Identity
Thredd Outfitters
Corporate Identity
As with my other remix projects, the logo for Thredd Outfitters evolved simultaneously with the name of the brand. I knew I wanted to create a product site, and the initial composition I was trying to refresh already made use of some interesting diagonals based on a stylized “T.” And so, I created a three-dimensional “T” in Illustrator and started flipping it around in interesting ways. I ultimately ended up with what you see here, but I flattened it and made the same diagonal cut through the right edge of the letter. The name “Thredd” was based on threads (obviously) and shred (as in skate boarding). The misspelling just felt right.
NextGen Games
Corporate Identity
The idea behind the NextGen Games logo was to have a mark that could be easily used on its own, without any text beside it. I suppose I was looking a lot at the logo for EA Games, and the requisite for a round mark stuck in my mind. An interesting note is that this began as a lightning bolt, intending to convey the raw power of the games. I then flipped it, so it became an “N.” And there you go.
Melted Crash
Rock Band Logo
Melted Crash is the name of fictitious rock band, created for the sole purpose of designing an unconventional site for my portfolio. Like the name, the logo was a combination of random elements intended to look like Nirvana, All-American Rejects, and Green Day all mixed together. I think it has just the right mix of grunge and classic stylings.
Imaginary Comics
Corporate Identity
With Imaginary Comics, I wanted to create a stamp that would look natural at the top left edge of comic book cover, so I created a vertical logo. I also wanted to give it a mildly art deco look, due in no small part to my nostalgia for Batman: The Animated Series. I’m pretty satisfied with the result.
Apex Films
Corporate Identity
The Apex Films project began as refresh of my design for Family Theater Productions, a film production company run by Holy Cross Family Ministries. And since this was merely a design exercise, I chose to evolve and simplify the Family Theater logo to what you see here. As such, it has very little in common with the original.
BI Ping Pong
Web App Branding
Since the office ping pong ranking app was a down-time project, I created this logo in about an hour or so, off the record. I was on a Museo Sans kick at the time, so I gave it a go here. The slab version of that typeface had an athletic look, too. I found the paddle on my favorite icon site, and re-colored it to match my company’s corporate ID. The outline of our logo, and the addition of our company initials was a last minute addition, but I think it accents the whole thing nicely.
Project for Boston Interactive.
Aero Automotive
Corporate Identity
I created the logo for Aero Automotive to compliment the elegance of the site I designed. As a car company logo, I knew it had to be symmetrical and chrome, as all my favorite car logos are. Probably not the most original logo shape, but the project was a hypothetical one, so I let it slide.
Boston Interactive Agency (BIA)
Campaign Identity
The BIA was a Boston Interactive campaign created for giving current clients status reports on their respective web efforts. The whole project was intended to reflect the CIA, with top secret case files and official-looking documents. While I was creating the look of these reports, I decided to create an emblem inspired by the government seals of various law enforcement agencies, the CIA in particular. This composition pretty much designed itself.
Project for Boston Interactive.
Running on Empty
Webcomic Title Design
The title design of my webcomic has taken many forms over the years, and the most recent is definitely the best. I created this one while I was redesigning the site on which the comic lives. Like the site, the logo has a grungy, urban look intended to capture the irreverent nature of the comic it represents.
Holy Cross Family Ministries
Corporate Identity
The new logo for Holy Cross Family Ministries came about as something of a mistake. My company was hired to redesign several of the organization’s websites, and I was tasked with giving their corporate site a new look. My project managers told me to take some stabs at creating an updated logo to incorporate into my designs. As such, I took the brush strokes used to create a rooftop in the initial logo, and converted it into a sleek, calligraphic interpretation. It made for a much more contemporary identity for the company. Unfortunately, when we presented our designs, the client told us they had no intention of changing their logo. Classic case of ill-communication. Oh well. I’m still proud of what I came up with.
Project via Boston Interactive.
The Interactive Pulse
Blog Title Design
Usually, when I design a website, I use the logo as a starting point. With the Interactive Pulse, however, things kind of went in reverse. Initially, I redesigned my company’s blog around its previous title, Big Ideas Blog, but it was soon decided that we should use something new. After a few different titles, and a few different designs, we eventually landed on the Interactive Pulse. This is what I came up with.
Project for Boston Interactive.
Ragfist: Dirtbag Superhero
Character Logo
Ragfist was a superhero that my brother and I created when we were younger. Over the years, I fleshed out Ragfist more and more, envisioning him as an over the top parody of vigilante crime fighters with a severe drug problem. This is the latest redesign of the character’s title.
Identity
Comic Book Title Design
Identity was a proposed comic book series by Kevin Nugent and Rodolfo Buscaglia. Kevin asked me to create the title design for the series, in addition to taking on the lettering chores for the first issue. Thankfully, Kevin chose the best logo I created, with the fingerprint motif.
uTest Software Testing
Corporate Identity
uTest is software-testing company that came to my design firm looking to update their image. In addition to a new website, they needed a better logo. My creative director tapped me to come up with a few ideas, and to my surprise, one of my logos made the final cut. Not a bad choice.
Project via Boston Interactive.
Cranium Moss Outfitters
Corporate Identity
An old acquaintance from design school was looking to start a new punk-oriented clothing line, and they really like my Brain Casing logo (see below). I created about four different concepts, and we ultimately decided to merge them all into one. I’m very satisfied with the result.
The Child
Comic Book Title Design
The Child was a medieval fantasy comic series by Kevin Nugent and Ivan Barriga. Kevin asked me to do the lettering for the first issue, including the cover. A friend of his had created a title design that wasn’t all that great. Naturally, I couldn’t let that slide, so I created my own title, which you see here. I offered it to Kevin, but he declined and went with the original that his friend had made. Oh well. That’s what portfolio sites are for.
Blanchard Cigarettes
Corporate Identity
When you work with kids, which I did for three consecutive summers, you begin to use code words for drinking and smoking. Alcohol becomes “books,” and cigarettes get named after the main offices. “I’m not going for a smoke, kids, I’m just going over to Blanchard to pick up some mail.” Soon, the word “Blanchard” just became synonymous with “cigarette.” I’ve kept this concept alive by making Blanchard a brand of smokes, which is the brand of choice for my comic characters. The logo characterizes the brand as a poor-man’s Marlboro, in the same vein as Dairy King and Dippin’ Donuts.
The Jake Alberts Show
Graphic Novel Title Design
This is the title card I created for Jake Alberts’ fictitious talk show, which was originally intended to be The Tonight Show, but Jake wouldn’t have it. The idea is that contract disputes with NBC led Jake to create his own variation of The Tonight Show on a lesser network, and this was the end result.
Jake Alberts
Character Logo
Jake Alberts was a character I created in 2003 as a darker, more twisted version of myself. On impulse, I drew a sketch of him hosting his own late-night talk show, with a stylized “J” on the front of his desk. Years later, I recreated that emblem in Illustrator, and added a similarly styled “A” to complete the initials. I’ve yet to make use of this logo in any of my comics. Someday, I’m sure.