Anatomy of a Logo: X-Factor

On April 25, 1986, Walter Simonson called and said he would be drawing X-Factor. He asked me if I would be interested in reworking the logo. I accepted. We met for lunch on April 29. Walter liked the current logo but wanted it to be bolder. I agreed to modify the current logo but would also explore other designs.

Photocopies of the previous logo designs

Tracing paper with a couple of logo modifications

and some thumbnail sketches of alternate designs

First version of the bolder logo

Second version of the bolder logo

First alternate logo design

Second alternate logo design

On May 23, Walter and his wife, Louise, stopped by my studio at 6 West 20th Street. First I showed sketches with the bolder letters. He liked them. Then I showed my alternate designs. He paused a while, looking back and forth at the sketches. Then he asked Louise what she thought. I don’t recall what was said but their decision was to go with the second alternate logo design.

The next day I started working out the details of the design. The first thing was figuring out the letterspacing in the word “Factor” as it projected from the bottom of the “X”.

In this sketch all the letters are under the X.

Here the F and R are spaced just beyond the X 

so more of their perspective lines are visible.

Next the F and R were moved just

under the X, and the A was changed.

More adjustments to the letterforms and spacing

These overlapping tracing paper tissues show

how much the letters and spacing changed.

On June 2, I showed a tight pencil rendering to Walter.

He suggested removing the perspective line where the

C and T touched. He wanted the finished art on the sixth.

The finished artwork with register marks for the overlay.

Acetate overlay with X extended beyond the cover’s edge. 

I thought it was possible to have the logo bleed off the top.

Paper was rubber-cemented to the underside of the acetate.
As I far as I know, this version of the logo was never used.

X-FACTOR
#10 (November 1986)–#111 (February 1995)

Mephisto vs. the X-Factor

#2, April 1987

#24, January 1988

I designed “The Fall of the Mutants”.

Merchandising

My logo appeared on annuals two through nine.

#100 with embossed and computer-manipulated logo

Spider-Man and X-Factor: Shadowgames
#1, May 1994

Issue #111 (1995) was last issue with my logo.

X-FACTOR FOREVER
#1–5 (2010)
Font for “Forever” was selected by another designer.

X-Men Special #2, November 1971, was the
first time the X was on top of the other letters.

Related Posts
X-Force
Magik


(Next post on Monday: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month)

Anatomy of a Logo: The Mighty Thor, Part 8

SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 1983

I begin work late in the morning. From the pencil rendering I make a marker comprehensive (comp) of the logo before starting the finished art. I get a good sense of the line weight for the letters and beveled edges.

After examining the comp I see the need for minor adjustments. I place tracing paper over the comp and make a couple of notations in red.

I make a photostat of the pencil rendering; it is made at 150 percent of the original. I use a T-square to square-up the photostat on the lightbox, then I tape it down. On top of the photostat I secure a sheet of LetraMax paper. I begin penciling the logo using a variety of French curves and ellipse templates. The inking is done with Rapid-o-graph technical pens. I correct inking errors either by scratching away the ink or covering it with white gouache.

I finish in the early evening. I mount the "Thor" LetraMax sheet on illustration board, then add a flap of heavyweight paper to protect the art. "The Mighty" was drawn separately and slightly larger than the space alotted. I make a photostat of "The Mighty" then affix it to the "Thor" art.

MONDAY, JUNE 27, 1983

Walt arrives at my studio to pick up the logo and deliver it to Marvel.

SEPTEMBER 1983

The Mighty Thor logo debuts on issue 338. When Walt picked up the logo, I was kidding when I told him I wanted to see my credit in large letters. Well, there it is on the letters page.

Walt and me at the 2007 Big Apple Con in New York City.

(Photo post on Monday; and I contribute

cartoonist profiles to the Stripper's Guide.)

Anatomy of a Logo: The Mighty Thor, Part 7

SATURDAY, JUNE 11, 1983

I make a tight pencil drawing of "Thor" for evaluation.

MONDAY, JUNE 20, 1983

I see a few problems and make minor adjustments to the stroke width (marked in red) and to the width of the "H".

On the sheet below, there are subtle differences between the two logos. I draw red guides lines as I prepare to make another tight pencil drawing.

With the new pencil rendering, I place it over the first one for comparison.

THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 1983

When Walt calls, I say the logo will be ready on Monday.

(Tomorrow: Part 8 of 8)

Anatomy of a Logo: The Mighty Thor, Part 6

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8, 1983

I work on refining "The Mighty" letterforms. Using tracing paper is a back-and-forth process. On the sheet below, I roughed out the letters in the top sketch. I place another sheet (see the second one) on top of the first one and refine the letters. Then I place the first sheet on top of the second and repeat. A third sheet is used to continue the process, and so forth. The version, to be used as a guide for the finished art, is at the bottom of the third sheet.

(Tomorrow: Part 7 of 8)

Anatomy of a Logo: The Mighty Thor, Part 5

SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1983

This sheet (scanned and stitched together) shows an early logo revision based on Walt's sketch. Around the logo are alternate versions of the "R", which I drew the following day.

Below is the next revision with slight changes to the beginning and end strokes of the "O" and to the leg of the "R".

SUNDAY, JUNE 5, 1983

A detail from the sheet with alternate "R" designs I drew at 4:20 pm. The second "R" would be used in the final logo. The other versions have too many facets.

TUESDAY, JUNE 7, 1983

I make variations of the logo, and then evaluate them. On the sheet below, I put small check marks above the "O" and "R" to tell myself to use these versions. And I make a note to draw a wider crossbar on the "T" as I did on the bottom logo of the second sheet.

(Tomorrow: Part 6 of 8)