Shared posts

21 Dec 14:46

Cold Medicine

Seriously considering buying some illegal drugs to try to turn them back into cold medicine.
17 Dec 23:02

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Why has no one invented this?!

by admin@smbc-comics.com

Hovertext: 10 internet points to the first person who does this.


New comic!
Today's News:

Hey San Joseans! I am in town for GaymerX! Come by and say hi, please! 

10 Dec 16:11

Noted: New Packaging for Progresso Cooking Stocks by Hornall Anderson

by Armin

Simmering in Goodness

New Packaging for Progresso Cooking Stocks by Hornall Anderson

(Est. 1905) Progresso, a brand of General Mills, is an American food company that produces canned soups, canned beans, broths, chili, and other food products. This post relates specifically to their new line of cooking stocks.

Design by: Hornall Anderson (Seattle, WA)

Opinion/Notes: Beside being well designed at first glance (and second inspection) what's most remarkable about this new range of stocks is that it is able to elevate the same brand that sells soup in sometimes garish packaged cans. Look at how the logo is treated on the first image below — festooned with colors, gradients, and nearly a cornucopia — and then how it is on the new stocks. Two flat colors and that's it. Instead of the never-appetizing photos of the product, there are classic engraved illustrations of the source of the stock, reproduced color-on-color against Progresso's light blue. The typography on the packaging is quite nice and well nuanced in its shadows or when it's set on a curve and the distractions are kept to a minimum. Overall, this captures that elusive artisanal aesthetic without trying as hard as others (or even itself) and, for a mainstream product as large as Progresso, it raises the standards of what gets put on so many shelves.

Related Links: N/A

Select Quote: In order to communicate the higher quality of product inside the package, the design needed to appeal to cooks' creative aspirations as well as demonstrate clear superiority over the competition. By understanding that premium brands create trends rather than follow them, the result was a solution that radically broke category conventions—building on years of heritage to create a fresh, new perspective.

Using lively, classic illustrations, modern typography, and a fresh color palette, we emphasized craftsmanship and love of the ingredients inside. The side of the packaging touches on Progresso's heritage and love for food, and gives suggestions to inspire our cooks to create their next perfect dish.

New Packaging for Progresso Cooking Stocks by Hornall Anderson
As reference: what other Progresso products look like. These remain unchanged.
New Packaging for Progresso Cooking Stocks by Hornall Anderson
New Packaging for Progresso Cooking Stocks by Hornall Anderson
New Packaging for Progresso Cooking Stocks by Hornall Anderson
New Packaging for Progresso Cooking Stocks by Hornall Anderson
Packaging detail.
Many thanks to our ADVx3 Partners
07 Dec 22:24

Rainy Night

by Reza

rainy_night

30 Nov 22:49

An Eight-Year-Old Wrote The Cutest Letter Telling The Hawks Coach How To Stop LeBron

by Ben Kercheval

The NBA claims it has the best fans in sports. It definitely has the most adorable ones. Thanks to a letter found on imgur, we now know the secret to beating the Cleveland Cavaliers. The holder of this secret is an eight-year-old boy and Atlanta Hawks fan, Eli. The letter in the picture above reads as follows:

Dear Coach Bud,

My name is Eli. I’m 8 and I love the Hawks. I checked out “Kings of the Court: The Cleveland Cavaliers” from my school library. The book says LeBronJames.com has LeBron’s strengths and weaknesses. I wanted you to know this. I hope the weaknesses help you beat the Cavs. Go Hawks!

That. Is. The. Cutest.

No doubt, this letter was created in light of Cleveland’s 109-97 win over the Hawks last month. Clearly, the Hawks need to do a better job of exploiting LeBron’s weaknesses. The good news is the Hawks have time, as they don’t meet the Cavaliers again until April 1. The two teams then meet 11 days later just before the end of the regular season.

But to be fair, lebronjames.com does not actually provide LeBron’s weaknesses.

So, take note, Mike Budenholzer. The road to the NBA Finals will likely go through Cleveland. If you’re going to make it to the NBA Finals, you’ll need to take Eli up on his advice. I hear his hourly rate is affordable.

(Via imgur)

30 Nov 22:47

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Designer Babies

by admin@smbc-comics.com
Krankota

OMFG

Hovertext: THE SHOW MUST GO ON!


New comic!
Today's News:
30 Nov 22:28

Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - The Magic Was Inside You!

by admin@smbc-comics.com

Hovertext: If anyone makes fun of your necklace, you just tell them PH'NGLUI MGLW'NAFH CTHULHU R'LYEH WGAH'NAGL FHTAGN


New comic!
Today's News:

Last day to submit for BAHFest London! 

30 Nov 17:16

Fire Ants

Here in the entomology department, we have a simple two-step formula for answering any question: (1) ants are cool, and (2) we forgot the question because we were thinking about ants.
30 Nov 16:57

Hark, A Vagrant: Gorey Covers Part 6




buy this print!

