From penguins and dolphins to borzois and beyond, this article explores how some of the best-known publishing houses in the industry chose their animal-themed logos.
I love how some of them, like Penguin’s penguin have become so iconic that I hardly even recognize them as a picture of an animal anymore – I think “books” not “penguins” when I see it.
My personal favourite is Puffin. Here are some facts about puffins:
-A puffin is a seabird, whose diet consists mainly of fish.
-For some reason, a lot of people seem to think puffins are flightless birds. Not so.They nest on cliffs and rock faces, so being flightless would be a cruel trick.
-Their outrageous, colorful bills are largely to attract mates – they shed them after mating season to reveal a smaller, less impressive beak.
-There are a lot of puffins in Iceland, and they’re hunted there, for meat, feathers etcetera. If you’re a tourist to Iceland you can expect to see Puffin offered on a lot of menus, including the fresh, raw heart of a puffin offered as a delicacy. That strikes me as a bit on the grisly side. Sure, we eat chicken, but if someone offers me the fresh, raw heart of a hen, I will politely decline and request a well-broiled drumstick.
-Puffins have been featured in many advertisements and signs because of their contribution to the hilarious phrase “No Puffin’!” in order to communicate that people should please not smoke in the vicinity.
