Corn Nation Turns 10! - Cobby And The Evolution of Logos

Below is Corn Nation’s first logo.

When the web site was first built I specifically asked for a logo design that would feature combines in a cornfield with a postcard look and feel in mind. I still love the look of it, but it doesn't fit today's standard web design.

I did get some comments early on that I was promoting the “hick” side of Nebraska and making the state look bad, but if that’s something you worry about you really need to find another state, one you can be proud of. Nebraska is an agricultural state. Farmers grow the food that feeds the world. If you can’t be proud of that, you can piss off.

The next Corn Nation logo was a creation that came to be known as Cobby.

Cobby was designed by a friend whom I met at the University of Nebraska, and is now a professional design artist living in Duluth, Minnesota. Brian Barber has been featured in many many magazines, illustrated books, and animated shorts and movies. His web site is linked - I suggest you take a look. I have seen Cobby used in quite a few places over the years, rarely with credit to Corn Nation.

Cobby was created to not only provided new logo for Corn Nation, but to provide a fake character around which we base silly stories. My original intent for Cobby was that he would be more of a child-like character who was forever innocent, bumbling himself into situations and making the best of them. Think of Lil’ Red’s sidekick, but one that has a voice.

That is certainly not how he’s evolved. Instead Cobby has become the voice of satire here at CN. He is frequently rude, loudmouthed, profane, and vulgar and if you see Cobby in the byline, it’s best not to take the article seriously.

I intended to have Cobby remain our logo as we moved into a web redesign sometime around 2009 or 2010. One goal of the redesign was to give all SBNation logos a unified look. Unfortunately, the proposed logo that was supposed to replace Cobby made me so angry that I told them to throw it away and design an entirely new logo. I don't think that we've done a very good job of branding with the new logo and honestly I really don't like it. I find it boring. While it conveys a little bit of Nebraska football because it is a football player throwing the bones, it really doesn't say much about website.

There was one other logo that was designed at that time. It is what I refer to as the CornSickle logo, and it is used by a character called General K. General. K. hasn't been around near as much I’d like, but he will be making another appearance before the 2016 football season begins. I like the CornSickle logo, perhaps we'll see more of that here and on social media.

There are T-shirts for sale featuring Cobby at the Corn Nation store. Two different designs, in fact. I prefer them over any other T-shirts that we’ve done. I still like the Cobby character and what he's become, even though it’s not the original intent.

There’s some CN history for you…. Just because.