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jackkmart · 10-25-2022, 12:59 AM

Oh geez, this guy's back again...

Yup, I got so motivated to do the next (this) installment that I cranked two more teams before the last installment has even been graded. I find that I generally do lots of work in manic episodes and then take long breaks. Super efficient...

Anyway, this installment features two teams based on non-animal mascots/ logos because, upon reflection of this series, I found that all but two logos feature animals in some way as a primary element (one if you count a 'marsh monster as an animal mascot) and I wanted to remedy that. It would also allow me to practice some 'human' logos and designs. I really need to work on hands... You'll see what I mean.

As per usual, I've tried to place the franchises in realistic places that are currently unserved or underserved by the current league system, while giving those places somewhat creative, locally referential, brands to cheer for.

Obligatory series contents:

Team 1
Team 2
Teams 3 &4
Teams 5,6 & 7

Characteristically overlong preamble complete, onto the teams...

Branding

The Charleston (WEST VIRGINIA!) Colliers!

West Virginia to me, and Appalachia in general, is one of the more underserved markets in professional sports, and in the general American cultural zeitgeist. I think this is unfortunate as it is a genuinely very pretty part of the country that has unfortunately been overlooked or exploited in many ways throughout American history. However, this history breeds a strong individual which is, hopefully, exemplified by Charlie the Collier (a synonym for a coal miner). Obviously, a miner or mountaineer is not a particularly unique mascot for a WV team, but, it just makes sense and coal mining makes up a large part of the WV cultural and economic identity.

The colors here are basically ripped from a WV college ball team called the black bears and I think they make for a really slick combination that stands out. The logo itself is stylized after UTEP's logo but the actual shape and form are based on a real picture of a coal miner I found somewhere on google images. The miner's features are extremely angular giving him a more imposing, strong appearance, also I generally prefer more angular designs. His arm also forms a V for Virginia. I like to think the yellow highlights are from mine lamps shining above him as he marches into the mine.

West Virginia, and Appalachia in general, is a very interesting place to me and I almost always create a WV or NC team to represent the region whenever I make a fantasy league of some kind. I also really like John Denver's Country Roads, so...

Moving on...

Coolio. The primary logo was already largely explained, but to pad the word count I will rehash it... Charlie the Collier stands defiantly, shouldering a steel pickaxe, somewhat concealed by the shadows of the mine. As I said it's primarily stylized after UTEP's miner logo but I think it's sufficiently different to be kosher.

The secondary is pretty simple, it's an interlocked CC wordmark with an exaggerated drop shadow. This was sort of meant to resemble an old mining company logo or badge that one may see on workers' slacks/ coveralls. It could also serve as a pretty nice logo for a baseball hat. Merch time baby.

The third is a simplified Charlie logo, featuring just his head, within a Pittsburgh Pens-style triangle (or sharks style but... c'mon). I thought this was a good idea as Pittsburgh is the unofficial capital of Appalachia (at least in my mind) and a nod to Pittsburgh colors and sports design was necessary for this franchise. Also, I think it looks pretty cool.

All around I'm happy with this set, but I think it could be tweaked or added to create a more complete brand for the franchise. It gets the point across though and the colors really elevate a somewhat 'boring' design in my mind.

Print the jerseys.

Jerseys

In another nod to the Pens, I took some design queues from their current home and away jerseys, creating a 'half-and-half' sleeve design bookended by conventional striping. Granted these jerseys aren't super exciting, but I think when you're colors are as bold as this team's, less is more on a jersey... Side note: Vegas, please calm down.

I decided to go with light blue as a primary color as I find myself relying a little too much on black, which will become abundantly clear in the next franchise, and the light blue and yellow are very good contrasting colors that really make the unis pop. I also added block number on the lower shoulder, again, as a nod to the Pen's design and because it's not something I include in enough of my jersey designs despite it being a very prevalent convention in real-life hockey.

I was worried about how Charlie may look on a jersey but I think it came out pretty well and the silhouette of the design works well on the front.

Alternate time.

This set of alternates... I'm not too crazy about it, if I'm honest, I might just completely replace the coal jersey at some point in the future.

Anyway, the classic black alternate is here featuring the wordmark logo and thin high contrast striping on the sleeves and hemline. Like many black or dark alternates, I completely eliminated white to create a more 'modern' colorful look. Again, I think the jersey is fine and a team based on a coal miner having a black jersey in their set makes a good amount of sense but it also is a little too predictable. Maybe, I should replace the CC with the triangle Charlie logo? I'm not sure.

The grey 'rock' jersey looks a lot better in my opinion and is a good deal more unique. In fact, this was the original color palette I was planning on designing this team around but decided that yellow was a better accent color than a light grey. But, the colors still work well together and arguably make more sense with regard to the mascot.

