DC Brings Back Classic Milton Glaser-Designed Logo

DC is going into the future by looking to the past.

The entertainment company Friday unveiled its new logo, including a logo for the fledgling screen media division, DC Studios. And it’s a logo with which many fans and readers will be familiar.

The company is bringing back the classic logo, known as the “DC bullet,” that graced its publications for almost three decades, from 1977 to 2005. The logo was designed by Milton Glaser, the legendary graphic designer who also introduced the “I Love NY” logo, among other notable works. Not only was his DC logo the longest-lasting, it also came at a time of a rising pop culture influence, making its impression all the more deep.

DC president and publisher Jim Lee said the logo was meant to evoke its powerful legacy while ushering in a new era of stories.

“Definity for the me, and many generations of fans, that particular logo defined DC in its heyday,” Lee said ahead of the unveiling, which took place at a “Jim Lee and Friends” panel at San Diego Comic-Con. “I remember during the renaissance of DC in the 1980s, with Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, The Shadow coming out, that was the DC logo. In the minds of many fans, that is the mark that defined the DC brand. It’s exciting to bring it back.”

Since 2005, DC has gone through three different logos as it sought to navigate the ever-shifting winds of the 21st century of the media landscape

The Glaser logo will begin appearing on comics, toys, and merchandising beginning in October. In a sign of unity between divisions, the logo will also appear on film and TV projects from DC Studios.

DC Studios also unveiled a motion graphic that will introduce its movies, beginning with next year’s Superman. The graphic steps away from the busy multi-character, super-cuts of intros seen from DC in recent years or that of rival Marvel Studios, and opts for a simpler, cleaner approach.

“We love the simplicity of the MGM lion,” said DC co-head Peter Safran ahead of the graphic’s debut. “It’s timeless, classic. And we thought, ‘What are the elements that we have for something like that?’ And Superman felt like that for DC.”

The graphic features Superman, in a drawing by his co-creator Joe Shusteer, come to life, busting out of chains, before the Glaser logo appears.

“It’s a good metaphor for what we’re doing together,” the executive said.

Friday’s panel also saw DC Studios co-head James Gunn introduce first-look footage and a teaser from the new adult animated Max series Creature Commandos, which acts as the official story launch of DC Studios (Gunn’s Superman, which hits theatres in July 2025, is the division’s first movie).

Actor David Dastmalchian, who created the horror comic Count Crowley, talked about working on a forthcoming Creature Commandos comic that also launches in October. Comic book writers Scott Snyder, Joshua Williamson and Tom King were also on hand to talk about DC’s new publishing initiative launching this fall, DC All In.