"DC" Stands For "DC"

With the advent of the Rebirth initiative at DC Comics has come a change to the company logo.  

Below is a graphic of all of DC's logos since 1940. 

When I first began reading DC Comics on a regular basis, DC was moving from its basic DC in a circle to the Line of DC Super Stars logo. It was in 1976 that DC moved to the very distinctive, slickly designed logo that came to be known as the DC Bullet. DC tilted on its side in a circle with 4 stars around it in a concentric circle, it was at once both simple and stylish. And it was a beloved emblem for DC fans for 29 years, a logo in use longer than any other logo in the history of DC Comics. 

Then in 2005, the logo was changed. It was the 70th anniversary of the company and someone thought it was as good a time as any to freshen up the logo. The new logo, known as the DC Spin, was quite different from any logo done before. Still, the elements of the circle and star provided a call back to prior logos. After having the same logo for 29 years, the new DC Spin took some getting used to but by and large, it was a nice new look, conveying a sense of motion, of action. 

But then came the New 52 and the evolution of DC Comics to DC Entertainment and it was deemed a new logo was needed to show off this new direction for the company. What was introduced was something that could only be called the DC Peel with the "D" being peeled back from the "C". I think the idea was this would look great in motion at the beginning of movies, TV shows, video games, the D pulled back to reveal a DC icon flying out of the C. OK, maybe but as a static emblem on a comic book, it just didn't work.  

This brings us to the new logo which is big throw back to the 1972 logo, the stark letters of DC in the heart of a white circle.  The lettering is more stylized than the '72 logo. I'm wondering, looking at the D in that logo, if DC has heard from lawyers representing Duke University yet?  

The stark simplicity of the new logo does go along way towards more effectively branding the DC comic book line. The logo is easily seen by the consumer yet it doesn't overly distract from the cover art.  

Oh and by the way, in case you're wondering, originally DC stood for Detective Comics which was the title of one of the earliest titles published by National Comics. It kind of stuck, no matter what the actual name of the company really was, everybody just called it DC. Finally, around 1976 when the DC Bullet logo was introduced, the company officially became known as DC Comics. 

Before you go out and impress your friends with the arcane knowledge that DC stands for Detective Comics, no, it doesn't. That was the origin of the name DC but for all official purposes, DC doesn't stand for anything. The name of the company is DC which stands for.... DC.  

And that is that for today's lesson in comic book history. 

But wait! I would be remiss in my look at DC's logos if I didn't post this bit: 

Thanks to Bully, the stuffed little bull who likes comics for that one. 

Thanks for dropping by today. I've got a new post coming up tomorrow. Until then, remember to be good to one another.

Dave-El

I'm So Glad My Suffering Amuses You