Have You Designed A Demonic Homage Today?

I haven’t posted any ‘art’ (oh ha ha, I crack myself up) in a while, mostly owing to a case of both creative block as well as a nasty sinus infection that has made moving my head around or even using my eyes somewhat painful. So instead, I’ve decided to post a ‘this is the neatest design thingie I saw lately’ type article. Maybe it’ll become a regular occurrence here. Or maybe not.

Seems a couple of days ago, the Arizona State Sun Devils released a new uniform-slash-logo design. Now that wouldn’t usually interest me that much, but the headline in the original YAHOO! article did catch my eye:
Fashion Break: Arizona State helmets drop their demonic homage to Walt Disney

Wow, how many times have we seen design linked to ‘demonic homages’? Well, except for Shepard Fairey’s work?

Well, apparently as the story goes, ASU wanted to upgrade their image because schools like Oregon (yes, Virginia there is an Oregon… it’s ‘somewhere’ out West… we think) and even Texas Christian were getting all the attention owing to their slick, fashionable uniforms… and also a much better ability to actually do well at sports. So as any good institution of higher education would do, they hired someone and paid millions of dollars to redo the logo. The hell with student aid, gotta keep those souvenir sales up!!

As the article then mentioned, there was one ‘major casualty of the redesign’: the previous cartoon Sun Devil himself, Sparky! Although it does seem from these various testosterone-driven poses that Sparky will remain as the mascot.

But here’s the interesting bit: it seems that Sparky – who may or may not have been named after Spartacus (hint: probably not) – was originally designed in the late-1940s by ASU alumni Bert Anthony. And wouldn’t you know it, but ol’ Bert – a former Disney artist that seems to have gotten himself fired for whatever reason (we were too lazy to look it up) – seems to have modeled the Devil after the great Walt D himself as a means of, quote, exacting revenge on his old boss! You’ve got to admit, the Devil does have a moustache ergo… but why this would be considered revenge though is beyond me.

So as it seems then this long-standing vision of pathetic payback will go the way of the Panda, which although not suited to survive in nature is being supported to this day. The logos will be changed including the pitchfork but somehow the Demon outside will live on in wacky antics and what not. Also, it appears that the University has planned ahead for playing in the hot Arizona sun and wearing black, making sure that the uniforms remain stylish looking even when on fire.

The writer of the original article does go on as well to say there is a bright side, namely the team is no longer bearing the mark of a cartoon that appears to be terrorizing the night dressed only in elaborate yet form-fitting pajamas. Wow, and people wonder why I want to get paid for doing this?

But you know, come to think of it, I wonder if any colleges out there would want me to design a logo based on my old boss? Sleep on it and get back to me on that…