This is in no way a reopening of any kind of logo discussion on Operation Thunderbird. This decision has been taken a long time ago, mainly by @Kaymee and I fully respect that choice. What I cannot respect is the unexplained cut of communication with no apparent reason for me. So here is my side of the story for everybody to read. Is my story important? No it isn't really in this case. I could care less.


But there was still some disappointment because I – in my un-knowing, naïve way – thought, that a good chief would come to decisions in another way. I always thought, decisions by a wise person (that a good chief should be, no?) would be taken by surrounding his people and all concerned around the fire to discuss. Everybody had the chance to say something about a really important matter. Then – after all had spoken – he would take the choice that was the best choice for the thriving and well-being of the clan. Not the choice he liked best. Not the choice his best friend liked best. But the best choice for the thriving and well-being of the clan. Much in the way you see Ten Bears act when they discuss how to react towards Dunbar (Dances with Wolves).

Careful considering all the wisdom of his tribe before taking a decision: Ten Bears

So here it is: my missing voice. I started development of the OP Thunderbird logo mark soon after I read a tweet from @OPPinkPower asking for some help in these matters. After that I decided to come up with a pretty professional first draft that should have the following traits:

1. Based on other Anonymous logos to easily recognize the sender and inhance the impact of the message.
2. Some kind of thunderbird image had to be represented obviously
3. Yet it should appeal to a big variety of first nation people, not represent only a tiny tribe
3. It should be easily recognizable and have a strong character
4. It should also work perfectly in black and white
5. It should be unique and not a copy of already existing trademarks
6. It should also be able to be applied as a simple stencil in the street.

Existing Thunderbird Logomarks on the net.

www.spreadshirt.de

Additional symbolic that I tried to apply was:

7. The wings should look like lightening or represent the spreading of an acoustic wave like thunder is.
8. The logo should have a strongly archaic and mythic character
9. The eyes of the bird should be very strong as if it was focussing you, not letting you go out of sight anymore. While being a strong totem for #OPThunderbird on one side, on the other hand it should become a symbol for those people that have to fear #OPThunderbird for a good reason. Applying it as a stencil in the streets would have added to that feeling of «beeing always present» or «being protective of women» and at the same time «keeping an eye out for agressors at all times».

Now – I do understand that graphic qualities are not the only thing that counts in real life. Politics and time and circumstances are very important, too, even though I hate politricks. But not engaging in politics costs a price. That was probably the price I paid. Never mind…

The last thing I heard of people related to #OPThunderbird was the expressed wish to develop the logo further with the party that had developped the other logo. That was absolutely fine with me. So I sent my graphic files to that party and when I got the confirmation of receipt of my data I went to bed to catch a lil' sleep. When I woke up some 4 or five hours in the middle of the night to quickly check the status of the matter, the decision had been made for an other logo with the remark the other logo looked more feminine – a fact that from my point of view is more or less correct. The other logo now used for OPThunderbird looks effectively more feminine than mine.

Still: I never got the chance to explain the concepts of my logo. When I asked people after I woke up that night how the decision had come about, none of the 3 involved parties replied to me. They never replied to me at all.  They never even sent me any other message concerning OP Thunderbird up to the present day. They completely cut communication and censored my voice entirely. They never explained their decision to me directly nor did they inform me, that another logo had been chosen * nor did they show any respect for my work after I had woken up from my nap. Out of fear? Out of missing respect? Out of cowardness? Out of missing some basic adult maturity and ability to take responsability? I don't know. Maybe there's even a good explanation for that behavior albeit I was never presented one. And believe me, I was not about to troll. After writing one or two times to each party I left everybody alone. If @ChiefElk hadn't brought up the topic again I wouldn't even have mentioned it anymore. But now as destiny confronts me with it one more time, I will publish my opinion. Nothing more. Nothing less.

All that remains for me to do is to set my Thunderbird free. And this is exactly what I'm going to do here: I will set my thunderbird mark free. Everybody can download the graphical data under the applied creative commons license and do with it whatever she / he choses to. However let me remember you one more time: I do not consider the logo a finished, refined logo. I will not put any more work into the file at this moment. The file is a mess, not a proper, cleaned up, ready to print graphic file. The format is .pdf with Adobe Illustrator funktions intact. Take it. Let it fly :-)


To download file click here (or right-click on link and save document as)





* Sorry, I am wrong what concerns this point. @Kaymee did write to me and explained as the screenshot underneath shows. Sorry @Kaymee, it was not entirely correct what I have written.

to download: rightclick + download image

to download: rightclick + download image