HYPERBOREA / Retooled North Wind Logo

**Posted by MarbleToad** 7/03/2014 10:13 am

I like two logos. Having two logos helped inform my initial impulse buy that lead me to this awesome game. I guess, some part of me thought: "Two logos are twice as good as one. There must be some cool reason this game has two logos. Maybe the Northwind Adventures and that little dreidel-demon represent two different people or organizations."

Not the best logic! But, hey, I was feeding an impulse...any thinking at that point should be commended.

Initial impressions aside, I like the combined and unified logo as well. I also understand the logisitics of a single logo as well as the branding advantages.

Nice Work!!!

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 6:05 pm

I have a few ideas along these lines. I'll begin first with one that is very close to your new concept, but addresses a few things about it that I thought could be changed.

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/11ca689c-6f63-4e47-b0f1-75abba341c61/068b2e516002f00210adbff6b7330213/deep/0/Logo-Final.eps*-@-300--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

1. First and foremost, I felt that Xathoqqua needed to be "chaosed" up a bit. The CAD-like lines of the original seemed a bit too crisp to me. I retraced it by hand and made a few minor tweaks.

2. The thinnest lines of the new Xathoqqua also have a heavier weight, so it will work better at the smallest sizes.

3. I was always taught that "knockout" lettering should be avoided, especially in logos, as it is difficult for interior non printed corners to remain sharp at small sizes. Therefore, I've changed the lettering back to black on white as in the hex logo.

4. The italics seemed at odds with the symmetrical figure and the vertical box, so I de-skewed the letterforms.

5. I gave the lettering and the box the same emboldened antiqued look as the art.

6. A good logo can have square and wide variants. Here is the latter:

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/418572ec-5ec9-4eac-89b6-a5338277d5bc/c1800856b31b13e245cd675ea5ed2830/deep/0/Logo-Final.eps*-@-200--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

I have a few more ideas, but this post is designed to be the "Maezar-ified" version of your newest work. Hope you like it, if not, no biggie :-)

Last edited by Maezar (7/09/2014 6:05 pm)

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 6:07 pm

I wanted to demonstrate that it works well without the box too.

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/37ce2bc7-b874-4e4a-b113-93ce6179ae2b/6b21eed498c0ec663afb5a5f4c16a807/deep/0/Logo-Final.eps*-@-100--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 6:07 pm

Beastie beyond the borders:

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/23905b0a-0957-4420-aca1-89c74dd9c285/5acfa0faf86a526a2fc0cd27c4bb65ae/deep/0/Logo-Final.eps*-@-200--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

**Posted by Ghul** 7/09/2014 6:22 pm

Wow, that is fantastic, Maezar!

1. I think you have made a significant improvement to the image. It is bolder and more chaotic. Love it.
2. Exactly so.
3. Not sure I agree on this one. I like the "knockout" effect. I was largely inspired by the Dark Horse logo:

I think it is VERY effective logo, and I love the look of it. But I didn't want to ape it -- I'm using a different font and obviously the image is completely different.
4. You might be right about the italics . . . I'm on the fence about that . . . but I think you may be right. The italics seems to flow nicely with the above DH logo, but not so much with our NWA logo.
5. Subtle, but effective!
6. I agree! It should be able to apply to a number situations, seamlessly.

Thank you!

**Posted by Ghul** 7/09/2014 6:24 pm

Protruding beyond the border is a fantastic idea, too. I think it will work well on a white page or other like application, but on a coolor cover as a B&W logo, it probably won't work as well, because it would need to be confined for the best effect, IMO.

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 6:24 pm

Finally, something about the sleepy eyes of the original design always felt ambigous to me. The charcoal sketch of the toad eye seems boldly powerful on the other hand (that alone could be a great logo). Here, I combine the two. I also include an exploration of a open-eyed slit-pupiled figure. I thought these might express more of Hyperborea's deadly excitement. I didn't like this at all though, so in this final version, I add the mere suggestion that something is watching from behind those slits.

