The Logo-Mat

Working

2012-03-05T11:31:00.001-08:00

...on this logo today.

2012-03-04T13:41:00.001-08:00

Have a great weekend and...

2012-03-02T08:01:00.002-08:00

Buy this for my kids- lights up and makes sound when you touch it!

No caption necessary

2012-03-01T13:41:00.001-08:00

My desktop

2012-02-28T15:21:00.001-08:00

...looks like this. The top row of files are the logos I need to complete by tomorrow. The bottom row is what's due on Thursday. Needless to say- I've been very busy this year (thankfully). Going to the dentist tomorrow afternoon will actually seem like a pleasant break however.

Fantastic Sunday

2012-02-27T05:12:00.003-08:00

Took the kids to Elephant Rock state park & had a great time!

Have a great weekend!

2012-02-24T15:24:00.001-08:00

I'm hangin' out with these guys:

I feel good!

2012-02-22T17:40:00.001-08:00

Mark's famous pot roast

2012-02-22T10:55:00.000-08:00

Sear roast on all sides in about 1 inch of olive oil. Remove roast & pat dry with paper towel- rub on salt, pepper and "pot roast seasoning". Cook 2 chopped white onions in same oil for about 5 minutes. Add baby carrots and quartered potatoes. Place roast on top of vegetables and add 2 cups of bloody Mary mix, one cup of water and a few dashes of worcestershire sauce. Cook on low heat for 3 hours. Remove roast, let sit for 10 min. Serve with cooked vegetables & sauce/gravy from pot.

Today...

2012-02-21T19:27:00.000-08:00

I successfully installed Linux on a laptop for my daughter, cooked a delicious pot roast, went to a parent/school meeting and designed five logos. Here's one of them:

Best advice ever.

2012-02-19T12:39:00.000-08:00

Invest in Your Relationships

(full article)

"The better your relationship with your partner and immediate family members, the happier you will be and the more likely you will be to succeed financially. Separation, divorce and arguments about money on the other hand, lead to financial loss."

I like dogs.

2012-02-19T07:01:00.000-08:00

I like this dog. More here.

Thanks Super Happy Funtime

Have a great weekend and...

2012-02-17T09:50:00.000-08:00

enjoy this real life tornado kick:

Now shoot a fireball.

Just got this CD in the mail

2012-02-16T08:22:00.000-08:00

I used to listen to this album while mowing the lawn- I had to have been 12 years old. Anyhow, it's nice to have the CD again- it's one of my favorites. I'm getting sick of iTunes and actually like the process of opening a CD, putting it in and pressing play- is that the same type of nostalgia folks have for vinyl records?

Avengers Movie!

2012-02-15T16:05:00.000-08:00

I guess Marvel had to make a few crappy movies (Thor, Captain America, The Hulk) in order to develop characters for this blockbuster!

Made this thingy...

2012-02-15T11:07:00.001-08:00

in Illustrator today.

Listening to...

2012-02-15T07:28:00.001-08:00

Check out my package!

2012-02-14T13:34:00.000-08:00

Included in the package:

- Your custom logo design, including 4 different options and unlimited revisions

- Final logo files sent in several formats, covering all print and web needs

- A custom business card design

- 500 full color business cards (gloss or matte), printed & delivered

- 1 custom banner ad design or letterhead design, using your new logo

- A formal receipt & release signing over all rights to your logo upon completion

Click here to get started!

Happy Valentines Day

2012-02-14T07:47:00.001-08:00

...to my wonderful, wonderful wife.

Do you speak Craigslist?

2012-02-13T13:53:00.000-08:00

Ad title reads:

"Start Up In Need of Comprehensive Brand Development Services"

Translation:

We need a logo

Need a photo edited, restored or enhanced?

2012-02-11T13:07:00.000-08:00

OMG

2012-02-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

I had the busiest week ever.

My brains and fingers are exhausted- just finished this logo today.

