Annelise: Who designed the classic Mortal sin logo and what was the design process for the Mayhemic Destruction album artwork?
Mat: The Mortal Sin logo was designed by our original guitarist Keith Krstin, but the ironworks type font was what we all wanted, but it was Keith who actually drew it.
The Mayhemic Destruction artwork was something that we all wanted, we felt it was a great way to show that we were Australian and also just look brutally metal. The original cover was drawn by the graphic designer at OK Signcraft whose last name was O’Keefe but I don’t remember his first name. The Demon was given the name Oscar Kilo which was the call sign for OK.
The second version of the album that was released by Phonogram Records in the United Kingdom was designed by Simon Bisley who went on to become famous for his work on the comic 2000AD and also several Danzig albums among a million other things.
Was the Demon on Mayhemic created with the intention of making it the Mortal Sin mascot, or did the fans adopt it first?
Not really, though it soon became evident that the Simon Bisley design was going to become something big, and was really popular among the fans. The album also featured in an album cover display of Australian artists at The Powerhouse Museum as well.
Did merchandise featuring the Mayhemic Demon sell better than other merchandise items on offer?
Our two best selling shirts are the Mayhemic Destruction prints and also our large logo print.
Do you think the metal mascot was just an 80’s thing or should newer bands think about creating their own mascots or characters?
It seems like it is an 80’s thing, I haven’t really seen too many bands these days creating one, most just create a really good logo and use that on their merchandise. I think it’s a great idea to have a mascot, especially if it’s a really good one that can be reproduced as either an action figure or a plush toy, and can even be used in film clips. I think fans could identify really well with a good creation.
Who is your favourite metal mascot and why?
I really like the Overkill one, it was so good that a (very) similar version was used by Avenged Sevenfold (lol), but for me Eddie from Iron Maiden has to be the pinnacle. When I saw them at the Capitol Theatre back in 1982 and this monstrous 12ft high Eddie came out on stage, the whole crowd went apeshit! They’ve used him sensibly and consistently throughout their career and if you showed his picture to any metalhead 100% of them would be able to identify him.
The Heavy Corner 