When Shinobi School was first formed, we knew from the beginning we were going to need a logo. But I was always so focused on building up the school and it’s community that unfortunately it was just one of those things that ended up falling through the cracks. I wound up saying that we’ll just figure it out “one day”. Since then, our students can tell you that their school has made so much progress in such an incredibly short amount of time. Yet we still didn’t have a logo, our symbol, our mantra. Something that our students can look at, and say, “That’s us. That’s our family. That’s where we train.” It was time to make it a priority, and it couldn’t be something that was slapped together just so we could say that we “have a logo”. It had to capture the feel, the strength, the bond, you could say the essence of our ninja community. Which means that whoever worked on it, had to be personally invested in it… Enter Joe Sotomayor
Joe has been drawing since he was 5 years-old, and has had booths at MegaCon’s artist alley for the past 2 years. He’s an avid Spider-Man cosplayer under the title of “Spider-Menace” and is a participant in the Florida branch of the Heroes Allaince and the MUCH Foundation, where he donates his time to charity and visits kids quarterly who are sick in hospitals. He’s also been training at Shinobi School since it’s inception with the goal to increase his health and fitness levels, and really bring everyone’s favorite wall crawler to life. He drives over an hour just get to Shinobi School (total over 4 hours a week both ways), and rarely misses a training opportunity. He is the perfect example of how “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” He’s even encouraged his wife Liza to join him in his passion, who is now a frequent flier in the Aerials Classes. Among his credentials, as well as a few little known facts, are that:
We could go on and on, but what it all came down to was that Joe Sotomayor was the perfect fit. He has the heart and mind to help bring the soul of Shinobi School to life. So without further adieu…
(Click to enlarge)
From the red kanji to the silhouette of your friendly neighborhood ninja, it captures the look and feel of the school’s aesthetic perfectly! Also, the bold lettering reinforces our mantra to students: to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone, overcome obstacles, reach toward their goals, be proud of their accomplishments! And keen observers may have noticed the subtle “- and more”, hinting at future opportunities and endeavors we’re considering adding. Such as pole fitness, dance, and zumba, to name a few. Well there you have it ninjas! Shinobi School has an official logo!!! And now you also know who you can contact for you future art projects! Thank you for joining us on this adventure, and happy training.
– Shinobi
Special thanks to Shinobi School student Shelby for your help and inspiration, only you could have helped me put this love letter to our school into words!