File under: To be analyzed at a later date...

2012-02-09T18:05:00.000-08:00

"The way you think about money can have a huge influence on your ability to create wealth. Poverty mentality is a mindset that people develop over time based on a strong belief that they will never have enough money. This mindset is driven by fear and can cause poor financial decision-making."

Full article

Cool and stuff...

2012-02-09T08:43:00.001-08:00

Click image for more.

Wait...your math is off?

2012-02-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

Potential Client:
Matt, I appreciate your response, but we are a niche manufacturing firm, and these samples are not the right feel for us. I have had some beautiful responses so far, from you and others, but they seem to be geared more towards the retail service sector and tend to be young in the presentation
If you watched the super bowl last Sunday – Madonna and C-Lo were on a rising stage platform, and there were other parts of the stage that moved and changed in the show – those are our products. Those motion technologies are also used to move nuclear waste, and from underneath the platform, move a patient into an MRI. We are in an industry that has strict safety standards – if you remember the disastrous Sugarland performance – we need to convey that type of trustworthy product.
If you have any logo or design work that would demonstrate the right aesthetics for us, please send them along.Thank you for your time,
-C.H.
Marketing Manager

Me: "young in the presentation" ? Good luck finding a designer who specializes in your "sector". Find someone with ability & hire them- nobody is going to have a portfolio full of manufacturing logos.

-Matt Cockrum

C.H: Well, I’m sorry Matt, but many of the samples I’ve received have cartoons.
Manufacturing, especially in regards to medical equipment, is a big, lucrative field. Even the machine my dentist uses to power the drill has a logo on it. Well worth sketching up some samples. Good luck in your endeavors!

Me: Good luck being a weirdo!

C.H: Astonishing. There is $2800 in the budget for this, and ads to follow. Add in the new brochure design, and you just threw away at least 10k, all because you are unwilling to take direction.

Me: I will surely miss sleep over an imaginary $10,000.

Happily...

2012-02-08T08:15:00.000-08:00

Drawing a beehive this morning.

Serifs?

2012-02-06T07:52:00.000-08:00

All designers know that serifs (see circled appendages below) kind of suck. Non-serif fonts tend to look a little cleaner, more modern, etc. However, serif fonts are often necessary per a client's request. My favorites are Trajan & Lucida. Which fonts with serifs do you like/find acceptable?

Maxx is 5!

2012-02-01T09:03:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday Maxx. Your inquisitive personality and keen sense of humor always amazes us!

A note from Miles

2012-01-30T16:52:00.000-08:00

Kill the Boss!

2012-01-30T08:03:00.000-08:00

I was thinking over the weekend about how a large portion of my sons' recreation (especially now that it's cold outside) involves video games. The love them- the innocent stuff like Mario, Kirby, etc. However- most of these games consist of the same goal:
Kill the boss! Not only is that what they're trying to do- but they talk about it a lot in "regular play-time" also. Beat the boss! Kill the boss! Show the boss who's boss! My only concern is- how will this affect their work ethic later in life...as say their first job at a restaurant, etc?

Jack of all trades

2012-01-27T15:30:00.000-08:00

Just did some upholstering. One chair down, five to go.

Plus, I fell in love with my new staple gun.

New hobby?

2012-01-27T07:05:00.000-08:00

Today, 1/27/12

One share of Apple is worth $446
A share of Google is worth $574
One share of Yahoo is worth $15

Happy 9th Birthday Izabel!

2012-01-26T05:46:00.000-08:00

Let your creativity and caring personality shine.

We're very proud of everything you do.

Craigslist find

2012-01-25T15:34:00.000-08:00

Picked this up today for $65. It's about 3' x 2' and will hang nicely in our dining room window, hopefully blocking the view of our creepy neighbor.

Mickey's slow cooked pork loin

2012-01-25T07:51:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

beer (stout)
pork (I used bone-in pork loin chops)
worcestershire
catsup
brown sugar
chicken stock
chopped onion
salt
pepper
garlic powder

"Put that shit in the pot and cook it low and slow. Namaste bitches."

