Messages

"I'll get myself a copy of that. I like the publisher - they put out DOM Scripting (Keith), which was a real eye-opener for me"

Alternatively, PayPal me 12 quid (to cngrannell@yahoo.com) and I'll mail you a copy. Even Amazon can't match that price. :) (That offer goes out to anyone else on the board, too, by the wayâ??at least unless there are more than eight of you, 'cause I've only got eight copies left!)

But, yeah: logos, eh?

'summed up nicely by the following image' is what I meant to type, obv. See! Write things down first! Ahem.

I think my ethos is summed up nicely, which is on the 'Design' page of the Snub Communications website (my design agency). It's got a fair few reactions from designers, too, amusingly.http://www.snubcommunications.com/assets/design-4.jpg">

"The unfortunate thing is they are being trained to the standards set by the industry.By that i mean being competent with software in the workplace."

The thing is, someone who's competent in foundations can easily be trained to use software, but the reverse is not remotely true. Also, 'standards' in software change rapidly. These days, InDesign has taken over from QuarkXPress in many publishing houses, and so anyone versed only in Quark's app that doesn't know the fundamentals of layout design is screwed.

I think software has its place, but if I taught a web design class, I'd be talking about typography, grids, information architecture and usability way before I opened up Dreamweaver. (And I'd also have an in-between point, teaching XHTML and CSS, like in my new book!)

Link: http://www.friendsofed.com/book.html?isbn=1590599071" target="_blank">Craig's new book

"Many people are baffled when I tell them that I worked in this field for years before there were any computers used in design."

I often get odd looks when I tell web designers to start using paper to design things, rather than leap straight for Fireworks and Photoshop. The sad fact is that people these days are taught software, not foundations.

"We just have to wait and see if 2K will revert to the current look in the new year."

Judging by the 'next issue' page in Prog 2008, it won't be.

"For what it's worth I think Rebellion/Tharg should change their policy on obscuring cover text."

This is rife right now in the industry andâ??as a designer myselfâ??it annoys the fuck out of me. If you have a decent brand and important information you're trying to get across, DON'T COVER IT UP! 2000 AD's brand is greatâ??it's bold, memorable and visually appealing. However, covering bits of it up just totally wrecks that. Maybe in Rebellion's case, it comes from the same mindset that insists of putting bloody awful SFX everywhere in that nasty comic font.

I seriously hope this is a one-off, because it just looks so wrong, andâ??aside from the covering up of various bits of cover infoâ??it's the first major design mis-step the organisation has done in a long, long time. (I mean, look at how lovely the design of the GNs is now, and how much improved the simplified 2000 AD Nerve Centre/letters page is since the new guys took the reigns.)

On the plus side, if this is the new logo at least it isn't as bad as the one Rebellion was using when it first took over the mag (the slanted and weedy red on). *shudder*

The funny thing is, seeing as they're doing the same old 'cover up half the logo' thing, the strap is partly obscured. Apparently, 2000 AD is now "the galaxy's test comic".

There's also a page on this site that shows the all, linked to below.

Link: http://www.2000adonline.com/?zone=info&page=logos" target="_blank">2000 AD logos

You like it, then?

For me:

Badge logo = iconic.

Other logo = modern, but ultimately forgettable.

"Is it the beginning of the end for print?"

I doubt it. This debate continues to rage, but I'm firmly of the belief that the magazine industry is fine IF (and that's a big 'if') the quality of the output is high enough. The big problem right now is that too many publishers are scared of the internet and are reacting by cutting costs, rather than investing and thereby ensuring that rates are better for print publications (thereby ensuring a higher quality) than for web.

For 2000 AD, I think the printed article is a major selling point, and I think the quality of the publication is such that it should remain 'safe' from online attacks (that said, it's not like there's a deluge of web-based comics, and the whole CoolBeans fiasco meant few others have been excited about trying something on that scale).

For me, the digital Prog is a good idea for people around the world to test the water, to see if 2000 AD really is their thing, and that can only be good. In the extremely unlikely scenario that 2000 AD goes digital-only (which I suspect would be a last throw of the dice in a massively declining market), I imagine most existing readers would give up on it.

So, overall, a good idea, and likely merely another string to the marketing bow, rather than anything to concern existing readers.

If it ever happens, blaze of glory would be most likely. However, most fitting would just be for Dredd to be finally caught unawares one day, falling foul to some random scumbag who's never caught.

For those hoping Droid Life would arrive for Christmas, you'll be happy bunnies now. My copy arrived this morning, and unless FPI has a cunning time machine in its sorting dept., that means the book's available now. It's a really nice dinky pocket bookâ??good fun and with a fun intro by a mad person claiming to be Cat.

For those hoping Droid Life would arrive for Christmas, you'll be happy bunnies now. My copy arrived this morning, and unless FPI has a cunning time machine in its sorting dept., that means the book's available now. It's a really nice dinky pocket bookâ??good fun and with a fun intro by a mad person claiming to be Cat.