h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello, people.
I would like to run an idea by you to see what you all think of it.

On the way back from the London meet in January, the parties present in the car (Jamie, vogonpoet, fords_prefect and myself) started talking about perhaps getting some T-shirts made for the SRG. So, as the ScotMett 2002 is getting nearer, I thought I'd put the idea forth to see what people think about getting some T-shirts made in time for the meet-up.

What we'd need for the T-shirts is a logo (preferrably a really snazzy one) and then maybe even gettign them personalised with our hootoo names, or something.

So, first question: Is anyone interested in getting some T-shirts made? In other words, would YOU like your own unofficial hootoo shirt?

Second question: Logo. While on another trip down to London, fords, DrGonzo and I discussed a possible logo, consisting of a thistle, where the leaves on the stem would spell out H2G2 and the "ball" of the flower would spell out SRG (which can be made into a fairly circular pattern). Anyone have any other idea on how to do it? Does anyone have the skills to put a logo suggestion onto paper? Cause I know i can't draw worth a damn.

Suggestions, questions, abuse???

Hey LiS I think it is a good idea, and I would go for one as long as the logo bit is not too big Oh, on another note, Jamie, if you are passing could you put me down here as a Scottish Research (NE Coast) and as a possible for the meetup Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

Done (not the t-shirts, obviously, I ain't that good)

Dang, I've got the tune to 'Harvey the Wonder Hamster' stuck in my head again...

Cheers mannie Until later....
BCNU - Crescent

Oi, Jamie, no!! You've got me at it now!

Harvey, Harvey, Harvey the Wonder Hamster.

Hi, Crescent.

I would think that we could probably get the logo to be somewhere between 3"x4" or something like that.
But I guess we'd have to see a draft of the logo before any such decision could be made.. And as I said, I can't draw worth a damn, so I wouldn't even be able to come up with a reasonably good sketch...

It sounds like quite a good idea to me. The question is, of course, would you get into any problems with the BBC for using the H2G2 logo? If not, then making the SRG logo look similar will definately get my vote.

Well, incidentally, when we were down in London for the Buzzcocks recording, fords, Gonzo, Pegasus, Phil and myself got a tour of the Towers, and I happened to ask Peta if they would object to us using the h2g2 logo on an SRG t-shirt. She said that they would not give permission to use the hootoo logo if we asked them.
That means one of two things can happen:
1. We make up our own logo (perhaps something like what I described previously in the thread) so that we don't use the actual official hootoo logo.
2. We don't ask permission.

I've got another idea - we'll have a competition at the meet to design a t-shirt...the winning designer gets his/her t-shirt made up for free and there might be a wee prize in it too...what do you think?

But... Wouldn't the free T-shirt be prize enough?

The reason I bring this up now, is that it would be cool to have the T-shirts for the meet in May.
Also, if it is a T-shirt that is for the Scottish Researcher's Group, would a competition open to everyone at the meet, including non-SRG researchers, work? What then, if the winning contribution was from a non-SRG researcher? Not that I'm against non-SRG researchers having those T-shirts, but I think of it as something like Pastey and Shazz' Post T-shirts... It'd be cool to have something to distinguish ourselves with at meets.

What price individuality and freedom of expression?


To wear with pride our badge of SRG membership status,
In times most likely to impress,
Let those shirts be designed forwith,
In this handy mid-meet hiatus,
Long enough that undue stress,
Need not lie upon our scribe.

Then let us print them without long pause,
Nor give the italics reasonable cause,
To complain of logo copying.

Lost's thistle would become us,
Were it to dwell upon our sleaves,
But who can draw so stout an icon,
That awe for SRG it leaves,
Amongst those without such shirts?

A tricky challenge no doubt about it,
From whose neat hand shall we benefit?


I shall stop now my terrible poetry, and let sighs of relief roam.

Is there not someone amongst us who is able to draw a logo as LiS describes? Preferably on a computer I should think?

If I had a spare half-day and a computer with coreldraw or similar I would attempt it myself, but spare half-days are kinda thin on the ground at the moment... I could maybe have something within a week though, if no one else steps up, but you should probably view my offer as a loast resort, as its a while since I last made any computer graphics of a quality wearable upon a t-shirt.

I can draw, but no longer have use of a scanner...

I can draw! I can draw! An example of my work currently adorns fords' door. A portrait of her, no less. ;D

And a very crap picture it is too...

I've also given a crude sketch of the idea to one of my mates, and he said he can draw, and that he'd have a look at it. He'd try to get the logo in a scale of 1:1 and he'd also try to scan it for us. We might have a draft before teh end of the week.

And if that picture gets the approval of the SRG, we will have no problem with copyright infringements or anything as it's an original, and it will not have very much in common with the hootoo logo.

Would vogonpoet's middle name be Topaz?

I like the idea of the t shirt but alas have none of the qualifications to back up the idea - except perhaps some cash to buy one .....

Your saying that you like the idea is good enough. And if you decide that you want to buy a T-shirt, then that's cool too.

Does anyone know of any good places that would be able to actually print the T-shirts for us, if we can agree on a good logo and wish to go ahead with the idea?

There is a place by Kelvingrove underground that is good. I have done a number of T-Shirts there, from one offs to big batches.