2012-01-25T06:53:00.001-08:00

2012

2012-01-24T12:53:00.000-08:00

So far this year, business has kept me very busy.

Just finished this logo yesterday:

Sunday, Sunday, Sunday

2012-01-23T06:14:00.000-08:00

Hung out with these dudes + wife all day and had an excellent time. We went to the art museum, lunch, bought new (used) dining room chairs, fit in a movie and some Wii. We rented a Zelda game and learned a valuable lesson: I can't do role playing/RPG style games. If I want to read for hours- I'll pick up a book. If I want to shoot fireballs at something, then I'll turn on the Wii. Overall a great Sunday, now back to work!

Damn you Siri!

2012-01-21T17:34:00.000-08:00

Noooo!!!!

Oh, wait you meant:

Awesome work

2012-01-20T11:42:00.000-08:00

...all built in Illustrator- same program I use to design logos:

Check out a lot more here.

Chili-Cheese Fries

2012-01-19T07:56:00.000-08:00

Last week I told my wife that back in the day chili-cheese fries were an 80's skater-dude's snack food of choice. I think I learned this from a video game, because I then realized that I've never actually had chili-cheese fries. Since then, they've been stuck in my head. Mmmmmm.

Coincidentally, my friend Angie had asked for a challenge via Facebook earlier this week to name an unhealthy snack, that she would in-turn make healthy via her recipe blog, Tasty Vittles. A photo of the outcome is below and they look/sound amazing! You know what I'll be finally having this weekend...

Check in with Angie's Blog for more awesome recipes and challenges!

New DC Comics logo

2012-01-18T05:47:00.000-08:00

DC got themselves a new logo!

Today

2012-01-16T14:26:00.000-08:00

I'm working on a logo for a cool business concept...

6 of the stupidest...

2012-01-14T08:18:00.000-08:00

6 of the stupidest (Batman) villains listed here.

Put a bird on it!

2012-01-13T07:58:00.000-08:00

Check out this guy's other stuff too.

Best Christmas presents ever?

2012-01-12T05:42:00.000-08:00

New snow shovel and this hat.

Thanks wife!

2012-01-11T11:39:00.001-08:00

My new theme song

2012-01-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

Surprise!

2012-01-05T11:06:00.000-08:00

Used my new membership at the local YMCA for the first time today, which reminded me of a story from my first day of college that I like to tell: Upon arrival to my first figure drawing class, I sat at a desk and talked to the kid next to me and opened up my box of supplies. When I looked up... Surprise! Cock and balls... unexpected nude model.
The same thing happened today, after I ran on the treadmill and entered the locker room to change for a swim. Surprise! Old cock and balls again. So weird when you're not expecting it. Anyhow- the pool and sauna were awesome, so I'll go back & just keep my line of vision above the chest.

Political Logo

2012-01-05T05:52:00.000-08:00

Finished this up yesterday...

Jessie Spano?

2012-01-04T13:00:00.001-08:00

I think about this skit a lot

2012-01-04T11:38:00.001-08:00

Steve Jobs action figure

2012-01-04T08:58:00.001-08:00

You kind of have to check it out, because it's pretty creepy.

New logos added to my portfolio!

2012-01-03T06:40:00.000-08:00

Give thousands of kids thousands of stickers?

2012-01-02T09:45:00.000-08:00

Before

After

Read the full story.

Broke my son's favorite Christmas present.

2012-01-02T08:07:00.000-08:00

So... I broke Maxx's Nerf gun by attempting to shoot vanilla wafers out of it. We had this great plan where one person would shoot the cookies in the air and the other would catch them in their mouth. Turns out, cramming cookies into a Nerf gun- just jams it up and breaks the thing. I even made a special trip to the store last night, just for the damn cookies. Dad FAIL.

