Wednesday 2 September 2020

SWORDS OF CEREBUS IN HELL: The Logo

Benjamin Hobbs:

Dave has decide to collect Cerebus In Hell? into Swords of Cerebus sized volumes. Each Swords of Cerebus In Hell? volume will contain 4 issues of CIH?.

This week I've been working on the logo that will be on all the Swords books.

David Birdsong sent over a scan of the original SWORDS logo:

 

The red of the new logo was lifted straight out of the original. The drop shadow for SWORDS OF CEREBUS was recreated using the Pen tool in Photoshop. Then the "IN HELL?"  was added from the CIH? books. The flames were created using Photoshop's Render: Flames Filter. 

This is an early attempt at the logo:

The drop shadow of "IN HELL?" was created using the outer edges of the Original SWORDS logo to establish the vanishing point. 

However,  Sean Robinson disputed this as the vanishing point. It turns out the letters in the original SWORDS logo don't all share the same vanishing point:

We improvised, approximating where the most believable vanishing point would be:

A curve was added to IN HELL? to better match the original. This is the version of the logo that's heading off to Dave:


The books will have ongoing numbering and a consistent title.

Next week: The SWORDS OF CEREBUS IN HELL? cover!

18 comments:

Dan E. said...

What a cool explanation of the process!
Are things like The Amicable Spider-Vark part of In Hell?
Will Swords of Cerebus in Hell? be a continuing thing or just up to a certain issue?

Dan E. said...

Wait... I see that they are now.
Will the new Swords have commentary like the originals?
Could you explain to the comics-uninitiated what the covers are parodying?

Brian West said...

Hi, Dan! If you ever purchase a copy of CEREBUS IN HELL? you will find at the INSIDE FRONT COVER a heading at the top with a description of the parody, the CIH? creator who thought of the idea for it, and an attribution for the original comic - and creators - which inspired the parody cover of that CIH?

For example, the cover of THE AMICABLE SPIDER-VARK #1 was inspired by the cover for the AMAZING SPIDER-MAN ANNUAL #21 (SEPTEMBER 1987) by John Romita, Sr. You should find that attribution if you ever pick up that CIH?

Tony Dunlop said...

Part of the problem with buying CIH? (aside from the likelihood that a comic shop may not have ordered any except "pull" orders) is not being able to remember this month's title, and so not knowing where in the alphabetical shelves full of dreck and effluvia to look for it.

Brian West said...

Tony, my best advice there would be to watch the Weekly Updates here every Friday. Normally towards the end of each month one of the updates is "replaced" with a promo video for the upcoming Cerebus in Hell? by the CIH? team. Here's the link to the promo for the latest CIH? in solicitation SPIDER-WHORE #1: https://youtu.be/it60LIaNXao.

I always special order my copies from my lcs. So, I feel ya on the "pulls" quote. Otherwise, I don't think my shop would carry them, though VARK WARS #1 was the exception.

Tony again said...

Right, but my visits to comic shops are infrequent, random, and spontaneous. (And I do not have a cell phone or other portable Interweb toy.)

Brian West said...

Apropos of all of that maybe SWORDS OF CEREBUS IN HELL? might be the way towards more distinction from the effulgence, especially for discriminating comics readers who prefer trade paperbacks and graphic novels as opposed to floppies.

Tony one more time said...

But are "swords" really the right weapon? Shouldn't it be, I don't know...pitchforks?

Brian West said...

Gotcha, Tony. I am TOO connected to the web and my smartphone myself.

I know there are web sites which provide pulls on a monthly basis to faqns of a given comic series. The sites can mail comics anywhere in the USA. Westfield comics might be worth a look. I know that they normally posts products by AARDVARK-VANAHEIM. They saved me in a pinch when the comics shop shutdown because of the RONA here in KY. G-mart might also be of help too. They even offer a subscription service.

https://westfieldcomics.com/store.cgi?AdvSearch=1&sc=52431328120344313944&U=1599072252156&SearchTitleE=Spider%20Whore%20One-Shot*&SearchPublisherE=Aardvark%20Vanaheim&SearchPO=1&SearchBI=1&SearchCS=1

https://www.g-mart.com/scripts/store.cgi?context_change=%25N01%25202%25N0220650%25204%25204%25N0220fLM228MSiF5sIEkDxbjOBgxHbm0w4oRV%25N01202%25N02201&id=5081

Brian West said...

Sorry, Tony. I had no idea the last link was THAT long.

Michael Hunt said...

Will these be magazine size as were the original SoC?

Margaret said...

Do you guys need a hi-res scan of the original SoC logo? 'Cause I've got the original art for it if you do. Just let me know.

Anonymous said...

Margaret!!! Yes, please! To any and ALL of us.

Cerebus in Hell? #0 will be reprinted annually/semi annually as Dave decides. Swords of Cerebus is designed to make it possible for new or casual readers to jump on. This means Volume one will reprint the original mini-series. Volume two will reprint the first four monthly one-shots. Volume three will reprint the next four. And so on. The original covers and inside front covers will included in black & white. The four covers will appear in color on the back of each volume. As of now there are enough issues to print around 8 or 9 volumes monthly (maybe bi-monthly, we're busy), but we have the schedule for CiH? filled through January 2022 so there will be a few of these. Extras remain up in the air, these will (hopefully) start being offered before the end of the year. The world is a large and busy place so here is the chance to catch up.

And since I'm here and keep forgetting to send him an email... Michael R! You Won! Sent part of your prize to Dave on Monday! Mail slow! Maybe by October! Good job! Thanks for playing!

Margaret said...

Will do. As long as it isn't raining tomorrow, I'll bring it into work and scan it in. :)

Michael R. said...

Hi Dave!
Haha! No problem on the waiting part. It's all good. ...and umm, hopefully there WON'T be anything lubricated in the package. LOL!!!
Michael

Anonymous said...

Bro... if Dave hasn't figured it out yet - we need phonebooks. PHONEBOOKS!

Mouse Skull Entertainment said...

Anonymous,

You got 20 grand laying around to pay the printing bill?

Manly

Anonymous said...


Hi Manly - I was being facetious, just riffing on the success of the phonebooks in Cerebus history. But even considering it in all seriousness for a minute - I don't think it would work. The Cerebus phonebooks work because they are long sequential stories, and the CIH? run so far is not.

But hmmm... A 20-issue length equivalent of CIH? strips, all detailing a sequential narrative, with a myriad of nonsense, confusion, suffering, torture, showing of character flaws, and ending in Cerebus right back where he started in Hell? I don't think you'd need the references to modern events or old comics. Just classic Cerebus, getting the gold and losing it all at the end. And not really learning a thing in the process.