Comments on: If you’re a copy editor, don’t read this

By: Jim Matthews

Jim Matthews — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 18:53:12 +0000

Jim Hartzell creation for the Baltimore Sun back in 1968 of the Cuckoo Bird and also known as the Psycho Bird is the perfect logo to represent 12 consecutive losing seasons of Baltimore Orioles baseball and needs to be resurrected for Orioles Fans for collectables and apparel. Many ideas come to mind here. There may be copywrite laws involved and I realize that Mr. Hartzell has passed recently but is it possible that his family could give this matter some thought over it. This logo should not be interpreted to show any disrespectfulness in any manner or in any forum. This cariature reprisents 12 long seasons of frustration and is very indicative of how Orioles Fans are feeling these days and is so appropriate. In regards, I hope nobody takes this idea in the wrong manner.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 23:50:25 +0000

Interesting. I’m not certain why John got so upset. Unless I am misreading something, Charles, you simply asked how the folks at The Sun treated the incorrect punctuation. And yes, it is incorrect — contrary to what some on John’s blog seem to think.

Personally, I wouldn’t change the logo. That’s how the Orioles intended it — for whatever reason — and that’s how they’ll get it. As a graphic designer, I certainly would enjoy reading the logo design brief and discovering the reason for using such an erroneous bit of punctuation in their mark. Maybe they have a good reason.

However, to Denise, I wouldn’t consider a corporation stupid because they choose to lowercase a first letter — not just eBay, but iTunes, iPhone, etc. — or add punctuation. I wonder how much you might know about marketing and branding, or just what goes into the logo-making process. I don’t intend to belittle you with that remark, but such corporate branding decisions are not arrived at lightly — I’m sure exceptions exist though.

Bottom line: It’s up to each newspaper to decide its own style for corporate identities.

By: Former Baltimore Resident

Former Baltimore Resident — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 02:58:23 +0000

The wrong use of apostrophes everywhere is ruining the English language. Worse than the upside-down apostrophe is the ubiquitous “it’s” in place of “its”. In fact, the latter is very rarely seen in print anymore anywhere.

By: Denise

Denise — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 21:44:09 +0000

Charles, John wasn’t slamming “visual journalists,” he said “graphic artists” — obviously it was not a journalist (at least not a person presently employed as one) who created the O’s logo.

I know you and John both pretty well, and it’s sad you couldn’t come to a meeting of the minds, because you are both tops in your field.

Here’s the well-versed copy editor’s answer you asked for: Refusing to care about the apostrophe in the logo isn’t having one’s head stuck up one’s arse — it’s a non-issue. We don’t cater to the whims of corporations and their stupidity. We don’t start a sentence with a lowercase “eBay,” nor do we keep the exclamation point in “Yahoo!”

I don’t know Sun style — maybe if Billy Wachs is around he can tell us? — but I’m pretty sure it’s O-apostrophe-s, and let the apostrophe go whichever way the the text editor makes it, smart or straight or whatever.

John said “get a grip.” I say, “who cares?” Yes, it’s wrong. Yes, the Orioles are dumb. Someone in their back office goofed. Umm, go Yankees? :-P

(I put a similar answer on John’s most recent post.