Established this October, Degroof Petercam is a new, independent bank in Belgium offering a "combination of private banking, institutional asset management, investment banking (corporate finance and financial intermediation), and asset services." Employing 1,400 people in seven other European cities and in Hong Kong, Degroof Petercam is the result of a merger between Bank Degroof, an investment private bank founded in 1871 in Brussels, and Petercam, a financial group founded in 1968. The new identity for the company was designed by the Brussels office of Base.
The new identity reflects the joining of two companies with similar functions, but very different DNA and philosophies. Trading since 1871, Bank Degroof was viewed as rather conservative in comparison with the more agile and bold perception of Petercam, founded in 1968. The new identity was based on a cross-cutting 'best of both worlds' concept, highlighting the strengths of each bank coming together under one roof. […] Carrying forward the "best of both worlds" concept, Base created a mark for the brand inspired by a percentage sign and consisting of a harmonious blend of 'd' for Degroof and 'p' for Petercam. The design system blends traditional and contemporary references, serif and sans serif fonts and contrasting imagery to evoke the feeling of traditional and modern joining together.
The previous two logos were not bad: Bank Degroof had a nice Optima-esque wordmark with a slightly odd icon that looked like stacked coins while Petercam had a tightly spaced Gotham-ish wordmark and a "P" monogram with a gradient that could be excused. Even if not perfect, there was clearly a sense of design care in both logos. The new one manages to bring elements from both into a fantastic banking logo.
The new wordmark, an evolution from Degroof, is absolutely beautiful — anyone know what font that is? — looking elegant, contemporary, and luxurious. The new icon, an evolution from Petercam, is a lowercase "d" and "p" that also doubles as an abstract percentage symbol. It's so good and clever it makes me jealous with envy. The combination of the two visually distinct elements is unexpected and quite satisfying. Perhaps because I like this, I am reading more into it than I should but I love how the new monogram is a perfect metaphor for a merger where the shape for the "d" and "p" is identical and hints at a merger of equals, each 50% of the new company, making a whole. Too good.
In application, things stay super classy yet modern with a black, gray, and white color palette accentuated by a minty green. I rarely get enthused with websites but Degroof Petercam's is quite stunning with beautiful web typography, spacious layouts, and, more importantly, the sense that your money here is both in good hands and spent well on fancy design firms and good coders. Overall, one of my favorite financial identities of recent years that, beyond being pleasing to your host, establishes a very clear attitude and personality for a new bank.
I'm still on book tour with Step Aside Pops! We hit #1 on the New York Times graphic novel bestseller list! Thank you! Ahh you are the best!
Soon there will be the annual rollout of TOPATOCO merchandise so I'll be sure to let you know when! There will be some fun new shirts as well as PLUSHIE PONIES! I hope they get here soon! They look great.
Check them out here! I've been waiting so lonnggg for them to commmee (we hear November from the company).
The North American leg of this fall tour is over, and I was really lucky to meet a lot of great people! SPX was great as always, and the brand new CXC in Columbus was a delight. Now we are off to the UK! Dates here:
October 16-17: Kendal
Lakes International Comic Art Festival
October 20: London
GOSH! Comics
launch party 7-9pm
November 9-15: Leeds
Thought Bubble Festival
November 23: Bristol
Bristol Festival of Ideas
Cape Comic Creations Night
At the 2014 Emmys, Jimmy Kimmel promised us that Tracy Morgan would be back onstage next year, and last night, Morgan made good on that promise, presenting the final Emmy of the night. Of course, his touching speech focused on the June 2014 car accident that put him in an eight-day coma, and the 15 months of recovery that came after. He had a long road, but the speech was pretty convincing proof that the comedian is back. Why? Because as he joked, “A whole lotta women gonna get pregnant at the afterparty.” It’s so good to hear him deliver that old line again.
by Barry Petchesky on The Concourse, shared by Barry Petchesky to Deadspin
Tom’s on an airplane, but if he were here he’d note that this baby bear struggling with a hammock is different than last week’s baby bears struggling with a hammock , but it’s not weird that there’s two because bears know exactly how to kick back for the start of the weekend.
