Cult of Chaos logo contest

[Todd-2]

We are looking for a new logo that represents the entirety of the Cult of Chaos. With a half dozen game systems and brands, all under this one umbrella, this is a challenging design target.

The name of the core organization is the Cult of Chaos. Our sub-organizations are:

• Miskatonic Faculty (Call of Cthulhu RPG, Pulp Cthulhu) 
• Runemasters (RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha, HeroQuest Glorantha)
• Eschelle (King Arthur Pendragon, Prince Valiant Storytelling)
• Myth Masters (Mythic Worlds, HeroQuest, 7th Seas, etc.)

Ideally a logo would give a nod to each of these. You might also break out focus on the top three, or break out items from the Myth Masters (like 7th Sea) to stand alone as an additional element, if you are aiming at some sort of pattern. But including these individual elements is not mandatory.

Requirements:
This logo needs to be design in a vector-based graphic program, like Adobe Illustrator. Thus perfectly resizeable for any use by Chaosium. The logo cannot include any copyright or trademark protected elements made by someone other than you--exception, Chaosium owned designs may be used (Elder Sign, Glorantha Runes, etc.). It can be in color, but should have a variant that looks good in monochrome for simple print use. It can use a transparent background, or be a rectangle, as you prefer. If the primary logo is not in the style of a banner, a second logo should ALSO be created using your element alongside the text "Cult of Chaos" to form a banner graphic.

 

How to enter:
There is a thread in the Cult of Chaos forum on BRP Central (this thread). Create your two designs as vector graphics, but then export each as a jpg file and submit them here. 

Deadline is Wednesday Nov 20th, 3pm PST. Judging will be done that evening and we will announce the winner at UCon in Ann Arbor MI. (And then in the November Cult of Chaos newsletter).

What do you get:
The winner of this contest will be sent a contract allowing Chaosium to use this logo and to sublicense use to member of the Cult of Chaos to promote their events. In addition, the winner will be awarded $60 of credit at Chaosium.com. All other submissions remain the property of their creators.

Edited November 4, 2019 by Todd@Chaosium

[Destrin]

Logo contests are a bad practice that spread the perception of artists working for exposure.

You are expecting multiple people to put in the amount of effort you would normally pay money for, in order to produce a piece of work you would normally pay money for, but only paying one of them any money.  Please reconsider actually hiring a freelancer to produce a logo for you properly rather than exploiting the goodwill of your community.

[Todd-2]

We are trying to make this a communal effort of our community to participate in the branding and iconography of the Cult of Chaos and are explicitly excluding non-members. In the same manner that we run a convention scenario contest every year and encourage everyone to participate.

The Cult of Chaos is not a business, it is a collection of GMs that run games in stores, libraries, pubs, and conventions because they want to share the game with others. Similarly, we invite them to be part of running local organizations that run games under the greater umbrella of this organization, like Rogue Cthulhu, You Too Can Cthulhu, the Runemasters in the UK, and others.

We looked at the idea of our in-house artists doing this logo and rejected that to instead turn it over to the members to do this as a fun way to participate during the part of the year where convention play dwindles and there aren't many public events to run games at. Year-round engagement.

Our members turn their talents to making props for the table, flyers to post at game stores, banners to put up by their convention tables, or graphics to announce their games on social media. All as amateurs, not as professionals. We are both tapping into that, but also attempting to encourage that as much as possible. Just as the scenario writing contests are a venue for people to practice pitching ideas and then to write full length scenarios and work with an editor. These are meant for the inexperienced to gain some experience and then see if they want to make pitches to Chaosium or other companies in a more professional manner. Our website always gives the details on how to pitch projects for publication or on how to send a portfolio of art to see about getting paid work, but you have to start somewhere.

And the logo is intended for use by this community. It is going to be something that YOU get to put on your flyers or your social media posts to announce your games. On that basis I feel it SHOULD come from the community.

Your point of view is a good one for professionals. As a professional photographer I don't ever join contests (as an amateur, I entered three and one once). But for the reasons above, this isn't aimed at professionals. It is something that we feel rightfully makes use of our membership to create something that represents the membership.

[MichaelArkAngel]

I may as "throw my hat into the ring!" per se'. One image shows the logo by itself, while I have two others using the logo with different plays on text. I hope you guys like them! And lastly a shot showing, that yes, this is vector art!

Edited November 8, 2019 by MichaelArkAngel

[Randy Chikosky]

Here is my entry for the Contest. Done in Adobe Illustrator, I used many established elements from Chaosium so that the logo would be instantly recognizable. I included elements such as astrological signs for Leo, Aquarius and Virgo to represent the zodiac signs for H. P. Lovecraft, Greg Stafford and Sandy Petersen respectively. As well as the first six runes that are associated with RuneQuest. For the banner, I used letters from four different adobe fonts for the Cult of Chaos text. I am showing these in just black on white and one example of yellow on a dark background because it seems most of the logos have been used this way. I can provide a more detailed full color version of the logo and text if requested. I tried to make this detailed yet easily scaled down to a small logo placed in the corner of a flyer or other such medium. I had fun making this logo, I hope everyone likes it!

***Additional Note!***

It has been brought to my attention by g33k that by using the Elder Sign in the section for Myth Masters I am repeating a Cthulhu symbol and not accurately representing Myth Masters beyond the scroll shape. If my design happens to be picked I would like to make a change there. Also, I realized in hindsight that I should not have used Greg Stafford's symbol to represent RuneQuest, as that has already been established and used for paid products. And I don't think this sends the right message by including it in free material. Also, it implies he has something to do with this content which is not the case. I would also like to change that symbol to represent Glorantha and RuneQuest in general and not Greg Stafford specifically. I originally included it to honor him and did not recognize other implications its inclusion may have represented.