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/bdf0c227-f386-4c72-a8d8-dc8e05a20522/0cbe9cc4379f6378e8f4cd13b7d747ab/deep/0/Logo-Final.eps*-@-150--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

Last edited by Maezar (7/09/2014 6:25 pm)

**Posted by Ghul** 7/09/2014 6:28 pm

Hmmm...this last idea I'll have to chew on for a bit. In all the CAS tales, Tsathoggua is depicted as sleepy looking, so I'm certain I wouldn't have liked your open eyed version, either, but this hint or suggestion of the mostly lid-covered pupil is pretty solid. I'm just not sure I like the look of it better than what we have above.

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 6:46 pm

Dark Horse style knockout.

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/98c336af-f253-485d-8e1e-a4a94f5abce5/90acfe5e76c9a78a0b47f85a86d89bac/deep/0/Untitled-1*-@-150--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 7:37 pm

A few more type treatments for your consideration.

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/5e7061d8-57ea-4f8e-90bf-eb0a18aaa282/2bc10b6924abe15566a31cbdff0c13c3/deep/0/Untitled-1*-@-100--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/428d8ce9-74ca-49d3-81bf-90c94fb4d5e1/84b11b512761ddb646536898ec4a6f3e/deep/0/Untitled-1*-@-100--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 7:43 pm

And one last look, as suggested by Chainsaw.
[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/3db7b044-bf4f-4cab-96b1-3e5a2db31bb0/0919c05cfc55ab8e5c35ce746481e55b/deep/0/new-north-wind-adventures-logo.ai*-@-12.5--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

Last edited by Maezar (7/09/2014 7:43 pm)

**Posted by Ghul** 7/09/2014 7:45 pm

I best like the one that is also the feature of post #29 above, but I'd also like to see it with the horns not protruding from the box, if possible. Thanks for taking the time to mess with this, Maezar!

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 8:51 pm

I think this looks pretty badass.

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/9efbb2ab-431a-4b0a-8b9c-3c8c919988ea/12ffec6f998d32f37bbd4e5ae90bd15e/deep/0/new-north-wind-adventures-logo.ai*-@-50--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

Last edited by Maezar (7/09/2014 8:55 pm)

**Posted by Maezar** 7/09/2014 8:52 pm

For a chuckle...

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/1714f59b-216c-4d7a-b063-c15a2fc94cd3/620fcdb729a49805502e6f2e6fd271ca/deep/0/new-north-wind-adventures-logo.ai*-@-50--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

**Posted by mabon5127** 7/10/2014 7:56 am

Great work Maezar! The last one really pops! Sinister, sleepy, and slick all at once!

**Posted by Ghul** 7/10/2014 9:36 am

mabon5127 wrote:
Great work Maezar! The last one really pops! Sinister, sleepy, and slick all at once!

Agreed! Fantastic work all around.

**Posted by Blackadder23** 7/10/2014 11:18 am

Nice!

**Posted by DMPrata** 7/10/2014 7:22 pm

Maezar wrote:
And one last look, as suggested by Chainsaw.
[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/3db7b044-bf4f-4cab-96b1-3e5a2db31bb0/0919c05cfc55ab8e5c35ce746481e55b/deep/0/new-north-wind-adventures-logo.ai*-@-12.5--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]

This variant still gets my vote (if, you know, this were a democracy, and Jeff weren't a ruthless dictator ).

**Posted by Ghul** 7/10/2014 7:26 pm

Maybe we should open it up to public beta testing? ;)

**Posted by Maezar** 7/12/2014 1:44 pm

My favorite is this one, which was hidden in the 9-up.
It uses the typeface from the original logo, which I thought of as very pulp era.

[img]https://www.evernote.com/shard/s7/sh/94ffd78b-ee7f-4789-8e6f-fce8e3c5d34f/987955a2402b097db401f55ff6f3e5f7/deep/0/new-north-wind-adventures-logo.ai*-@-50--(CMYK-Preview).png[/img]