They are all insane people. Even poor, stressed-out, occasionally lucid-seeming John Kasich: bonkers. Pathology is contextual, and one simply does not bring reasonable takes like Actually, the deal with Iran is okay, provided we do the diligence of enforcing it, just like pretty much every other deal ever to a presidential debate stage in the Time of the Donald.
It’s awesome that Chris Bosh is still playing basketball. As you may recall, Bosh sat out the second half of last season when doctors discovered blood clots in his lungs. He’ll be good to go for the 2015-16 season.
In the meantime, Bosh decided to play a little one-on-one with 30 members of the crew from The Late Late Show with James Corden. Bosh called the segment “1-on-30,” but it’s basically him blocking everybody’s weak attempts to score on him. Eventually, Bosh starts to get bored and pretends to talk on his cellphone and generally not give a damn about what’s going on.
The Late Late Show
Still, Bosh blocks shot after shot until the entire crew shoots their collective basketballs at once. It’s just another reason why Bosh is America’s NBA sweetheart.
by Will Gordon on Adequate Man, shared by Rob Harvilla to The Concourse
Taco Bell is one of the few old-style American fast-food chains still thriving in a reshaped marketplace that increasingly rewards freshness, quality, and nutrition—or at least the perceptions thereof—rather than simply the thrift, speed, and suspect beef upon which the industry was built. The faux-Mexican monolith’s sales were up 9 percent in the second quarter of 2015, even as their traditional rivals were struggling to appease an uppity new generation of fast-foodies who demand finer things such as lean protein, mixed greens, and fighting chances at 60th birthdays.
by Albert Burneko on The Concourse, shared by Albert Burneko to Deadspin
When last we met , Jonathan Franzen had mucked up the early pages of his novel Purity with repeated appraisals of the sex appeal of his main character, Pip. I was creeped out, but leaving room for the possibility that Franzen might be up to something that would redeem—or at least make some sense of—all the leering. Maybe it was some kind of writerly device!
NFL season is officially upon us, and it’s already getting weird even before kickoff. Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown debuted a new haircut during the pre-game show prior to Thursday’s season opener in New England, and it’s probably nothing you’ve ever seen before.
Brown’s new ‘do is a flat top that resembles something between a Tetris piece and the top of a Lego person’s head. It’s a bizarre look, and Brown is probably lucky he gets to wear a helmet for a living.
According to a recent study on this very website, quite a few people make serious life decisions under the influence of alcohol. Go figure! On Friday, we asked our readers
to tell us about the craziest things they’ve bought while drunk, and among the usual stuff (tattoos, memorabilia, and a subscription to the Dairy Goat Journal), we found a bunch of purchases signify major life milestones. Some people bought engagement rings
or paid for weddings
, others bought cars, and one guy bought a whole house to live in. We’ve compiled their stories below.
And just like that, another football season is upon us. Week 1 is already (almost) in the books, and just like that, we’re forced to question things we knew for sure just last week. But we’ll leave the armchair analysis to others. We’ve got a different thought exercise: Which bands represent your favorite NFL team? As in, which musicians and teams share either the same traits, story, or at the very least, some sort of similarity?
AFC East
Buffalo Bills: Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds
This is about the trash-talking, boisterous and unapologetically blunt dudes running these ships (Bills coach Rex Ryan and Noel Gallagher). Both are keen on making big claims and dismissing their rivals. Ryan and Gallagher have also both moved on to new projects after leaving the ones that made them household names.
Sure, they’ve had some success, but ultimately they are both best known for the drama they create and the drama that surrounds them.
