File talk:Faux Neon Cocktails Sign.svg
History and inspiration for this image[edit]
Cocktail signs have been in common use at bars and restaurants since the 1950s[1]. They all characteristically include the word "Cocktails", and usually depict a triangular-shaped cocktail glass. The traditional drink served in a cocktail glass is a Martini, thus one or more olives on a cocktail pick are common, too. In the 1980s and 90s, cocktails took on more of a tropical twist, and palm trees, parrots, and other tropical symbolism began to appear in neon signs.
This is an original creation that I made in Adobe Illustrator, saved as an SVG file, tweaked a bit in Inkscape, and then first published here at Wikimedia Commons. I do not believe that this is a derivative work, though it is similar to several other "cocktails" signs. It includes the common elements of the word "Cocktails" and a Martini in a cocktail glass with an olive pick. Obviously, this is not a real neon sign. It is an SVG line-art representation of a typical neon cocktail sign.
I created this image from scratch to be a replacement for a derivative image of a possibly copyrighted image. The derivative was used as the logo for the WikiProject Mixed Drinks. Several other wikis also used variations of the original derivative images, so this image can be used there as well, without having to worry about possible copyright violations. Also, being an SVG image, it can scale to practically any size, which the other images could not.
Below are several other examples of cocktail signs that I looked at before making my own image. Obviously, these signs may have helped inspire me a bit, but so have all the other cocktails signs I've seen throughout my life. However, I feel my work is truly original, or at least as original as any cocktails sign that includes the common characteristics I mentioned.
- Blue variations
- Sign at auction
- Manufacturer of the preceding sign?
- Chinese sign that is very similar
- Another very similar one
- Acclaim Images clip art
- Likely derivative work from an unknown source
- LED sign (bottom of page)
- Two more (bottom of page)
- Green variations
- Get Retro Collection (bottom of the page)
- Another NeonSigns.com sign
- BBC.co.uk used the same image (under Tomato and Cucumber Cooler)
- Very similar
- Other variations
- 3D Model (or is it real? difficult to tell!)
- Mini sign
- Tap Room
- A different look, but similar theme
- Words in a similar style
- "Cocktails" stock photo
- "Cocktails" freely licensed stock photo
I hope you enjoy the image. Feel free to make derivative works from it (add glows, adjust how the pick and the glass cross each other to try for a more authentic neon look, etc.) since it is CC-BY-SA-3.0-US licensed. Just remember to give me credit, and please do not overwrite this file with derivative images, unless it is to correct an SVG error that causes bugs in some situations. Thanks! --Willscrlt (Talk) 10:56, 10 April 2009 (UTC)
