Ok, so I lied in my title. This week’s post isn’t about type at all. It’s about icons. Specifically, it’s about animal icons. Some are iconic (sorry) like the Mustang’s galloping horse, while some are a bit obscure like the Buick Wildcat.
A couple of my favorites are the Impala, with its brilliant abstracted line work and suggestion of speed, and the Barracuda. Yes, I’m a bit biased, but I’ve always liked the icon’s simple, sleek, sinister look with a tail that somehow feels a bit devilish to me. I also like the implied movement that suggests that it’s circling its prey.
An interesting comparison is between the Thunderbird and Firebird icons. Both represent the same bird, the phoenix, and both take styling cues from native american icons, but they have completely different looks from one another.
If you’re interested in digging deeper into badge type design, check out writer and type expert Steven Coles’ excellent Tumblr page, Chromeography.
Interested in a print of one of my badge photos? Visit my store and place an order.
Top row, left to right: 1961 Ford Thunderbird, 1966 Ford Mustang. Second row, left to right: 1963 Buick Wildcat, 1969 Pontiac Firebird, 1965 Chevrolet Impala. Third row, left to right: 1967 Plymouth Barracuda, 1967 Mercury Cougar, circa early 1970s AMC Hornet. Bottom row, left to right: 1965 AMC Marlin, 1967 Ford Country Squire, 1963 Ford Ranchero.