New England Patriots: Nicki Minaj
Incredibly talented, incredibly successful, incredibly controversial. In addition to that, both the Pats and Minaj aren’t afraid to call out their detractors from time to time, whether it’s Minaj’s now famous “Miley, what’s good?” comment at the MTV VMAs or Tom Brady encouraging the Baltimore Ravens to read the rule book before they complain about things. And hey, neither is beholden to a specific genre or style of play. They can beat you in a variety of different ways.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens: Foo Fighters
The Ravens and Foos are both in the midst of a solid run of sustained success, and while not considered “great,” are definitely chalked up as “really, really good.” But what also connects them is that both came from the ashes of past bands/teams. The Ravens escaped Cleveland to become the Ravens, while Foo Fighters were created after Kurt Cobain’s suicide and the subsequent dissolving of Nirvana.
Cincinnati Bengals: Ed Sheeran
It’s all about the power of the ginger. It is a force strong in both. It compels Sheeran to write songs gals swoon over and Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton to be a decent enough play at quarterback in your fantasy football league if your main quarterback has a bye week.
Cleveland Browns: Maroon 5
Hey, they’re both fronted by tabloid-fodder white dudes (Johnny Manziel, Adam Levine) and those are the only two people anyone knows in their respective units. No, really. I dare you to name either another member of Maroon 5 or someone else on the Browns.
Pittsburgh Steelers: Taylor Swift
Everyone at the very least likes the Steelers (unless you’re a fan of another AFC North team) and everyone at the very least likes Swift (unless your Team Katy Perry.) You can’t argue with the general consensus.
AFC South
Houston Texans: Beyonce
J.J. Watt can’t be stopped. He is a force of nature. You know who else can’t be stopped and is a force of nature? Yup, you guessed it.
Indianapolis Colts: Sublime With Rome
Replacing a popular front man or franchise quarterback is no small feat, yet the surviving members of Sublime and the Colts were able to pull it off, albeit to varying levels of success. I never claimed that these comparisons were 100 percent accurate.
Kind of a stretch, but both the Titans and Auerbach left their respected homes and moved to Nashville. And Nashville is a fun city. So, yeah. Check out that Arcs record. It’s pretty good. Also, check out Nashville. It tops the list of my Favorite U.S. Cities to Spend a Weekend In.
AFC West
Denver Broncos: Coldplay
The Broncos are good, but they are not great. Something is missing with the Broncos, something that allows them to take it to that next level. And yes, you could say the same exact things about Coldplay.
Kansas City Chiefs: Phish
They both have rabid fan bases that make lots of noise, ferociously defend their squad, and love a good midnight snack.
Oakland Raiders: Red Hot Chili Peppers
Listen, I still love the Chili Peppers, but you have to admit that their best days are behind them. You know, kind of like the Raiders are. But in their heyday, both were a lot of fun.
San Diego Chargers: Sam Smith
Successful? Yes. Exciting? Nope.
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Just because you’ve won some games or some Grammys doesn’t mean people are going to take you seriously. You need to do a little more than rack up 12 wins one time in five seasons or conquer pop radio with a couple of songs that are rap in the loosest sense of the word if you want some real respect.
New York Giants: Mumford & Sons
This is about looking to change who you are, flip that identity a little bit. Mumford & Sons recently went electric after doing that folk thing with the acoustic guitars and stomping kick drum. And the Giants… yeah, you’ve won a couple Super Bowls in recent years, but I think we can all agree that defense mostly won those championships. And now that defense is pretty much long gone and it’s all about Odell Beckham, Jr.
Philadelphia Eagles: Kanye West
The Eagles and Mr. West like to think they are different, that they are original and innovators. No one is doing what they are doing because no one is able to do what they do.
Washington Redskins: Iggy Azalea
It’s hard to discuss either the Redskins or Azalea without bringing up their frequent bouts with racial insensitivity. One is routinely chastised for co-opting another race and another is routinely lambasted for denigrating an entire culture. I think we can all agree that a re-branding would benefit them both.
NFC North
Chicago Bears: Luke Bryan
Country music and Chicago Bears football are treasured American institutions. Yet the purists on behalf of each would argue that obnoxious white dudes with cocky attitudes and backward hats (see: Cutler, Jay) are ruining both. I would be inclined to agree. I would also be inclined to assume that Jay Cutler loves jamming out to Bryan’s “That’s My Kind of Night.”
