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The Critic Doctor's "Star Logo"
by Gary
Seiler
Designer
When Herb Kane contacted me regarding this project, there wasn't
any "game plan" to make Critic Doctor a site that was
enigmatic or too clever by half.
Quite the contrary: from it's conception, Critic Doctor has made
it it's mission to DE-mystify things rather than add to the muddle.
In particular, "things" like establishment film criticism.
So... how do we convey such spirited independence with a simple
image? Impossible, which is always a good place to start.
I began with a stylized graphic of the Hollywood hills. A movie cliché, but it gave us plenty of room to experiment. The "doctoral" lettering came next ( there really is a 'doctor in the house' at this address! ). After that, it's all a blur... No, seriously, I was stopped at a traffic light, and saw an emergency medical vehicle parked beside me. It displayed the "star of life" that we all associate with life-saving services. But this particular company had jazzed it up quite a bit and this seemed to me to be a window of opportunity: "yeah, Critic Doctor's a film site, but it's also a remedy of sorts."
But then it got tricky. Never mind the 'scars' from criticism, the 'stars' of film criticism don't just fall into your lap ( without being followed by the weight of a dozen well-fed lawyers ). Unless you back away from clever emulation - who could be proud of that? - and return to the spirit of the project that brung ya there. So the 'stars' you see on this site are Critic Doctor all the way... a person who loves movies as much as you do ( left star), but also someone who can't sit still when things look wrong ( right star!). And, yes, also the guy who didn't say "Gary, you nailed it!" until I actually had.
Is Critic Doctor's "star of hollywood / star of life" too enigmatic? Is it too clever by half? If you've read Herb Kane's reviews you may not think so. Being an independent has nothing to do with outsmarting the opposition or celebrating one's own. It's mostly about honesty. Not the "cruel" kind of honesty that springs from a chip on the shoulder. Rather, the kind of honesty that never looks over it's shoulder.
Working with Gary Seiler was a pleasure and I would recommend his service to anyone. You'll find he is open minded, patient and most of - talented. If you need a logo or any other design work, feel free to contact Gary by email.
Herb Kane
Critic Doctor
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