Fashion Designer

2012-01-01T13:06:00.000-08:00

We have a budding fashion designer- taught how to sew just this morning and already created this ensemble out of felt and thread!

New Year's Day

2012-01-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

I was very happy to have my wife and kids home from out-of-town for New Year's Eve. For the first time we all planned to stay up, watch the ball drop and bang pots & pans. However, each family member fell asleep at these estimated times:

Maxx: 9:00
Miles: 9:15
Michaela: 10:30
Myself: 11:30
Izabel: 11:45

Maybe next year will make it to midnight- Happy New Year!

Have a great Friday & a Happy New Year!

2011-12-30T07:19:00.001-08:00

Retired/Novice DJ question

2011-12-29T13:10:00.000-08:00

What is Dubstep?
Seems like a love/hate phenomenon.
I don't get it, so I'll ask some Facebook friends.

I'm so excited and I just can't hide it.

2011-12-29T12:41:00.000-08:00

Today, I skateboarded for the first time in months. At first I was a little sketchy and thought "I'm gettin' too old for this". A couple blocks later I realized that- it's just plain fun to roll around on fours wheels and a plank of wood.

Coincidentally, I finally signed up for a family membership to the local YMCA today (a hidden gem of south St. Louis) and found out that admission to their skatepark is also included. The place is only six blocks from our house and isn't just a lame excuse for a skatepark- it's radical. See the photo below.

Being home alone can get pretty lonely.

2011-12-29T06:08:00.000-08:00

My favorite

2011-12-26T13:19:00.001-08:00

I must have been good this year!

2011-12-24T19:52:00.000-08:00

Another awesome present, and it came with coasters!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T12:05:00.001-08:00

Another

2011-12-24T07:25:00.000-08:00

Great gift from an excellent logo client- guess I'm on the nice list!

This guy

2011-12-22T14:04:00.001-08:00

builds stuff out of old skateboard decks, and that's awesome.

Last night

2011-12-22T06:59:00.000-08:00

I finished up a rad logo for a local DJ friend:

'Twas the weekend of Christmas performances.

2011-12-19T09:15:00.000-08:00

All the kids did a great job!

Volunteered

2011-12-16T10:47:00.000-08:00

...to help with a Christmas project for Miles' class today. We made either windsocks, or (as the wife questioned) Santas with four legs? Regardless, I had a great time and a nice break from work this morning.

I listen to this song once a day, everyday.

2011-12-14T10:33:00.000-08:00

because it make me feel ambitious.

Gotta love an unexpected gift...

2011-12-13T10:25:00.000-08:00

...from a client, branded with one of my logo creations, filled with decadent treats.

Interesting?

2011-12-13T05:23:00.001-08:00

Where's Creepy?

2011-12-12T19:17:00.000-08:00

Click on the image above to enlarge. There's a human in there somewhere (really).

It will probably creep you out, but don't give up...

Adorable.

2011-12-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

TGIF

2011-12-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

[Click on Image]

Saturday Night

2011-12-09T06:48:00.001-08:00

...going to my favorite bar at the Cheshire Inn. You should too.

LinkedIn or LinkedOut?

2011-12-08T10:25:00.000-08:00

I've designed over 4,000 logos and who knows how many other items (business cards, etc.) in the past few years, as the owner/designer at The Logo-Mat. These 4,000+ projects have stemmed from various leads such as word of mouth, Twitter, Facebook and Craigslist. I have never once been setup or offered a project from LinkedIn.
I've had an account for years, participate in posting daily, have plenty of connections, recommendations, etc., but why can't I score a gig? Isn't that what it's for- meeting professionals? WTF are people doing on there? I have to admit that their interface has improved in the last year, but I still don't get it. Why am I "LinkedOut"?

Before it's too late!

2011-12-08T05:57:00.000-08:00

Contact me about custom Holiday cards!

Designing business cards for my dentist today.

2011-12-07T10:22:00.000-08:00

I had to do it.

