30 Rock Logos

When 30 Rock left our screens in 2013, it left behind a legacy of outstanding writing, peerless comedic performances and a truly insane list of fake companies offering everything from alligator repellent, to ninja restaurants and rocketship coffins. So I decided to combine my dual passions of graphic design and esoteric television references to bring some of these companies to life.

 Newark's first offshore gentlemens barge.S02E08 Secrets and Lies

 

Newark's first offshore gentlemens barge.

S02E08 Secrets and Lies

This is why I hated my first two weeks at the Royal Tampa Academy of Dramatic Tricks. No one knew who was the sluttiest. But I showed them. Oh I showed them all!S05E08 College

This is why I hated my first two weeks at the Royal Tampa Academy of Dramatic Tricks. No one knew who was the sluttiest. But I showed them. Oh I showed them all!

S05E08 College

His movies gross millions, his comedy albums go platinum, and he owns the only giraffe basketball team.S05E06 Gentleman's Intermission

His movies gross millions, his comedy albums go platinum, and he owns the only giraffe basketball team.

S05E06 Gentleman's Intermission

 You won't believe it, but that business failed! S03E21 Mamma Mia

 

You won't believe it, but that business failed! 

S03E21 Mamma Mia

My first job was "baby stuck in well" in a commercial for Well Guards.S04E14 Future Husband

My first job was "baby stuck in well" in a commercial for Well Guards.

S04E14 Future Husband

What are my chums at the Death Shore Retirement Community gonna say when I tell them that my unmarried son has knocked up a Protestant!?S05E10 Christmas Attack Zone

What are my chums at the Death Shore Retirement Community gonna say when I tell them that my unmarried son has knocked up a Protestant!?

S05E10 Christmas Attack Zone

Our relationship is everything wool is about! Love, warmth, chafed skinS05E23 Respawn

Our relationship is everything wool is about! Love, warmth, chafed skin

S05E23 Respawn

Honey, you've got to get closer to the gator. We drove 11 hours to get here, and you're not getting any younger.S04E12 Verna

Honey, you've got to get closer to the gator. We drove 11 hours to get here, and you're not getting any younger.

S04E12 Verna

I am this close to becoming the spokesperson for the vaginal mesh industry.S06E02 Idiots Are People Two!

I am this close to becoming the spokesperson for the vaginal mesh industry.

S06E02 Idiots Are People Two!

Disney Drinks Labels

Drinking and Disney Parks are two things that just seems to go beautifully together, whether it's drinking around the world at World Showcase, or enjoying a cocktail at Trader Sam's. I decided to create a series of labels for Disney park-themed alcohol, covering a variety of aesthetics - from Victorian apothecary bottles, traditional English beer mats, and elegant Art Deco lettering.

You can buy all of the designs as prints, shirts, bags and phone cases at my shop: www.society6.com/robyeo

The Pleasure Island Histerical Society

 
 

The backstory to Downtown Disney's infamous Pleasure island was conveyed through elusive plaques, erected by the diligent but unreliable "Pleasure island Histerical Society" and posted at the entrance to each building. Here they are, recreated in their entirety, read tales of sentient robots, physics-defying locomotives and even extraterrestrials!

Photoset: Imagination Pavilion 1982 from Kodak's Archives

For my recent post about EPCOT's VIP Lounges I reached out the the pavilions' former sponsors for more information. The Press team at Kodak were kind enough to send these pictures of the Imagination Pavilion from their archives, which I've never seen before.

So get a tissue handy as you gently weep for Magic Journeys, Captain EO, Honey I Shrunk The Audience and Dreamfinder.

 

Used with permission from Kodak. 

Behind The Scenes: Wonders of Life Placemat

Background

I have a fascination with Disney parks, particularly extinct attractions. The Wonders of Life pavilion is especially interesting to me because it’s tantalisingly still there for the most part, albeit under buckets of white paint.

For me it was an oddball time capsule of the 1990s, with vibrant colours, oversized toy-block constructions and an overarching “Midway of Life” carnival aesthetic you could browse while Yanni music played in the background.

I wanted to create a design that celebrated all of the pavilion’s offerings, from the E-Ticket Body Wars ride, right down to the Wonder Cycles and the quirky exhibits of the Sensory Funhouse. Not only that, but do it in a style that fit the feel and time period it inhabited.

This led me to the placemat activity sheets I’d see at McDonalds birthday parties as a kid, so merging all these elements became a complete nostalgia kick. Plus it was a lot of fun coming up with a Cranium Command themed word jumble and a Body Wars maze.

The colour scheme was based on Sussman & Prejza’s early work for Euro Disney in 1992; Deborah Sussman’s work on the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games had a huge impact on 90’s graphic design, and her iconic geometric confetti makes an appearance on the placemat also.

Process

 I started with a lot of research; old Disney park maps, 90’s food packaging, McDonald’s placemats as well as photos of the pavilion.

1997 EPCOT Map

Map of McDonaldland Placemat

I then did some exploratory sketches of a Wonder Cycle, the oversized headphones of Audio Antics and a sketch of a young batter at Coach’s Corner. Then using a photo overlooking the whole pavilions, I started drawing up a rough map, working out where each exhibit, tree and lamppost stood.

From this rough sketch I did a more detailed drawing to get all of the elements in, which I then scanned and began tracing on Illustrator; tracing, especially on such a detailed design is extremely time consuming and fiddly. At this point I played around with the peripheral elements, and added a maze, word jumble and other details.

Finally, I had a black and white line drawing which was ready for colour; this was surprisingly hard to get right – too blocky and you lost the details, too elaborate and it looks messy. After about three iterations I was happy with the look.

I’m really happy with the finished piece, it accomplished what I set out to do: create a record of all of the pavilions offerings in a fun format, and designed to look like it was printed in 1993 for a lunch tray at the Pure & Simple snack bar.