beneficial design beyond alignment buttons and eyeballing, centering etc.

[LaughingVulcan]

I can't say with any degree of certainty, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to learn that the trademark on the bullet logo had been allowed to lapse by the time of the lawsuit. Meaning that when they lost the case to DC Shoes the option to simply revert to the previous logo may not have been on the table.

If this is TRUE, NO facepalm in the world is big enough to do this justice...

[LaughingVulcan]

The Journey continues!! This time around, I'm trying something new... I'm trying to incorporate the star into the logo, without using a star! A stylized star that is. Versions 14-16 are using a form of semi-realistic version of a star - an actual round ball with spikes of light emitting from it.

I don't think it's working though, so I actually feel as if #12 is the best one yet! xD Simple and elegant.

new-dc3.jpg

12 & 13 are nice. They read to me as representing the 'DC atom'...the core characters of thier Multiverses...Superman (The nucleus), Batman and Wonder Woman are the Electrons (And the next two characters created! )

Hmm.
Maybe try 12...with a slightly thicker 'ball track line' (The line JUST out from the white 'nucleus')...and maybe can get rid of the outermost blue hairline.
If you have a beefy white border, it would stand out on the comics...

15 & 16 are very cool, too...I would thicken up the 'compass arms', and the 'outer nucleus line' so they'd be more solidly visible.

[L.R Johansson]

I think you have good natural ideas/inclinations. Basic fundamental classes and skills will help. After that learn grid systems and typography.Those are imperative. As far as software - Illustrator or old Freehand (old as in before Adobe bought it). But never underestimate/ignore paper and pencil/marker/pen/whatever.

As far as specifics, all of the above will fix things but you'll notice on your own that you'll have to imagine and plan for various applications on different media. The pinline strokes in almost all of your logo ideations will disappear when tiny like a favicon or even as a mark on stationary/envelopes. And then the opposite problem exists if you're needing those logos in a trade show or on a 70 ft TV/display. You'll have to plan for B&W, BWGrey, different paper stocks, different color mediums that aren't just paper, motion, business cards - again the pinstripe stroke is problematic here again.

Essentially you'll learn to create what's called a style guide. They vary in complexities, but they're essentially bibles/guidebooks for a company to utilize to maintain brand consistency company wide internally and to customers/clients. They are very, very detailed. You have to think of every eventuality that things can be used. And it's not just the logos. This includes the exact colors (Pantone) to be used whether web, print, cloth, whatever. How much space between lines (leading) in sentences if on a letter. How much space between lines if it's an email. How much space between lines if it's an instant message. The same with space between letters (kerning). What typeface and fonts...and these are very exact. You can't just go and pick arbitrarily. Letters, emails, brochures, headings, blu-ray cover, poster, calendars, shoes, the annoying label tab on the back of shirts, the annoying label tab on the inside side of shirts, coloring books, cereal boxes, bold, italics, all of it are very specific depending on what and where you're going to use them on, e.g. Bob's business card can't be in Century Gothic Heavy 12pt and Emily's is Century Gothic Bold 11.999999pt. They have to be consistent and exact every time. 3-fold brochures specifications may be entirely different from bi-fold brochures. The style guide informs all kinds of things too - what food/drinks get stocked in a fridge, what color/style furniture in the workplace. The wall color paint/trim colors, textures, flooring, lighting (what lightbulbs/shades), and on and on.

All of this thoroughness is why logos/brand & identity campaigns take lots of time and can range between $25k-2 or 3million depending on the company. And imagine that EVERYTHING - cereal boxes, stationary, office signs, socks, underwear, night lights, Pez dispensers, all of those materials have to be produced/reproduced over and over by a printer (person not machine) in their humongous awesome printers (machines) repeatedly until proof approval. That's expensive.

So this isn't just a blue circle with "DC" in it with notches on a whim for those who think it's too plain, simple, empty, flat, retro, "I could have made that/My kid could make that/The average person could...". (I feel like I just did that Devils Wear Prada speech but for graphic design. Hahaha. Sorry.)

Grid example on current DC logo that should immediately help your ideations:

https://i.imgur.com/kItnjEB.jpg

The logic and math will translate to beneficial design beyond alignment buttons and eyeballing, centering etc.

Wow! That's an awesome reply, dude! = ) Big cheers for the detailed response. I think I have a basic understanding of maybe... 60% of the things you mentioned, but there are certainly new concepts introduced to me in your post. Gonna' try and put them to use immediately!

12 & 13 are nice. They read to me as representing the 'DC atom'...the core characters of thier Multiverses...Superman (The nucleus), Batman and Wonder Woman are the Electrons (And the next two characters created! )

Hmm.
Maybe try 12...with a slightly thicker 'ball track line' (The line JUST out from the white 'nucleus')...and maybe can get rid of the outermost blue hairline.
If you have a beefy white border, it would stand out on the comics...

15 & 16 are very cool, too...I would thicken up the 'compass arms', and the 'outer nucleus line' so they'd be more solidly visible.

Yeah, I do think I agree with this - gonna' try and use #12 & 13 as a basis for the next couple of ideations.

EDIT:

I think I'm going to call it quits with this one - I came to the conclusion that it's easier to read the text if it's actually at a 90 degree angle instead of 45, so I changed that. I also did some tweaks to the lines, as suggested. Finally, the typography on the "DC" isn't the best, it's only half-done - but the basic idea is to soften out the very angular original text, to move away a bit from that football-team feeling, and into something a bit more modern, a bit sleeker - but mostly the same as always.

So here ya' go - this is my best shot... at the DC Comics Logo.


new-dc4.jpg

[Sterling]

This one is pretty neat.

[Lee Stone]

This one is pretty neat.

I think the gif gives the illusion it's better because of the fancy transition.
However, my eye stops at the "C" every time.

Maybe if the the "D" baloon was omitted and the new Rebirth "DC" logo was put inside the "C" baloon, perhaps as a horizontal oval instead of a circle... that would work.
And then maybe with the baloon flipped so that the pointer is between the O and M.