Opinion BY Armin

The Stars of Roller Derby

Established in 2001, TXRD Lonestar Rollergirls is a 6-team, skater-owned, all-girl roller derby league in Austin, TX. They are credited as one of the main reasons for the modern-day revival of the sport, appearing in the 13-episode reality series Rollergirls on A&E as well as being the namesake of the league in the mildly popular Drew Barrymore film Whip It!. Playing on the harder-core banked track (as opposed to flat) the TXRD is made up of the Hellcats, Putas Del Fuego (Fire’s Whores), Holy Rollers, Rhinestone Cowgirls, Cherry Bombs, and Hired Gun$. A new identity was introduced in May, designed by Austin-based Greatest Common Factory.

The old logo was a pretty decent attempt, cheekily co-opting the mudflap girl and employing some Westerney-looking typefaces. The overall effect was pretty much on-brand with the idea of roller derby in a city like Austin. The new logo is a much more polished, pro-sports-looking logo that perhaps takes away from the small-town feel of the original. The big “X” — which provides a Gestalten moment for a Texas-sized star — makes it look more like an X-Games-type sport but, as part of the bigger identity, the logo only plays a smaller, supporting role to the fun yet dramatic photographs of the skaters adorned with playful yet bad-ass typography. Overall, it’s a great image improvement that captures both the intensity and entertainment values of chicks skating fast and hitting hard.

Thanks to Rachel Czarnecki for the tip.