A Pyramid Can Be a Carrot, If It Wants to Be

 

    Hello, and welcome back to the blog.  I hope this cool crisp weather is keeping you nice and cozy inside near a crackling fire and maybe with a warm cup of coffee, coco, or cider.  Maybe soup is slow cooking on the stove nearby and your home smells like Autumn and feels like a soft sweater wrapped around you. :)   As I mentioned in the last blog, I did not participate in Inktober this year, as I have been pretty busy.  I did, however, make time for 2 fun challenges.  One was a Draw This in Your Style Challenge (which is posted in the previous blog,) the second was a logo design competition for the comedian Carrot Top.  The logo is meant to celebrate his 18th Anniversary of his residency at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  I could tell you all about it, but his words are probably better than mine. Check out the video below.

    I never knew that Carrot Top was a marketing major in college.  I think that's very cool and I think it's awesome that he has designed all of his own logos and branding material up till now.  To understand the concept behind my logo submission a little better, it helps to know a little more about who and what it represents.

So, Who is Carrot Top?

    Professionally known as Carrot Top, Scott Thompson is an American stand-up comedian.  He is widely known for his prop and physical comedy.  Haling from Rockledge, Florida, he got his start on Comic Strip Live in 1991.  His fame and popularity grew from there.  He has made several television cameo appearances on a variety of sitcoms as well as in film.  Since 2005, Carrot Top has had a residency comedy show at the Luxor Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.  Carrot Top has been a resident performer there for 18 years.  This logo is meant to commemorate this occasion.   I have included a clip from one of his performances below.

Let's talk about the Luxor next. What exactly is a LUXOR?  

    Luxor Las Vegas is a casino hotel on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip.  It was built in 1992 and opened in 1993.  It features the theme of Ancient Egypt and is named after the Egyptian city Luxor.  The casino/hotel campus includes a sphinx and a 30-story tall glass pyramid.  The pyramid includes the largest atrium in the world. 

    The tip of the pyramid is a beacon of light that shines into the Nevada night sky and is the most powerful man-made light in the world. It is created by curved mirrors that redirect and focus the light from 39 xenon lamps and project it 275 miles into the sky.

    Since its opening, it has thrilled and delighted guests with dazzling amenities, wild special events (such as chariot races,) and captivating live entertainment, including comedian Carrot Top.  It has appeared on the covers of architectural media.  It has also been the filming location for a variety of television programs and films, including the infamous and cult favorite Showgirls.

On a side note: Several years ago, I had the privilege to see him live in Vegas in the one and only time I have ever visited there.  His onstage presence can only be described as one of a kind.  He is completely a unique voice in comedy today.  He is charismatic, sharp-witted, zany, wild, and above it all, hilarious.  It was a really fun show and was an awesome addition to a hit list of great things I experienced on that trip.  (The above photo is, of course, not of me at the show or me at the Luxor.  I unfortunately can not find my photos from that trip 😓. So here is a photo of the Valley of Fire which was from that trip lol)

Let's talk about the design.

    I wanted to create a graphic that would directly connect the two entities, Carrot Top and the Luxor, and combine them to commemorate this anniversary.  I thought about a few different concepts, but my mind kept coming back and circling around this idea that if you flip a pyramid on its head, it can somewhat resemble the triangular shape we all have come to associate with graphic representations of a carrot.  So I created a simplified graphic representation of the Luxor Pyramid in all dark glassy splendor emanating its beacon into the night.  I knew I wanted to create a "reversed" image on a dark background to emulate the night sky.  I wanted to include the Luxor's beacon for two reasons.  The first is to help make the pyramid recognizable as the iconic Luxor and not just any old pyramid.  The second reason I will explain later.  

    I then decided that flipping it upside down and slightly modifying or emphasizing certain details in the construction of the pyramid, would create the image of the carrot as well.  The exterior line details can also resemble those "wrinkles" we often see on the taproot and that are often used graphically to create the image of a carrot.  I felt this was a great way to combine the two personalities of both Carrot Top and the Luxor.  Infusing the absurdity and humor of an upside-down pyramid speaks to the wit, humor, and personality of the comedian.  Carrot Top takes every day ordinary recognizable objects and literally turns them on their heads (sometimes literally) to make us all look at them differently through his humorous lens.

    The second reason I wanted to have the beacon of light represented graphically is that, when flipped upside down, it creates a directional "eye-line" that helps create the carrot's long shape.  "Topping" off the graphic is the stem of the carrot. I created it with a graphic representation of how flowers and plants are drawn in Egyptian art and hieroglyphics.  

    Another Egyptian element is the font I used for Carrot Top. I picked an Egyptian style font... a real SANDscript 😜.  I used the traditional Carrot Top branding colors of orange and green, again helping to combine both brands together.  Lastly, I included the optional Anniversary text that arcs over the logo and somewhat resembles hieroglyphics.  All elements combine to form an icon that conceptually and visually combines Carrot Top and the Luxor and celebrates their 18 years of residency.

    I had a lot of fun putting this graphic together and participating in a fun competition. I wish all the contestants good luck.  I also hope that you all enjoy it.  If I get selected for the online vote, I will be sharing that and will definitely be asking for and counting for you all to vote for me lol.  For those visiting Vegas soon, you should definitely check out Carrot Top's show (it's so good!) and throw a few tokens into the slot machines at the Luxor on your way in and out.  I hope that you all have a great weekend.  I'll leave you with a fun song that's on theme with this logo design.

Until next time, friends,

Keep sketching, keep thinking, keep laughing, and most important of all, 
keep making art.
Cheers,
LEWIS