2011-12-06T13:23:00.001-08:00

2011-12-06T05:43:00.001-08:00

Need a portrait or caricature illustration?

2011-12-05T10:19:00.000-08:00

Just finished this up for an excellent client!

I took a week off.

2011-12-04T11:48:00.000-08:00

After no libations for 7 solid days, this is truly a nice treat on a rainy Sunday afternoon.

Now what should I read?

2011-12-04T08:24:00.000-08:00

I finally finished this book last week and fully enjoyed every page. There were times while reading, that I doubted my respect for Mr. Jobs, but in the end he was a genius. Aside from all of the rumors, critiques, reviews, etc. his wife Laurene summarized him perfectly:

"Like many great men whose gifts are extraordinary, he’s not extraordinary in every realm,” she said. “He doesn’t have social graces, such as putting himself in other people’s shoes, but he cares deeply about empowering humankind, the advancement of humankind, and putting the right tools in their hands.”

You know what they say: Behind every great man there is greater woman (or a woman rolling her eyes).

Have a Great Weekend!

2011-12-02T10:59:00.000-08:00

The 5 Best Toys of All Time

2011-12-01T12:42:00.000-08:00

Click here

"Bubble Wrap was narrowly eliminated.

I actually had started writing about it, but then remembered Dirt."

LOL

2011-12-01T07:43:00.000-08:00

Top 25 Auto-Corrects

Busy

2011-11-30T11:28:00.000-08:00

I am so busy this week, nearly a dozen logos to be designed, not much time to blog. Happily listening to Dylan all week. For those of you that are not fans (I once hated the sound of his voice too), I suggest The Basement Tapes to appreciate an excellent range of his style, etc. Now, get back to work!

Cyber Monday!?

2011-11-28T05:49:00.000-08:00

For Cyber Monday I'll be offering logo design for the discounted price of $99. That's 33% off the regular pricetag. If you have a project on the backburner or a new business idea, now's the time to take advantage of a great price on a custom logo.

Click here to get started!

Happy 7th Birthday Miles!

2011-11-27T07:44:00.000-08:00

...and thank you for always keeping me curious, entertained, involved and interested in every amazing thing you do!

Small Business Saturday

2011-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

Honoring Small Business Saturday & "Cyber Monday" I'll be offering logo design for the discounted price of $99 from Nov. 25-28th. That's 33% off the regular pricetag. If you have a project on the backburner or a new business idea, now's the time to take advantage of a great price on a custom logo.

Click here to get started!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T08:48:00.000-08:00

...from Miles and a "fried turkey".

Gmail

2011-11-23T12:07:00.000-08:00

Gmail is smarter than me.

I had a hunch, but this message confirmed it:

2011-11-21T13:34:00.001-08:00

Messy

2011-11-21T11:18:00.000-08:00

Today I volunteered at my kids' elementary school to help decorate Thanksgiving cookies. Everything went well, except one kid drew all over his arm trying to emulate my tattoos. I did learn this also: All kids are messy, some kids are REALLY messy.

Rainy Sunday

2011-11-20T12:52:00.000-08:00

Teaching the boy more tricks in Illustrator.

Weekends

2011-11-19T06:22:00.000-08:00

Going to Castlewood State Park today, Costco and out for Chinese food. Should be a great time. After living in the city for 10 years now, I appreciate the outdoors more than I used to. I also appreciate the weekends these days, as they always involve quality time with the wife and kids, detachment from the computer and zombie shows. You know how I love my Sun. night zombie program.

Have a Great Weekend!

2011-11-18T11:24:00.000-08:00

Today I...

2011-11-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

Made kids' breakfast.
Designed a logo for a hockey team.
Started brochure design.
Picked son up from preschool.
Met with cleaning company to design website.
Picked up Coffee Stout.

Thanks to my friend Jeff @ SHFT blog for referring/suggesting the last 2 items.
I owe you a Coffee Stout.