NAR logo losing color

[Royatl]

Terry,
here's some trivia for you to dig up.

We know the NAR adopted essentially the current logo way back around 1960 or so, replacing the "combustion chamber" logo .

However, back then the NAR logo was red, white, and yellow. The yellow was on the fins of the stylized rocket. Waterslide decal sheets were produced with this color scheme. However, sometime around 1970-72, the NAR quietly dropped the yellow, the lettering became slighly more "blocky", and the whole delta field got an outline. This was also when the NAR dropped the waterslides for vinyl self-adhesive decals featuring the slightly reworked logo! (shades of Tunick's Estes!)

Why was this change made? I assume economic, but maybe theres another story there?

[shockwaveriderz]

Terry,
here's some trivia for you to dig up.

We know the NAR adopted essentially the current logo way back around 1960 or so, replacing the "combustion chamber" logo .

However, back then the NAR logo was red, white, and yellow. The yellow was on the fins of the stylized rocket. Waterslide decal sheets were produced with this color scheme. However, sometime around 1970-72, the NAR quietly dropped the yellow, the lettering became slighly more "blocky", and the whole delta field got an outline. This was also when the NAR dropped the waterslides for vinyl self-adhesive decals featuring the slightly reworked logo! (shades of Tunick's Estes!)

Why was this change made? I assume economic, but maybe theres another story there?

Roy:

great question!. Unfortunately I don't know the answer and have not come across it in my travels throught yime with the Model Rocketeers.

The "combustion chamber" logo actually was changed sometime in the 62-63 timeframe. You can see it as an NAR flag at NARAM-4; by NAr -5 it was the logo we are all familar with today.

terry dean

[Royatl]

I'm thinking Harry must've gotten it professionally designed. It looks very clean, and the letters are crisp. But when they took the yellow out, it just became too simple. They messed with the lettering too (I can understand that when printed at small sizes, like on rocket motors, the letters may have been too thin), and the outline is just, kinda dumb, so I'm wondering who decided to mess around with it and why.


Some (boring) background as to why I ask this: (you're excused from reading any further)

SoAR's logo for many years was a round meatball, ripped-off from the Apollo 16 mission patch. When I redesigned SoAR's logo a couple of years ago, I was going to keep it round, but simplify it, maybe add a cliche'd ring or orbit. I was thinking too much then of the Hitchhikers Guide logos!

But I was looking at the original mid-60's NAR logo and was inspired. I decided to use a red field, but made it a Web 2.0ish rounded rectangle instead of a triangle, and I floated the lettering over the edge, which required that I make it black. I made the rocket all yellow but kept the white stylized exhaust. I had one version of it with the NAR rocket, but made another with a Bertha-meets-Snooper rocket, again for its rounded, Web 2.0ish style. Presented a few samples to the club, and except for one luddite (Hi Jorge!) who wanted to keep the meatball, everyone liked the Snooper-ish one.

[MarkB.]

Alright decal guys,

We're going to need some retro, throwback, old school, three-color NAR decals . . . .

[Green Dragon]

Not sure about the dates mentioned...

I have some NAR decals witht he yellow that I purchased from NARTS sometime in the mid to late 80s ( did not join the NAR until 81, so at least that recent ) .

Maybe leftover stock ?

~ AL

[Royatl]

Not sure about the dates mentioned...

I have some NAR decals witht he yellow that I purchased from NARTS sometime in the mid to late 80s ( did not join the NAR until 81, so at least that recent ) .

Maybe leftover stock ?

~ AL

Yea, I think those decals have been available from time to time. After all if you have the negatives, why not use them?

I'm talking more about NAR's everyday use of the logo. I don't think I've seen the old logo since the early 70's.

[tbzep]

Well, since I finally renewed my NAR membership after about a decade, I think I need a scan of the classic so I can make me some waterslides. :D

Maybe that will help ease the pain of paying a "D12-0 to D11-9 altitude price" for a membership that I really don't use other than thumbing through the magazine. :eek:

[billspad]

Terry,
here's some trivia for you to dig up.

We know the NAR adopted essentially the current logo way back around 1960 or so, replacing the "combustion chamber" logo .

However, back then the NAR logo was red, white, and yellow. The yellow was on the fins of the stylized rocket. Waterslide decal sheets were produced with this color scheme. However, sometime around 1970-72, the NAR quietly dropped the yellow, the lettering became slighly more "blocky", and the whole delta field got an outline. This was also when the NAR dropped the waterslides for vinyl self-adhesive decals featuring the slightly reworked logo! (shades of Tunick's Estes!)

Why was this change made? I assume economic, but maybe theres another story there?

The decals that NARTS sold while I was chairman were printed sometime before 1992 and were three color. Pre Tunick Estes printed them. That same batch of decals (it was a really big box) was still in stock when I turned NARTS over to Tom Ha. The member window decals ran out in the early 90's and I couldn't get Estes to print them. I suspect they no longer had the capability although I never really got a good answer. I think those decals were red and white and I know the replacements were red and white because the art work I was given to use didn't have any yellow.

I recall being told that Stine got a letter from Mercedes about the logo being similar to theirs. I would have thought Oldsmobile but I've heard the story a couple of times and it's always been Mercedes. Anyway, Harry assured them it was just a coincidence and that the NAR was not involved with automobiles. He later admitted that he got the idea for the NAR logo while looking at a Mercedes. I don't know if the story is true but I like it.