The Superman Logo

The Superman Logo Logo Research Newsletter Researched By: Zach Dupree 2 Table of Contents Table of Contents................................................................................................................ 2 The Superman Logo............................................................................................................ 3 Brief History ....................................................................................................................... 3 Representations ................................................................................................................... 3 The Colors........................................................................................................................... 3 The Evolution...................................................................................................................... 4 Time Line............................................................................................................................ 4 3 Page layout is the process of arranging text and graphic elements on the page in preparation for printing. For five centuries, this was done with hot metal type (letterpress) and more recently as paste-ups (offset lithography). Today, page layout computer applications such as Quark X-press and InDesign are used for nearly all page layouts. The basic building blocks of a page are: text, boxes and ruled lines, illustrations/drawings, and photographs. A page is usually designed as an image area defined by margins. “Grids” are often used to positions text and graphic elements consistently across all pages of a publication. Designing corporate logos/symbols is one of the more creative and challenging graphic design tasks. By definition, a logo is a pronounceable word, while a symbol is a graphic image. Illustrator is a software tool often used to develop logos, but illustrator can also develop other Although the logos keep gradually in mind graphics. However, the designer, through preliminary sketch work, usually has a designchanging the main concept of them printable logo before commencing work with vector software such as Illustrator. A successful stays the same. must work at small sizes, like on a business card, and large sizes, like on a T-shirt or sign. The most successful logos provide instant recognition. For example, most Americans instantly recognize the Nike, Coca Cola, & McDonalds logos. In the remainder of this article, the logo The Superman Logo The Superman logo, also known as the Superman shield is the emblem for the superhero Superman. This iconic emblem is also referred to as the “S” shield. This logo served as a template for future characters such as Batman and Spiderman. As the original super-hero he and his symbol were the foundation upon which the comics industry has been built. Representations Initially the S-shield had one meaning S for Superman. Some people say it’s because of their creators Siegel and Joe Shuster. The symbol however not only stands for Superman, but also means saving lives, stopping crime and giving super-aid whenever it is needed uperman aving Lives topping Crime uper-Aid The Colors The superman emblem consists of two colors red and yellow. The red and yellow are the colors of the red sun of Krypton, Superman’s planet. Superman’s powers are activated by the earths yellow sun and red sun of Krypton representing his relation to the planet. Throughout the years the colors have changed gradually but still resemble the ionic yellow and red Brief History Throughout the time of Superman he has had many different logos. Each logo represents and describes things about superman. The artist that designed these logos usually designed them according to the type of surroundings and the costume that Superman wore during that time. 4 The Evolution In the very first Superman emblem there was the letter S on a yellow shield that resembled a police badge. The shield varied over the first few years of the comics, and many times was nothing more than a triangle with an S inside of it. The symbol became an inverted yellow triangle with a red S on the inside. In the 1940’s the shield then changed into a pentagon that was black with a red S outlined in yellow. This shield has changed over the years. The S has varied in size and shape so has the pentagon. The classic logo is the basis for all other interpretations of the logo. In the mid 1990’s when Superman’s powers and costume changed the shield changed colors and shape in accordance with the changes in the costume. Time Line 1938- the original Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster 1940- comic artist Wayne Boring’s Superman 1941-1943- the Max Fleischer cartoon studio version of Superman 1948-1950- Kirk Alyn’s Superman first live action theatrical version 1956-1957- George Reeves Superman first live action television version 1960-1970- comic artist Curt Swan’s Superman • • Throughout the years the Superman logo has changed because of the different actors that play Superman and the costumes that they wear. Comic artists also play a role in the changes hat contribute to the logo. The artist changes the logo to make it more appealing to the audience and also it to make the logo easier to draw. All these factors contribute to the evolution of the Superman logo. Today in spite of all the changes the logo has suffered the fundamental details remain unchanged. To the right is a timeline between 1938 and 1970 illustrating the artists and actors that were involved in the evolution of the logo. • www.supermanhomepage.com/ multimedia/multimedia.php?topic =wallpaper en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman_ logo www.logoblog.org/superman_log o The logos in this PDF newsletter were obtained from: List the URLs. They have not been edited, and any opinions expressed in this article are NOT the opinions of the company. They are included as an educational assignment, but this entire document will be removed upon request, if a company objects to their use here. Email Dupree@oswego.edu and they will be promptly removed from this site.