This is an ongoing post regarding the historical timeline of the Batman logo, symbol, bat signal, etc. There have been numerous attempts in spelling out “Batman” within the shape of the logo from comic books to the big screen. None of them ever satisfied what I thought could make the mark even more iconic. If there was a way, a puzzle hidden within the geometry of the letters, that could be plotted forming both the logo and the letters simultaneously graphic design nirvana just might be achieved. This exercise was put into motion the week Adam West passed at age 88 from leukemia.
When Adam West died on June 9th in 2017 I got to work. I thought it was just the right moment to design a logo tribute for the original live action Batman himself. After half an hour of thumbnail sketches I arrived at a potential solve. I hopped into Adobe Illustrator and over the course of a few hours I had arrived at a solution I felt captured both the bat symbol and the alphabet soup contained within.
Over the course of time I’ll make additions to this post including the history of the bat signal itself in print and on screen. For now I leave you with my original graphic design and a holographic version achieved with Adobe After Effects, Video Copilot Element 3D, and Maxon Red Giant Holomatrix and Universe.
Don’t miss the video below when Los Angeles City Hall paid tribute to Adam West for his rich history “making people happy, making them laugh, and trying to make this world a better place.”
I’ve also included a mix of silly scenes from The Lego Batman Movie from February 10th, 2017. Best Lego movie ever!