Webster University Gorloks

A big Sports Logo Pundit thank you goes out to graphic designer Benjamin Shown (check out his website, he's done some pretty fine work himself) for alerting me to the new athletics logo for his Webster University Gorloks. I guess I should also thank him for alerting me to the existence of Webster University in general. Somehow I had never heard this school.

"What's a Gorlok?" you ask. Don't worry, I had no idea either. According to the Webster University website a Gorlok is " reported to have the paws of a speeding cheetah, the horns of a fierce buffalo and the face of a dependable Saint Bernard. The myth of the Gorlok embodies the highest standards of speed, agility and stamina in an atmosphere of fairness and good conduct." The name was derived from two intersecting streets in Webster and was first used as their nickname in 1984.

The new Gorlok athletic logo (above) debuted in October after years of using a goofy, seemingly hand drawn Gorlok (right). Because of the old logo's amateur but accessible and unique quality, I think was a tough task for the designer and for the school to come up with something acceptable to all. How do you take a logo that has it's own homegrown, goofy, beloved spirit and give it a sleek modern look without losing what makes it unique?

The new logo does lose a little bit of that spirit, but I think that it does a better job of fulfilling the description of what the Gorlok is. It definitely "embodies the highest standards of speed, agility and stamina" better than the old logo who, to me, looks more like John Belushi in Animal House than a dependable Saint Bernard.

But in case you don't like the sleek new logo and prefer the old Gorlock, fear not. Both logos are still in use throughout Webster University today.

Team: Webster University Gorloks
League: St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletics Conference (Division III)
Location: Webster Groves, Missouri
Facilities: Facilities include GCS Stadium, home to the Gateway Grizzlies