Cool S

The "Cool S", also known as the "Stüssy S", "Super S", "Superman S", "Pointy S", "Slayer S", "Graffiti S", "The S Factor",[1] "The Universal S", and many other names, is a graffiti sign in popular culture that is typically doodled on children's notebooks or graffitied on walls. The exact origin of the "Cool S" is unknown.[1] It may have begun as a geometric puzzle or pattern dating back centuries, or it may have appeared around the 1960s or 1970s[2] as a part of graffiti culture. Contrary to popular belief, the symbol has no ties to either the American clothing brand Stüssy or to the character Superman.

A drawing of the "Cool S" and the corresponding four-step guide to drawing one

Shape

The "Cool S" consists of 14 line segments, forming a stylized, pointed S-shape. It has also been compared to the infinity symbol.[3] The "tails" (pointy ends) of the S appear to link underneath so that it loops around on itself in the same way as the infinity symbol does.[4] The "Cool S" has no reflection symmetry, but has 2-fold rotational symmetry. As illustrated, a common way to draw the shape begins with two sets of three parallel, vertical lines, one above the other.

History

Origin

The origin of the "Cool S" is unclear.[5] A similar-looking symbol appears in the 1890 book Mechanical Graphics.[6] "Double 'S' markings" also appear in the 1982 painting Portrait of the Artist as a Young Derelict by Jean-Michel Basquiat.[7]

The name "Superman S" comes from a belief that it was a symbol for Superman, whose costume features a stylized "S" in a diamond shape, but that shape is quite different. Although frequently referred to as the "Stüssy S", Emmy Coats (who has worked alongside Shawn Stussy since 1985) has stated that it was never a symbol of the Californian surf company.[8]

Spread

Paul Cobley, Professor in Language and Media at Middlesex University in London, England, provided an explanation for the prevalence of the "Cool S": "That is, it's fun to draw."[8]

See also

References
  1. "how to make one graffiti S". DrawingNow DrawingNow. Retrieved May 14, 2018.
  2. Mailer, Norman (2009). The Faith of Graffiti. It Books. ISBN 978-0061961700.
  3. Lindwasser, Anna. "Here's The Story Behind That Cool 'S' Thing You Used To Draw In Class". Ranker. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  4. "Local Investigates: The Mysterious S Symbol". NYU Local. February 12, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  5. Neelon, Caleb (November 23, 2010). "Solve the Mystery of the Pointy S". Print Magazine. Retrieved January 29, 2017.
  6. Shepherd, Rebecca (August 14, 2019). "This Guy Spent Five Years Researching The Origins Of The 'Universal S'". LADBible. Retrieved April 30, 2020.
  7. Hoffman, Fred (2017). The Art of Jean-Michel Basquiat. New York: Enrico Navarra Gallery. p. 211. ISBN 978-2-911596-53-7. The double 'S' markings on the center piece resemble other marks and gestures found in Basquiat's paintings from this time [...] While it became less and less a part of Basquiat's art production, there are continued references to graffiti style in his paintings and works on paper, such as the 'S' symbol.
  8. Morgans, Julian (July 23, 2016). "That 'S' Thing Everyone Drew in School, What Is It?". Vice. Retrieved March 21, 2019. No, this is not an original Stussy Logo [...] I personally get asked this a lot, but people have been drawing this S long before Stussy was established. People have just assumed it was Stussy and it's sort of spread from there. It's actually quite amusing.


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