That's about it for the Colliers, onto the next.

Branding

The New York Ferrymen!

Listen, I know we already have a team in NYC (congrats on your playoff run so far this season btw MAN), but they only claim to represent ONE borough. For shame. This bad boy - slaps pirate-looking skeleton on the hood - represents the whole damn city baby! Also, there is absolutely space for two (if not more) teams in the NYC market, as we have seen in every major sports league in the US. The name itself is supposed to make reference to the ferry network that connects, Queens, SI, Brooklyn, The Bronx, and Manhattan, all represented by an undead ferryman. 'Ferrymen' also makes reference to Charon, the Ferryman of the River Styx in greek mythology, hence the undead aesthetic.

After I determined the logo, aesthetics, and location, I knew the team had to be a black, white, and grey team. Various NY teams, present, and past, have used this color combination, like the Nets, and it makes sense for a team represented by a skeletal creature, with hellish symbology.

This team also is near and dear to Manny Calavera (my create) as he feels very represented by the Ferryman mascot. They happen to look a lot alike...

Let's take a look at those logos:

The primary logo is pretty self-explanatory but let's go over it anyway. It features an angry-looking skull sporting a worn-out colonial tricorn hat with the wordmark 'NY' emblazoned in the middle. I picture this character as an undead colonial-era ferryman who patrols New York's rivers and bays claiming unlucky souls who venture near.

The secondary is another wordmark, as almost all NY teams have due to the recognition of the city's abbreviation. It's meant to look frayed and worn, much like the horizontal wordmark on the sailor's hat, maybe it could also represent the chipped and eroded bones of a maritime skeleton.

The third logo is a roundel logo which features an interpretation of the NY Islanders 'Fisherman' logo but undead and very scary! I tried to make his stick look like a scythe and a hockey stick but it's harder than you think... Regardless I think it came out well. The text is also flanked by two bones that exist to eliminate black negative space and create a more balanced look for the logo overall. The roundel was necessary to create a 'box' based logo, otherwise, the full ferryman logo wouldn't fit well within most hockey contexts as it was too horizontally balanced. But, I think it's too cool not to post here by itself anyway. By the way, I really like the Islander's fisherman logo...

Scawy.

Now that you are sufficiently spooked, Happy Halloween by the way, onto the jerseys!

Jerseys

Because black and white teams are the opposite of colorful and interesting, the goal with these jerseys is to create a classic, easy-to-read look. I based this somewhat on a reverse of the Blackhawk's design, but with more stripes. Also, now that I see it more and more, I think the home jersey would be better served if all the stripes were white instead of breaking them up with a silver stripe. Regardless, it looks okay as is.

The away looks really good in my opinion and it balances the colors really well, which is complemented further by the logo and its colors/ design.

I tried to model a lot of this team's colors and basic design after the Nets as they share a city and color palette with the Ferrymen and I think it works really well on a hockey jersey, even if the Kings don't utilize it as well as they could...

Alternate uniforms, preferably with some colors...

Here we go! Some color!

The phantom jersey is basically a home jersey BUT it features a bright blueish green that is meant to be 'ghostly' in some way. I'm not exactly sure how to explain it, but, to me, bright blue and green set against black or purple always remind me of Halloween or ghosts in some way. The jersey also features a slightly tweaked NY logo on the shoulders and the ferryman roundel on the front, whose outline is now bright green as well.

The 'Staten Island' alternate colors are based on the Staten island crest which is a dark, washed green with a slightly off-white. I picture this team on SI as it is a borough ignored by the sports world but I could easily see them in Brooklyn, or elsewhere on Long Island as well. Regardless, this jersey is meant to be 'New York', less 'ghost', which is helped by the fact that the primary logo is replaced by the NY mark. I think if they had a 5th alternate it would be navy and orange like many other NYC teams but that may be a design for another day...

Conclusion

Another day another spam expansion brand post from jackkmart...

Hope you guys liked this one, especially the slight diversion from my normal comfort zone. As always, feedback is appreciated!

Imgur album for all assets for those interested!

Also, the next post will almost certainly be 100% Canadian because I haven't posted a Canadian concept yet... Sorry aboot that.

Any ideas? Feel free to DM me here or on Disco!

That's that gamers, sorry 4 spam.

Code:
Word Count ~1900

***brickwall35*** · 10-25-2022, 09:40 AM

The creativity and execution you have is insane. Another amazing set.

***Chevy*** · 10-25-2022, 09:43 AM

Hey @ACapitalChicago ....maybe instead of Great Falls we could have some spooky Ferryman. What do you think?

(For reasons, this is currently a joke)

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