Grand Designs

[Phil]

Poor thread title I know, but I couldn't think of anything else to convey it.

The team/title has had several logos over the years and while I'd imagine that the original will probably be most people's favourite I wondered in which order you'd rate all of them.

So we have:-

1. The Original Logo. Used for Alpha Flight Volume 1 #1-17, 107-130, Alpha Flight Special and X-Men/Alpha Flight 1-2

2. The First Modified Version. Used for X-Men & Alpha Flight 1-2 and Marvel Team-Up Annual 7

3. The Second Logo. Used for Volume 1 #18-106b, Annuals 1-2 and Limited Series 1-4.

4. The Second Modified Version. Used for the Alpha Flight Special (First Flight) NB - Included this one separately for Maple Leaf placement

5. The Flashback Version. Used For Alpha Flight Minus 1 (In The Beginning)

6. Volume Two Logo. Used for Alpha Flight Volume 2 1-20, Volume 4 1b-4b, 5-8 and Alpha Flight/Inhumans '98

7. Volume Three Logo. Used for Alpha Flight Volume 3 1-12 and Chaos War:Alpha Flight

Thoughts?

[Flightpath07]

Yes, I have thoughts.

Okay, I will rate them.

I would give logo # 1 a 10/10 - for those of us who knew and loved Alpha from the beginning, this is the logo that speaks to us most. It is also simple, and elegant.

Logo # 2, I'd give it a 2/10. Don't really like it. It looks cluttered and forced, and i'm not crazy ("yes, you are! no, we ain't!"") about the orange backed by the yellow.

Logo # 3, also a 2/10. Although it cleans up the colour issues with logo 2, its too...rounded. Looks like it is trying to hard to appeal to the chic crowd. Don't dig it.

Logo # 4, I'll give a 4/10, mainly marks for effort. Not crazy about the thin lettering.

Logo # 5, is actually fairly cool looking. I'll give it a hefty 7/10. Its nothing like Logo # 1, yet stands on its own.

Logo # 6, a 5/10. With the long lettering (first A in Alpha, the F and T in Flight) it looks more like something designed for a spy comic.

And finally, Logo # 7. I like this one. Enough to give it a solid 9/10. It has nice lettering, and i like the incorporation of the maple leaf (and the originality of turning it 45 degrees).

[Alphan East]

OK, here's my two cents worth. And since we're in an Olympic year, I've decided to go with a medal ceremony:

Gold - Logo #1. The original... the best... always will be. 'nuff said.

Silver - Logo #6. Always liked the look of this logo. Thought it was perfect for Volume 2. Sleek, modern, a little menacing... just like the Volume 2 team.

Bronze - Logo #3. Probably because this is the logo that was used on the most issues. It was a very distinctive look and became a familiar identity for the team.

Fourth Place - Logo #2. Basically this is logo #1 combined onto one line. Great concept to work off the classic look... just not very creative.

Fifth Place - Logo #4. Another duplication of the original logo. However the Maple leaf is proportionately too big for the lettering. Throws off the entire look of it.

Sixth Place - Logo #7. I can't help but feel that, if Volume 3 had been better, I would have rated this logo alot higher. Its a unique design and I like the placement of the Maple Leaf. But Volume 3 was just... so... bad... I just... can't.

Seventh Place - Logo #5. I have a 4-year old nephew. He likes to draw. His letters aren't very clear and he usually ends up making a complete and utter mess. But he has fun and we tell him its good to boost his confidence. I'm reasonably certain that he could have designed a better logo.

[MistressMerr]

I'll admit to a fondness for #3, mostly from nostalgia. When I was just getting into comics, the precious few issues of AF I had from my mom's boyfriend's old bunch were all from that run. Looking back now, objectively, it's really dated and goofy looking, in that oh-so-modern-in-the-'80s kinda way, but I still like it.

#1 is, quite simply, the best. Bold and timeless.

While I'm really not a fan of #6, they get points for going for something completely different from what came before; too often new logos are just variations on the same old classic ones that worked so well. Just go with the classic one if you're not going to improve on it! (See: #2 and #4)

Final rundown, best to worst:

#1
#7
#3
#6
#5
#4
#2

[rplass]

Oh #3 is my favorite. Probably because I could draw it when I was a kid.
It was also used on the cover of Avengers #272, and #322-4 which makes it even cooler.

I could never draw #1, so that one's in 2nd place.

I like that #6 was used in two different eras of Alpha Flight! Nice research on that, Phil.

But my favorite is logo #8 ....

[Garry/Al-Fan]

Tie between logo 4 (which I first saw on Marvel Two-in-One # 84) and the original series logo 1.

[Phil]

I like that #6 was used in two different eras of Alpha Flight! Nice research on that, Phil.

It was something I noticed back when Vol 4 #1 came out, back when all we'd seen was the Fear Itself logo and I was hoping for the original AF logo.

Tie between logo 4 (which I first saw on Marvel Two-in-One # 84) and the original series logo 1.

Very good point, I forgot about T-I-O.

[Tawmis]

In order that you listed them...

Logo #1: 10/10. By far, the best, no other even comes close.
Logo #2: 7/10 - because it closely resembles the first, but moves "Flight" on the same line as "Alpha"
Logo #3: 3/10 - Seems very basic. Very flat. Not really much of an "eye grabber."
Logo #4: 8/10 - If the originally wasn't going to be used, I'd be okay with this one. I like the Maple Leaf, but I also feel it distracts from the logo.
Logo #5: 0/10 - I have no words.
Logo #6: 5/10 - Average looking logo.
Logo #7: 6/10 - Good logo, a little above average.

The problem is, I compare everything to the original logo which simply isn't fair.

[Le Messor]

Just ranking them, as rank as a taxi...
1. 1. Is anyone shocked?
2. 7. Nice and shiny-looking.
3. 6. Sleek and dynamic.
4. 3. Not very good, and replaced the original and best for no reason. Nothing bad about it, but there was no reason for it.
5. 4. Basically 1. With a maple leaf. The maple leaf's a nice addition, but it isn't so original that I really want to count it separately.
6. 2. Same deal, but less maple leaf.
7. 5. Cartoonish and silly, doesn't add anything good to the mix.

~ LM

[Phil]

The thing that annoyed me about #2 is that even back in the 80's they didn't fill in all the yellow that they'd obviously lifted from the #1 cover.
It's also one of the least effective for me. The two word logo works much better visually on two levels. If it were Alpha-Flight (ala X-Men) one level would work, but it just doesn't here. It's the same with Deadpool's logo, although it shouldn't be.

#3 has always bored me. Always, always, always.

#5 is the flashback issue and thus a throwback to the 50's and in particular the first Fantastic Four logo. It's supposed to be clichéy so can appreciate it in that regards and it works on this one issue but it definitely wouldn't stand up for any other issues.

So:-

#1
#4
#7
#6
#2
#3
#5