Did you miss Gorey Cover Comics? They are a favourite I know! But there are only so many Goreys to go around. You'll be seeing more here before year's end! And if you are unfamiliar with the man himself, you won't be disappointed by looking into his work. But I feel like everyone knows his work anyway, that's like saying, "if you like living, try breathing."

Hey thanks to my sister Laureen who has been writing some of these Goreys with me! We are blood, we honour the sacred family compact of writing dumb jokes.

I update the store here about once a year, so it is a big deal!

So here is the link for the store, please look around at your leisure! There is lots there, even aside from what is new. And there is lots on Topatoco from many of your favorite creators as well!

24 Nov 07:36

It's going to be okay.

by Matthew Inman
20 Nov 22:28

Cool Hat

by Reza

cool-hat

20 Nov 22:28

To Hell

by Reza

to-hell

17 Nov 15:39

Don't Do That: A Harrowing "Ask A Lawyer" Lightning Round

by Ask A Lawyer

Welcome back to Ask a Lawyer, wherein I, a lawyer, respond to your questions. Got a vexing legal issue? Send it over, or drop it in the comments below. Today, we’re tackling the weirdest emails we’ve gotten so far, all at once. Let’s hit it.

Read more...

17 Nov 15:39

Bougie Food Review: Maple Water

by Kevin Draper on Adequate Man, shared by Puja Patel to The Concourse

Water has gotten too complicated. It’s just two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, clear and basically tasteless. It is nourishing and life-giving. It is perfect.

Read more...

16 Nov 22:50

Houston Is Perfect, And Coach Tom Herman Is Using Ohio State’s Formula To Keep It That Way

by Martin Rickman

houston coach

Getty Image

HOUSTON, Tex. – Just over three miles from TDECU Stadium, there’s a building that draws more than 60,000 visitors a year. That number might not seem like a lot, especially considering how many college football venues bring more people than that every home Saturday. Without any sort of signage, there’d be no way of telling exactly what this place was, or how special it really is. This is the Rothko Chapel. Commissioned by John and Dominique de Menil, the building was built in 1971 and features 14 enormous canvases by the painter Mark Rothko.

Inside the chapel, faith is based on individual perspective. And you are left to your own energy, good or bad. To stare inside one of Rothko’s paintings is to stare inside yourself at times, and that energy is transferred between the canvas and the self. To have an entire building envisioned by Rothko is to be overcome by that process, as there’s a reminder at every viewing angle.

In short, the Rothko Chapel can be anything you want it to be. You can walk out angry or tranquil, tired or refreshed, inspired or forlorn. It’s a place in Houston where nothing is decided for you, and your identity escapes your body the second you walk through the doors. It’s entirely possible to walk back out again stripped of whatever it was you were before.

Rothko

Martin Rickman, Uproxx Sports

This is the same sort of transformation the Houston football team is undergoing under Tom Herman. From the moment he took over for the deposed Tony Levine, he wanted things to be different. And now that he’s started his head coaching career at 10-0 following the incredible comeback win over Memphis on Saturday, that potential is actualized. Houston is the last remaining unbeaten in the state of Texas, and is joined by just Clemson, Ohio State, Oklahoma State and Iowa among FBS teams without a loss this late in the season.

The Cougars already had the stadium upgrade it needed to make a statement, as TDECU is the perfect size for right now, and was built with the potential to scale bigger in mind. It offers a breathtaking view of the city skyline through a well-positioned cutout that will remain regardless of how many more seats are eventually added. All it needed was a coach to walk in and see something in himself – and in the team he was coaching – and walk out again with that spark.

This isn’t a school lacking in any sort of history. Olympic legend Carl Lewis still roams the halls of the athletic center (and is a coach on the track team). The numbers of Clyde Drexler, Hakeem Olajuwon and Elvin Hayes hang from the rafters of Hofheinz Pavilion. And a giant ode to Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware is right outside the stadium, along with lots of nods to other Houston greats.

Herman has the pedigree and the experience in Texas to resonate with recruits, from his time at Texas Lutheran, Texas, Sam Houston State, Texas State, and Rice. He has said he wants to “build a wall around Houston” in hopes of keeping all that local talent in-house. He’s an offensive adapter who runs a style that not only works, but also gets kids excited. He can flash a Championship ring from the first year of the College Football Playoff. And he learned how to build a program as the offensive coordinator under Urban Meyer.

houston stadium

Getty Image

That last point is the one that sticks out the most when you walk through the basement of the Athletics/Alumni Center. There’s a small change over previous seasons that epitomizes what Herman is trying to do. While before the walls were bare painted concrete, now there are brightly colored graphics and plaques commemorating former players and bowl appearances. One wall describes “The Houston Man,” with attributes like “accountable, “mentally tough,” “physically tough,” “character,” “integrity,” and “prepared for life after football.” Another wall simply states, “Welcome to H-Town.”

