(Above) And now for something completely different. This is a logo I did for the CG Society's "Grand Space Opera Challenge." The contest, which took place in late 2004, invited competitors to create either a 2D or 3D scene depicting "a pivotal moment in a vast galactic spanning civilisation." It was our job to work out the backstory for our scenes, post progress reports on the CG Society's community bulletin board, and -- over the span of three months -- produce a finished work of art.

Lots of small but vital details go into bringing any big 3D scene to life, and such was certainly the case with my entry. "Waterhole Alpha" was supposed to be a huge spaceport and interstellar jump gate in orbit around a distant planet -- a place that attracted other space-faring races and also acted as the hub for "a new age of interstellar commerce." Thus, in addition to all the 3D construction I also had to put on my regular -- or should I say irregular -- design hat and whip up some of the alien signage and logos you might find in such a place.

So ... um ... what exactly is that thing? Why, the logo for the Kahirian Visitor's Center, of course! (Though don't ask me what the symbols mean: my Universal Translator gave up the ghost last fall and the repair man from Vega Prime isn't due in our neighborhood for another six hundred years!)