Edited November 21, 2019 by Randy Chikosky
New Feedback

[MichaelArkAngel]

NIcely done Randy! I like that a lot!

[Randy Chikosky]

13 hours ago, MichaelArkAngel said:

NIcely done Randy! I like that a lot!

Thanks, Michael. I was afraid my design lacked the amazing detail you have in yours. Really great work!

[ryanjovian]

Randy and Michael really turned out some great art. Here's my more simplified style. I really got this done at the wire.

[g33k]

On 11/4/2019 at 4:27 AM, Destrin said:

Logo contests are a bad practice that spread the perception of artists working for exposure.

You are expecting multiple people to put in the amount of effort you would normally pay money for, in order to produce a piece of work you would normally pay money for, but only paying one of them any money.  Please reconsider actually hiring a freelancer to produce a logo for you properly rather than exploiting the goodwill of your community.

In a vague and general sense, broadly speaking, I'm in agreement.  But...  This is a specific case, and it's highly atypical.

Specifically:  it's already a volunteer organization.  We already put in hours of prep time.  Some (as noted by @Todd@Chaosium above) create various props and promo material already, for yet more hours given to the Cult  <ahem.  that sounds so wrong...>

And (and this is the kicker, so note well)  Chaosium gives us -- for free -- a large amount of commecial-caliber and "official" game-content, that we would normally pay money for... plus a library of less-polished but still excellent material.  Free, free, free... all round.

And (and this is the other kicker) it is specifically this free material, and the volunteer effort, that is being promoted.  This logo is NOT the logo on a product for FLGS-shelves or webstore.

In fact, the Cult activities COST money for Chaosium.  They give us free stuff... and they pay for the privilege of doing so!  Prep of the Cult materials, various support stuff for events, etc etc etc.

I mean... I don't doubt that -- overall -- the Cult pays them back in "exposure" -- the very "exposure" that is so problematic when exploited the other direction.

But "exposure" is literally 100% of Chaosium's return on investing in the Cult!  (how's that for a "kicker?")

 

In this context... yeah, I think the contest is appropriate and non-exploitative.

 

[MichaelArkAngel]

18 hours ago, ryanjovian said:

Randy and Michael really turned out some great art. Here's my more simplified style. I really got this done at the wire.

Simplified or not, this is a really nice design too!

[ryanjovian]

3 hours ago, MichaelArkAngel said:

Simplified or not, this is a really nice design too!

Thanks Michael. It's great to see some amazing art in here, as well as people worrying about artists. Who knew cosmic horror inspired such friendly people?

[Randy Chikosky]

Too bad only one can be picked. But I think all three logos would make great T-Shirt designs!

[MichaelArkAngel]

12 hours ago, Randy Chikosky said:

Too bad only one can be picked. But I think all three logos would make great T-Shirt designs!

You know what? I was thinking the same thing! I'd proudly wear all of these! I could see Randy and Ryan's designs using glow in the dark ink with them too!

Edited November 22, 2019 by MichaelArkAngel

[Bill the barbarian]

On 11/20/2019 at 7:51 PM, g33k said:

In a vague and general sense, broadly speaking, I'm in agreement.  But...  This is a specific case, and it's highly atypical.

 

On 11/4/2019 at 5:27 AM, Destrin said:

Logo contests are a bad practice that spread the perception of artists working for exposure.

Being a long time volunteer in an industry in which I am also a member of a professional union I have definite sympathy for both ideas. I love to volunteer but the context of what I am volunteering for  is important,

  Love the points that brother g33k (shh... ixnay on the ultcay alktay) made on the subject.

[MOB]

On 11/4/2019 at 12:27 PM, Destrin said:

Logo contests are a bad practice that spread the perception of artists working for exposure.

You are expecting multiple people to put in the amount of effort you would normally pay money for, in order to produce a piece of work you would normally pay money for, but only paying one of them any money.  Please reconsider actually hiring a freelancer to produce a logo for you properly rather than exploiting the goodwill of your community.

Many thanks to @Randy Chikosky, @ryanjovian and @MichaelArkAngel for participating and submitting such great work!

While the intentions behind this Cult of Chaos voluntary activity are completely honourable, the Chaosium management (Neil, Rick, Jeff, and myself) were not aware of the specifics, and consequently we have decided to offer to pay all three creators who submitted entries.

Edited December 4, 2019 by MOB

[MichaelArkAngel]

18 hours ago, MOB said:

Many thanks to @Randy Chikosky, @ryanjovian and @MichaelArkAngel for participating and submitting such great work!

While the intentions behind this Cult of Chaos voluntary activity are completely honourable, the Chaosium management (Neil, Rick, Jeff, and myself) were not aware of the specifics, and consequently we have decided to offer to pay all three creators who submitted entries.

WOW! that is very generous of Chaosium to do this, thank you very much!

(If only my cartography submissions to Chaosium got as quick a reply!....Ha, I kid I kid...kind of...)

[Loïc]

On 10/22/2019 at 9:59 PM, Todd@Chaosium said:

Deadline is Wednesday Nov 20th, 3pm PST. Judging will be done that evening and we will announce the winner at UCon in Ann Arbor MI. (And then in the November Cult of Chaos newsletter).

Hi! I'm a new Cult-member, so I'm jumping on the bandwagon... So, what were the results? Can't guess anyway, since the three of them are really really great arts!