Ohio State spent a good deal of energy last season on motivation, but not the type that a lot of other teams do. Lots of programs bring in speakers, or do team-building exercises. Most will develop a rallying cry or a motto for the year. Others will create lists of goals or things that they’re striving to become. The Buckeyes took it one step further and simplified the message with things like living “Above the Line” or trusting the “Power of the Unit.” One additional message Meyer picked up from Tim Kight – E+R=O (Event+Response=Outcome) – meant even more to the team. Players wore rubber bracelets to remind themselves of that simple fact.

In his recent book Above the Line, Meyer explains the E+R=O formula.

“We don’t control the events in life,” Meyer writes, “and we don’t directly control the outcomes. But we always have control over how we choose to respond. How we respond means everything.”

The Cougars fell behind 20-0 to Memphis in the first half on Saturday, and star quarterback Greg Ward Jr. went out with an ankle injury. That was the event.

The response was up to Houston, and backup Kyle Postma, a former Houston walk-on and wide receiver who left the Cougars to go the JuCo track and then transferred back. Postma came in and led an impressive scoring drive, going 4-of-5 for 52 yards and a touchdown to put Houston on the board at the end of the half. After a bit of back and forth, the Tigers still led by 20 early in the fourth quarter.

Houston Man

Martin Rickman, Uproxx Sports

That’s when Postma delivered the outcome. The Cougars scored 21 unanswered to take a 35-34 lead, and after a missed field goal by Jake Elliott from 48 yards out, Houston’s perfect season was still alive.

“It was really neat to see the look in our team’s eyes of never giving up,” Herman said after the game. “They really played for each other. It’s also another phrase that gets used around this country probably way too much, but in our locker room, we have a bunch of guys that love each other. It’s impossible to give up when things are getting kind of rough and looking kind of bleak. When you’re doing it for yourself, it’s easy; you just move on to the next thing, but when you’re doing it for somebody you love and you know they love you back, it’s impossible to give up.”

There’s a story Meyer tells in his book about Herman’s interview to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator. Meyer gave Herman the team’s playbook and told him to study it for an hour, and Meyer asked Herman to teach it to him after that hour. It was a way of keeping Herman on his toes, but when Meyer returned, Herman had the playbook basically memorized.

In his three seasons with the Buckeyes, Herman basically memorized Meyer’s approach to building a team, as well, whether it’s incorporating familiar phrases like “next man up,” how he approaches recruiting, or the team’s culture in general. And Houston is undefeated in the middle of November as a result.

Herman envisioned an H-Town Takeover when he took over the program. Following a sellout crowd witnessing that miraculous win over Memphis, it’s no wonder it’s starting to spread.

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16 Nov 21:00

Helping

by Reza

helping_

16 Nov 20:42

Finally

by Reza

finally

13 Nov 20:30

Grimes Is A Very Awkward Pop Star, Which Makes Art Angels Way More Fun

by Rob Harvilla

The truth is that all sorts of weirdos get to be pop stars nowadays, and that should excite you whether you like pop stars or weirdos. Think Lana Del Rey, who has excellent rocket-launcher technique and makes profoundly soporific records that double as fainting couches. Think Fetty Wap, who has one eye and rap-sings like a frightened Scooby Doo. Think Ariana Grande, that tiny, possibly Satanic lady who recently licked a donut and announced that she hates America. Think Ed Sheeran, who looks like Ron Weasley had a baby with an alternate-timeline Ron Weasley and will befoul every wedding you attend for decades hence. Think Nicki Minaj, who now as ever is a human beeeeeeiiiiiiiiing. Think Drake, who is a sentient (and swole!) dad joke . Think Miley Cyrus, or don’t. Think Lady Gaga, period, return.

Read more...

12 Nov 22:53

Question

by Reza

question

10 Nov 13:41

Noted: New Name and Logo for Dallas Wings

by Armin

Dallas Gives you Wiiiiings

New Name and Logo for Dallas Wings

(Est. 1998, previously Tulsa Shock) "The Dallas Wings are a professional basketball team based in Arlington, Texas, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Detroit, Michigan before the 1998 WNBA season began; the team moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma before the 2010 season; then moved to Dallas prior to the start of the 2016 season. The team is owned by an ownership group which is led by Bill Cameron and David Box. On July 20, 2015, Cameron announced that the franchise would move to Arlington, Texas for the 2016 WNBA season."

Design by: N/A

Opinion/Notes: Most WNBA teams' logos have a relationship in name and graphics to their NBA counterparts: The Tulsa Shock complemented the Oklahoma City Thunder and now the Dallas Wings complement the Dallas Mavericks. Both logos come in a blue and green color palette and feature horses, except that the Wings' is a pegasus. I would have gone with unicorn but pegasi are cool too. The logo is fine and gets a B+ as far as basketball logos go that fit the mold of mascot + ball + arched wordmark. The execution of all the elements — from horse's face to wings to wordmark to bi-color ball — is very competent, which is not something that can be said of all professional basketball team logos.