Detroit Lions: Bruno Mars
Flashy, fun to watch, beneficial if you’re at a wedding or playing fantasy football. But neither are title contenders. They are just pure entertainment.
Green Bay Packers: Pearl Jam
Not a lot of flash here. They just get the job done – whether it’s continuing to be one of the last great American rock bands or one of the NFL’s flagship franchises. The Packers and Pearl Jam are entities of the people, too; the Packers are owned by them, Pearl Jam the voice of them. If aliens came to Earth and asked you to list some things you feel represent America, Pearl Jam and the Pack would be high up on that list. Right after fried foods, student-loan debt, and a cruelly divisive political system that is systematically crippling our government.
Minnesota Vikings: Chance The Rapper
Spunky youngsters with loads of potential.
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons: The Weeknd
When I was watching The Weeknd perform at the Video Music Awards, it was kind of crazy to me how reliant the performance was on the backing track — which is weird, because apparently the Falcons are also reliant on a backing track. Theirs just happens to be crowd noise.
Carolina Panthers: The Killers
The Panthers have had a couple decent seasons, just like the Killers have had a couple decent songs/albums, but both hit their high-water mark in 2004. The Panthers reached the Super Bowl, losing to the New England Patriots, and the Killers released their debut album, Hot Fuss.
New Orleans Saints: Drake
Both involve a lot of emotions. Like, a lot of emotions.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Chris Brown
No matter how good Jameis Winston is this year, you’re not really going to want to root for him because of his checkered past. Kind of like how it doesn’t matter how much you like Brown’s “Beautiful People.” You’re not going to be like, Yeah I’m totally a Chris Brown fan, because he too has a checkered past, one that is hard to ignore no matter how talented he might be. At least for the time being, that same thing goes for Winston.
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals: Queens of the Stone Age
Just some dudes, chilling out in the desert, minding their own business. Not bothering anyone.
San Francisco 49ers: Miley Cyrus
Miley and the Niners were both flying pretty high as recently as two or three years ago. Now, though? Both kind of trainwreck clown shows.
Seattle Seahawks: Justin Bieber
Both the Seahawks and Bieber are young and talented, full of promise. Got some drama there too, though. One is led by a dude who rarely talks (Marshawn Lynch), while the other is a dude who talks too much, even if it is more of an exasperated whine.
St. Louis Rams: Collective Soul
Did you know that Collective Soul are still making records and touring even though it’s been years since they were relevant? Did you know the Rams are still a team, even though it’s also been years since they were relevant? Crazy, huh?
We have a lot of interviews and things on the go for Step Aside Pops as it gets near the release date, so expect to see a whole lot of activity! If you're listening to the CBC, I'll be on As It Happens in the next while, and on Q later in the month.
So Jonathan Franzen is doing kind of a weird thing in the early going of Purity, his latest novel. He’s not the first author to do a version of this weird thing, but the particular way he’s doing it, at least so far, made me want to write about it now, before I’ve finished the entire book.
This is pure exhilaration. This is pure life. This, if Taylor Swift were writing about it, would just have the words “squad goals” written over and over again with a few emoji and hashtags thrown in. This dog is living your best life and you didn’t even know it.
By all accounts, Wes Craven was a lovely human being: a mild professorial type who made the people around him comfortable. In interviews, he came off as an excellent teller of dad jokes, and did not have an intimidating or particularly unsettling presence.But in three successive decades, the writer/director/auteur discovered new ways to creep into people’s heads and play around with their nerves, pointedly changing the entire horror-movie game thrice: first with the sheer brutality of 1972’s The Last House on the Left, then with the iconic villain of 1984’s A Nightmare on Elm Street, and finally by creating a new meta-horror cult with 1996’s Scream. Last night, as news spread that the 76-year-old horror savant had died of brain cancer at his home in Los Angeles, my immediate response was that of disbelief coupled with that weird rush of gratitude you have when someone who made great things passes away. Craven fucked with our heads so gleefully and mercilessly so many times over the years. How could he just ... die?
