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The New Men’s Fitness Logo

I’m digging the sexy negative space apostrophe on the new Men’s Fitness logo. It’s a gorgeous little brand detail that doesn’t impact legibility at all. I also think the switch to a blockier font is a nice, subtle comtemporization of the logo. (Is that Tungsten?) The capitalization, while less visually interesting, seems appropriate for the direction they’re moving with the brand, “BIG & BOLD”. I imagine they sell a lot of ads for booze, body spray and energy drinks in this magazine. Regardless of the douchery, it’s a nice logo evolution.

mensfitness_2013

May 20, 2013   |   Blog , Critique , Trending , Typography

FX’s 10 Second Promos for The Bridge Are Amazing

These understated yet über-creepy promos for FX’s new show, The Bridge are inspired. The best short films accomplish a lot with a little, and despite being only 10 seconds long (?!) these spots manage to be both thought provoking and chilling. The series is a remake of a hit Swedish television show, Bron, and tells the story of two detectives tracking a serial killer believed to be working on both sides of the Mexican border. (I also happen to really dig the logo.) Very nice work.

May 13, 2013   |   Blog , Critique , Film & Animation

Ben Templesmith’s Awesome Hand Drawn Trailer for Warren Ellis’ New Book, Gun Machine

January 21, 2013   |   Art & Design , Critique , Film & Animation , Process

Copycat — Tokyo Milk Dark / Kraken Rum

The gorgeous, award-winning packaging for Kraken Rum was designed by Stranger and Stranger. The vaguely derivative Tokyo Milk Dark packaging was designed by Margot Elena.

December 29, 2012   |   Art & Design , Blog , Branding , Critique

Design as Differentiator — Photoshoot vs. Photoshop

This is the same campaign, separated by a few decades. On the left we have the original, award-winning ad featuring bold, densely composed typography paired with a masterfully painted physical prop. The dramatic lighting and ominous shadows in the photograph convey the metaphorical weight of concept and gravitas of the subject matter. On the right, the 2012 version of the ad abandons everything good about the original campaign, opting instead for a muddy-looking flag-gun Photoshop composite.

December 16, 2012   |   Blog , Critique

Grammy Nomination (sort of)

A CD I designed, Overture, Waltz and Rondo, by Temple University Orchestra has been nominated for a 2013 Grammy in the “Best Instrumental Composition” category. To be clear, this does NOT qualify me to refer to myself as a “2013 Grammy nominee” — but I like to think it was the hummingbirds that caught the atttention of the judges.

December 10, 2012   |   Blog , Music , Studio News

The Case For Not Being Stopped — Warwick Johnson Caldwell

I find myself getting “stopped” a lot in my artwork making process. My art-school-educated brain is constantly explaining my aesthetic failings and shortcomings to me. These wonderful Dr. Strange drawings by the super talented, Warwick Johnson Caldwell make a great case for not being “stopped” by imperfection. The final piece is amazing in a way that’s only hinted at in the initial marker rendering. I particularly like the subtle tonal shifts and the addition of the texture in the background. You can see more of his killer stuff here.

December 02, 2012   |   Art & Design , Blog , Critique , Process

Ext Unicase Font — a sans serif steal at $25

Combining upper and lowercase letterforms is a great way to create immediate visual interest in a logo. I call it the “je ne sais quois” factor — different but subtle. Having said that, there are a myriad of ways to screw it up. It’s the typographic equivalent of creating a Frankenstein’s monster, and should only be attempted by professionals. Fortunately, there’s an easy workaround. Ext Unicase, by Kevin Thrasher, is a handsome, mixed-case, modern sans serif that comes in 6 weights for twenty-five bucks! You can get it over at Font Shop. Cheers.

November 27, 2012   |   Blog , Typography

Rihanna’s Insane “Diamond” Video Graphics on SNL

If you missed this week’s SNL with Anne Hathaway, you missed one of the best musical performances in recent memory. Rihanna’s kick-ass performance of “Diamonds” was accompanied by some truly kooky video animations featuring all your favorite 80′s metaphors, including…

  1. Glowing Tron-grid digital floor
  2. Classic chess board infinity floor
  3. Spinning marble bust of Greek philosopher (my favorite)
  4. Mirror planets!
  5. Spinning diamonds
  6. Obscure Phoenician symbols
  7. Flying dolphin sunset!
  8. Naked anatomical model, digital grid guy
  9. Lightning strikes!
  10. Floating pyramids
  11. An hourglass
  12. Spinning peace symbol

Well played, Rihanna. Well played indeed. 

November 13, 2012   |   Art & Design , Blog , Critique , Film & Animation , Music