DC Comics style guide, 1982

Presented here are pages from the 1982 DC Comics style guide. These images were used for marketing and licensing while also serving as reference material for other artists.

The DC Bullet logo (in use between 1977 and 2005, designed by Milton Glaser) only appears on the cover, and looking at the logo alongside the illustrations, it really doesn’t seem like a great fit.

Comic fan or not, I thought you might like a look at this piece of illustrative history.

If you’re a Batman fan, you’ll find an evolution of the Batman logo in the archives.

Tell you what, Plastic Man had quite the strut. Here’s a little background info from the DC Comics website.

“Pop culture’s silliest superhero, Plastic Man is as much a humor icon as a heroic one. During a heist gone wrong, petty crook Patrick “Eel” O’Brian was doused in chemicals, allowing him to stretch his body into any shape he desires. Nursed back to health by altruistic monks, he was inspired to embrace life’s brighter side.”

Plenty more spreads from the DC Comics style guide in this Facebook set. Illustrations by José Luis García-López. Via Khoi.

Somewhat related, from the archives, is this collection of brand identity style guides (various brands from around the world).