I was in San Francisco in 1996 with some studio friends taking a break after the conference in L.A. After a whole day touring we ended up at one of the comedy club by the Pier in the evening. We enjoyed the stand-ups. So was the crowd of multi-nationals. There was a group of girls near our table. One of the stand-up asked them where there are from and what they do for a living? They said they are students from Israel. That sounded fine to everybody. Then they were asked what are they going to do after their studies? They replied proudly that they are going to join the army. The stand-up who incidentally looked like he was from Hitler’s army responded by asking “Do you want my land?” The crowd burst into laughter. The students presumed that the whole of United States support the Zionists. By now I guess they have realized their killing career.
The Zionists propaganda machine really got into them. They thought they are doing something righteous. Later when I was a living in Tennessee I found a website that is selling IDF (Israel Defense Force) memorabilia. The propaganda machine is still hard at work. I have seen people wearing T-Shirts and cars with bumper stickers that support the Zionists. It seems hip to support the robbers and killers. While others who support the Palestinians are frown upon and even tagged as supporting the terrorists. The propaganda machine is hard at work bending the minds of the media and leaders of the so called civilized world.
The main objective of Palestine 3000 A.D. project is to untagged those labels they stamped upon us who support Palestine. We also want to attract others who are still ignorant about the issue. Others who are still in fantasy land who just want to be cool and hip. That is the reason that I place much emphasis on style in the design. You still can be hip if you associate yourself with Palestine. Now your hipness has substance and not just pure fantasy.
The centre of that style has to be symbol or a logo. When I started designing the poster with the logo type around 3 years ago I was not into blogging or Facebook. I did not really care if the logo type was going to look good if it is reduced to a tiny thumbnail. I was just trying to stir myself up to write the script. Since I have started planning for the promo recently a logo design was high on the agenda.
I did single line strokes based on the Palestinian flag and fit it inside a circle but the design looked weak. It did not have enough grunge in it as I did for the initial logo type. Then I realized that I need to add some body to it and came out with this new sketch. It seems simple like it was scribbled on a napkin but it took a month to realized it. The design has room to grow because it will be adapted into other promotional medium.
Around 6 month ago I met a manager of an art bookshop for lunch. He briefed me on various ways how books are laid out on the shelves. He said it is 
important to have maximum exposure of the cover design no matter how it is laid out. Sometime the books are laid out with their front covers faced out and overlapped by other books they are promoting. Usually one third of the left hand side of the books are exposed leaving the main title two-third covered. If you do not have any recognizable image or logo on that exposed one third customers may overlooked your book.
Hence that small logo must be prominent enough to be recognizable even at a glance. That means the colour and form demands a serious consideration. Not only it has to be loud enough but it must have a real meaning. That took me a couple of weeks in Photoshop to get the elements together to form a real balance in design.
The grunge still remains in the design. It is not meant to be glossy and shiny. Palestine is not a Disney story. There is nothing to laugh about when people lost their lives, families and homes. There is no perfect line in the design. The thick grey brush strokes symbolized walls that divide the people and took their freedom away. But in Palestine 3000 A.D. those divisions are about confinement of a different kind. It also symbolized division among Palestinians. To be strong they need to unite no matter what differences they have among themselves. They should not fall into the trap of the Zionists who divide and conquer. They should not be any Hamas, Fatah or Hizbullah or any other factions. It should be just one Palestine. Raise your heads high and be proud just as the logo facing up no matter how hopeless lives may be. The worst prison is the mind. We have to liberate our minds. So I let those grey strokes exceed the main circle of restriction and division.
Naturally human like to remain divided. We always like to find a reason to be different rather than common. We came from a single blood. It is too precious to shed even a single drop. But we always think that it is them and not us. In our comfort zones we always think that way. But I hope even for a moment you could touch this pain beyond your TVs, movies, games, and comics. Abandon your fantasies and embrace this reality. Listen to what this image speaks. We can help to make it louder.