Related Links: WNBA press release

New Name and Logo for Dallas Wings
Logo detail.
Many thanks to our ADVx3 Partners
10 Nov 13:36

Reviewed: New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly

by Armin

Walk the Line

New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly

First brewed by John "Johnnie" Walker in the 1820s in his own grocer's shop in the town of Kilmarnock, Scotland, and later bottled and distributed in larger scope by his son and grandson, Johnnie Walker is the number-one selling Scotch whisky brand in the world, available in a variety of blends in 180 countries. In February of this year, Johnnie Walker introduced a new logo designed by London-based Bloom in collaboration with illustrator Garry Redford — which passed unnoticed to yours truly — and this September it launched its biggest brand campaign, created by Anomaly, since introducing the "Keep Walking" tagline in 1999 that is launching in 50 countries at the same time.

New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
Striding Man evolution.
Our new expression of this international symbol of progress adds character while preserving recognition. His new look was inspired by the enduring charisma, charm and elegance of the dandy. We worked with illustrator Gary Redford, whose timeless style is the perfect fit for the brand. Crafted detailing brings out this historic icon's magnetic personality.

Bloom project page

New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
Striding Man, before and after.
New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
Logo detail.

The Johnnie Walker man is indeed one of the most iconic drink-related logos and coupled with the tagline it presents a perfect one-two punch of a dynamic mark and a simple, memorable brand message. The blobby rendition of the Striding Man that we all know is great by association and spirit (pun!) more than by execution. If you look at it up close or when rendered small it's, well, blobby. But, yes, in this case the attitude and quick brush stroke aesthetic of it is more important than fidelity, which the new one has in spades.

Given the ornate and detailed design of Johnnie Walker's bottles and boxes the new logo fits a lot better. I am certain the comments will mostly reflect a dislike for the more detailed and prescriptive illustration, favoring the more abstract version. I like the new version better and other than some heavy highlighting in the right arm, the rendering is quite good, capturing a lot of personality, even at small sizes. The left hand, tipping his hat, is a great and suave evolution to the holding-his-monocle gesture of yore. The new serif typeface is nice too, adding a touch of sophistication.

New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
A few logo applications.

The applications are pretty simple: put the logo in gold, black, or white, on top of fancy things.

New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
A couple of new box/bottle designs with the new logo. Select Casks design by RP/NYC Design House.
'Joy Will Take You Further' is an evolution of the brand's famous 'Keep Walking' campaign and represents a new perspective on personal progress, which has defined the brand's philosophy for more than 15 years and helped Johnnie Walker become the most valuable spirits brand in the world . Based on new insights into how success is viewed by consumers today, it brings to life the concept that joy can be a catalyst to the progress they seek, and aims to generate a positive culture shift by promoting and encouraging the idea that finding joy in the journey is part of the recipe for success.

Johnnie Walker press release

New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
"Joy will take you further" tagline lock-up.
New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
Bare ads.
New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
New Logo and Global Campaign for Johnnie Walker by Bloom and Anomaly
Brand ambassador ads, represented by Formula One World Champion and McLaren Honda driver Jenson Button, Oscar-nominated actor Jude Law, Chinese actor Zhao Wei, US rock band OK Go and Mexican supermodel Montserrat Oliver among others.
'Joy Will Take You Further' spot.

As odd as the combination is, the italic sans serif works remarkably well with the new Striding Man. It works much better in a single color on top of photography than the yellow and white combo of the spare ads. It creates a youthful, energetic, and unexpected aesthetic that complements the offbeat personalities of the celebrities chosen to represent the brand. As a whole, the campaign seems well thought out and, even at such a large scale and manufactured coolness, there is a glimmer of genuineness that keeps Johnnie Walker at the helm of mainstream Scotch whisky brands.

Many thanks to our ADVx3 Partners
10 Nov 13:34

Perfect

by Reza

perfect

09 Nov 15:14

Dog Vid

by Reza

dog-vid

04 Nov 21:56

Ants On the Moon

by Reza

ants_on_the_moon

02 Nov 21:02

Treasure

by Reza

treasure

02 Nov 20:50

Photo



30 Oct 14:22

Photo



28 Oct 18:48

Launch Status Check

Visual checks suggest the cool bird has exited the launch zone. Tip the rocket sideways and resume the countdown--we're gonna go find it!
28 Oct 15:39

chrismaggio: and they said that it couldn’t be done.



chrismaggio:

and they said that it couldn’t be done.

26 Oct 20:56

Grow Up, Alan

by Reza

grow_up_alan