Doom Logo PNG
The Doom series of computer games, a first-person shooter, features a logo that uses the game’s name, consistent with its concept. The style and form of the Doom logo have remained unchanged over the years, reflecting the game’s tense atmosphere and essence. Each game in the series has its distinctive mark.
Doom: Brand overview
Doom is a first-person shooter video game in a series. Its first release dates back to 1993, with the latest in 2020. It was created by a group of like-minded programmers and is owned by ZeniMax Media. Among the developers are John Romero, John Carmack, Tom Hall, Kevin Cloud, and Adrian Carmack.
The main character is an unnamed space marine working for the Union Aerospace Corporation (UAC). He opposes hordes of demons and monsters to prevent the takeover of Earth. The events unfold on the planet Mars, its nearest satellites, and in two laboratories. The computer shooter has 3D graphics, a multiplayer mode, and support for individual modifications. It all began in 1992 when id Software released a game that brought substantial profit and recognition among gamers and critics alike. It was Wolfenstein 3D. After its release, programmer John Carmack became engrossed in studying progressive technologies. Meanwhile, the rest of the team was simultaneously working on another video game. As a result, he proposed a new engine. Kevin Cloud immediately appreciated the emerging advantages and wanted to combine them with fresh developments for the new game they were making. The team began implementing the idea immediately after launching Spear of Destiny.
But at the very beginning of implementation, the programmers and designers pondered a name that would eventually become the basis for the shooter’s overall emblem. One of the employees suggested the word “Doom,” spoken by Tom Cruise’s character at the end of the movie “The Color of Money.” It fits the plot concept perfectly, as it conveys several meanings: “fate,” “doom,” and “destiny.”
Developing the game took a year. Like the studio’s previous video game, it was initially distributed as shareware: the first episode was free and served as a demo version. This version was released by id Software itself, with copies published by GT Interactive. The first part appeared on BBS only in December 1993. The next version (extended) was launched in 1995. The last episode was released in 2020 as Doom Eternal. Generally, a version of the game’s main or additional content was released every year for a certain period.
Meaning and History
All Doom logos contain the name of this series of video games. The word was always written in capital letters, creating a sense of danger and tension through the visually massive lines and their many angles. Additionally, the inscription’s typography resembles the upper jaw’s teeth, not ordinary ones, but sharp, like those of a predatory animal. After the redesign, the emblem’s shape remained virtually unchanged: developers focused on color, replacing the multicolored “brick” ornament with a solid black fill.
The debut game is divided into three episodes, each with eight levels (+ one secret level). This division is not used in subsequent versions. The plot is presented differently, depending on the part: it could be text inserts, notes, remarks, or videos. Furthermore, all series have a distinctive mark. It mainly relates to the content and reflects the character (mostly undead, monsters, demons). The only constants are the name’s style and form, which are the logo’s main details.
What is Doom?
Doom is a multimedia franchise created based on the eponymous video game, which first appeared in 1993. It exists in the form of comics, novels, sequels, board games, and various adaptations. Its creators are Tom Hall, Kevin Cloud, Adrian Carmack, John Romero, and John Carmack.
1993 – 2016
The Doom logo was designed by the renowned artist Donald Ivan Punchatz, known for his illustrations in magazines and science fiction publications. He presented the game’s name in a brutal style, “suspending” the massive inscription over space. This effect is created by the shape of the letters: horizontally aligned at the top, with sharp spikes protruding at the bottom. Even the two “O” letters have angles resembling those of asymmetric heptagons. The “D” on the left and the “M” on the right are elongated downwards, making the word resemble an arch.
To enhance the impression of “archness,” the artist decorated the bottom part of the letters with a brown brick ornament. At the same time, the top part of the inscription looks completely different: it is adorned with a gray pattern of pipes and bulbs, resembling some complex mechanism. Such a design speaks of the variety of Doom’s locations. The inter-letter spaces of “D” and “O” look like corridors receding into the distance.
2016 – today
Modern designers simplified the logo, making the computer game’s name black and two-dimensional. They removed the lateral faces that protruded at the edges, freeing space inside “D” and “O.” The external letters retained their sharp serifs, and both “O”s kept their original heptagonal shape. But now the word “Doom” looks more symmetrical, as the disrupted proportions have been corrected. At least, the border between the two “O”s runs exactly in the center of the inscription.
Font and Colors
The main symbol of Doom is a slanted inscription with letters of varying sizes. Despite being text, the signs in it are individual. The central “O” has pointed angles and truncated upper edges. The “D” and “M” have opposite sides that are equally elongated, making the letters appear mirror-identical. In shape, they resemble a guillotine blade. They also have two serifs: a small one at the bottom and a larger one at the top.
The font used for the shooter’s emblem closely resembles Amazdoom, created by Amazingmax. They have similarly pointed letters with elongated elements. The color of the emblem can vary by series.