CREATIVE ADVICE NEEDED!

[layla]

I'll probably start fishing on the various message boards that I frequent, also. But I know that most of the people I chat with on message boards also read this journal.

I need a name for my studio, an umbrella name that I can use for a hub to pull together all my projects. I used to call it Susitna Mythographics, but I don't like that name for several reasons. I will probably keep that one as the "publishing" arm of (Whatever) Studios, since I have a block of ISBNs under that name, but I need a studio name, one that is general enough I can use it for both my comics and for my freelance art/design work.

Ultimately, of course, it is a personal decision. But I think I could have avoided a lot of the problems I've had with the SuMyth name if I'd floated that one past some friends before deciding to use it.

Here are some of the names I've been thinking about over the last few months:

Arctic Light Studio
Fireweed Studio
Fox Tale Studio
Sleeping Lady Studio
Raven Dreams Studio
Black Spruce Studio

I'm hunting for something that reflects Alaska and/or the Arctic, but also has a harmonious sound and isn't horribly over-used (which is the trouble with anything having to do with ravens).

Comments

[trishalynn.livejournal.com]

Here are my impressions:

Arctic Light Studio

When I saw this at first, I thought it read "Arclight" which is the name of an X-Men villain, one of the Marauders. Not a bad connotation since it conjures up the whole comics thing. Without the mis-read, Arctic Light is very serene, reminiscent of the northern lights.

Fireweed Studio

Makes me think of "numbweed", the paste/plant from the Anne McCaffrey novels. On its own, it's a sort of fantasy-ish sort of name.

Fox Tale Studio

Cute! Could get some confusion with the Foxtrot comic, but hey, that's not a bad thing.

Sleeping Lady Studio

Not my favorite of the bunch. I'm not sure why, but I don't like it.

Raven Dreams Studio

I like it slightly more than SL, but I do like how it ties into your RC book.

Black Spruce Studio

Trees are good to associate with. They're strong and durable, very eco-friendly.

What's in a name?

[neosquirrel.livejournal.com]

Arctic Light Studio
I like this one- but sounds very... remote and distant... and yet comforting...

Fireweed Studio
Anything in this day and age with "weed" in it is just snickered at. Sad world we live in.

Fox Tale Studio
Sounds like an animation studio. I like it, but it's probably not the image you're going for.

Sleeping Lady Studio
I have no idea why I think this, but I just get an image of an Old West showgirl sleeping on some canopied bed.

Raven Dreams Studio
I see the reference, but it sounds overused and New Ageish.

Black Spruce Studio
Charred trees just pop up in the mind. Not a good thing. Only a logo showing one would counteract, but too much work for that sort of name.

[arcana-j.livejournal.com]

Lea (over the phone) and I both like Fireweed Studio best.

[jeepersjournal.livejournal.com]

Arctic Light Studio- Sounds a bit generic
Fireweed Studio- I like this one
Fox Tale Studio- Though I like this one more. It makes me think of the japanese fox legends, with the multitailed foxes.
Sleeping Lady Studio- Don't like this one so much
Raven Dreams Studio- I like Ravens :)
Black Spruce Studio- Not so much.

So, Fireweed, Fox Tale and Raven Dreams. Fox Tale'ld be my choice of the three

Arctic Light is my favorite of the bunch...

[vogelein.livejournal.com]

... And it doesn't look like anyone else is using it.

What about Inukshuk Studios?

Janer

Re: Arctic Light is my favorite of the bunch...

[laylalawlor.livejournal.com]

That's a cool idea, but I think I'd have one of the same problems I did with using the name Susitna -- people would constantly ask what it was.

[laylalawlor.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the responses; I thought I'd respond en masse rather than individually.

Of these options, my personal favorites are Arctic Light and Fireweed. It seems that these drew stronger responses than most of the others (not necessarily favorable in every case).

Explanations for where the names come from and why they have personal significance to me:

Arctic Light refers not just to the northern lights (although, those too) but to the distinctive quality of light at high lattitudes -- the clear air, long sunrises and sunsets, and unique colors of the sky. The sky up here looks different from anywhere else I've been.

The down side to Arctic Light is that I don't think it rolls pleasantly off the tongue -- sounds slightly harsh and awkward. It's also the name of an elementary school in Fairbanks and a photography studio that I found via Googling.

Fireweed Studio is my second favorite. The magenta-colored fireweed flowers are ubiquitous in Alaska and northern Canada in late summer, and because of their vivid color and tendency to grow (and bloom) in huge photogenic fields, pretty much every tourist publication on Alaska and the Yukon Territory includes pictures of sweeping vistas of fireweed with mountains in the background. It's very much a part of what makes me think of Alaska and home. It's also a symbol of renewal, being among the first plants to come back after a fire. This has special significance for me right now because of the vast forest fire that burned within 15 miles of where I live last summer.

Fireweed's down side is that it doesn't sound as pretty as it is. Dunno if I agree with Neosquirrel's assessment of the name, but if someone hasn't seen a fireweed plant, it doesn't really conjur images of beautiful hardy flowers.

Fox Tale Studio -- I wish this didn't sound so cutesy and gimicky, because I really would like to use it somehow. I live in a town called Fox and there are also wild foxes galore in our neighborhood. But, while I don't have any problem with puns in general, using a pun as the name of my business doesn't seem like a good idea.

Sleeping Lady -- that's what Susitna Mythographics was *almost* called, because the other name for Mt. Susitna (where I grew up) is The Sleeping Lady (because of its shape).

Raven Dreams -- like Fox Tale, I like it and it has significance for me, but I have trouble with the trendiness of it.

Black Spruce -- my third favorite after Arctic Light and Fireweed, though it doesn't seem to get a good response from my "beta testers". Ah, the under-appreciated black spruce, the only tree I can consistently and reliably draw. Our property in Fox is full of them, as they're one of the only large plants that can grow in permafrost. But, like Arctic Light, the words don't go together very well, and like Fireweed, it doesn't bring up a vivid, accurate picture in the mind of someone who hasn't seen one.

Hm.

Thanks again for the comments ... I'm off to think some more.

[divalea.livejournal.com]

Fox Tale sounds like it furry, as in furries.
Fireweed sounds good to me whether I think of the flower or not. IT'S JUST COOL.

[acoustic-rob.livejournal.com]

Once you explained the significance, I liked Fireweed a lot. But this lower-48'er had no idea what a fireweed was until you did. So it's probably no good.

Given the fact that you expect folks outside Alaska will be reading your comics, I like Arctic Light best, even if it's a little clunky to pronounce. Once again I didn't get the full significance of the name, but the "Arctic Light --> Northern Lights" connection works for the uninformed...and you can put a 'about Arctic Light' blurb in the indicia to spell out the full meaning.

Rob