First off, an apology to readers: I thought I’d scheduled the battle report I promised last time just in case I did get entirely sidetracked like I suspected I might. You’ll see that article next Wednesday…guaranteed.

Although this probably isn’t news to most of my readers who frequent both Heroclixin’ and HCRealms: yours truly was voted the winner of the HCRealms T-shirt design contest late last summer, with this design and slogan:

Really, though, it was the slogan that people loved more than the design, which stings me a bit, being a professional graphic designer. (But I’m also a professional writer, so it balances out.) Indeed, some folks actively hated the design, making the contest sponsor a little uncertain what direction to go in.

The irony is that I’d only done the orange version on a whim and suggestion by a voter. Here’s the actual original design that somehow got lost or overlooked in the submissions:

Better, but the same issues remain, I think. I did a final revision that addressed my problems with the original design:

But the sponsor felt that even this didn’t quite scream “buy me” enough, and the use of the silhouetted figures treaded too closely to copyright infringement for his comfort. So he chose to go with another designer’s take on the same idea, and this was the result:

Yes. I approve.

Even though I get a free shirt as winner, I’m buying this, too.  If my own design hadn’t won, I’d intended to print one for myself. Now, I don’t think I’d bother.

Go to the poll at www.hcrealms.com and register your preferred shirt size and buy one or more!

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OK. As I write this, the midnight showing of “Thor” is a few scant hours away. Depending on how well I like the film, I might be trying out some Asgard-themed teams in the near future. We’ll see.