Professional designer, owner of proposed Southside logo will help with new look

What could have been an embarrassing legal blunder over the selection of a new Southside High School mascot logo has resulted in gaining design support from a man involved in logo designs for the Houston Texans, Atlanta Falcons and Cincinnati Bengals – just to name a few professional teams.

The Fort Smith Public School Board voted 7-0 on July 27 to change the mascot and end use of the “Dixie” fight song that has been associated with the school since it opened in 1963. The Board voted to discontinue use of “Dixie” as the Southside High School fight song in the 2015-2016 school year and to drop the Rebel as the Southside mascot in the 2016-2017 school year.

On Monday (Nov. 2), the Southside High School Mascot Committee voted to approve a logo for the new Mavericks mascot. The logo beat out 149 other designs with a unanimous vote. Committee leaders said the logo would still need to be finished and cleaned up before reaching its final form, but they appreciated the fact the mascot is “racially neutral” and that its location within the star is versatile.

However, the logo is very similar to a logo version used by the Dallas Desperados. The team was part of the Arena Football League between 2002 and 2008. Rights to the team belong to Jerry Jones, Arkansas native and owner of the Dallas Cowboys.

But Mark Verlander, with Montara, Calif.-based Verlander Design, told Talk Business & Politics he owns the Desperado design. Verlander created the image as part of a project for the Dallas Desperados. He said rights were never transferred.

“We own that,” Verlander said Tuesday.

Wayne Haver, principal of Southside High School and chairman of the Mascot Committee, said he was “very frustrated with it” when learning after Monday’s vote that the mascot was not an original logo. He was told prior to the meeting that it was designed by a Southside graduate.

Thinking the logo belonged to Jones, Haver reached out to his former classmate from North Little Rock High School. Haver and Jones graduated together in 1960 from North Little Rock, and Haver used to ride in Jones’ car to track meets.

“We were friends in high school, but we were not what you would call ‘hangout buddies,’” Haver said.

Haver was able to reach Jones’ secretary and explained the potential legal dilemma, and she promised to get the info to Jones and his management team.

But then Haver spoke with Verlander, who said he still had the rights to the logo and was willing to work with the school on the transition. Verlander, who said he received several notifications early Tuesday that a school district in Arkansas was attempting to use the logo, confirmed in a brief interview with Talk Business & Politics his desire to work with Southside. Haver said the committee wants to adjust the logo colors and place an “S” in the bandana area that covers the neck of the mascot character.

“I will do everything I can do to work with them. … Anything to help out the kids,” Verlander said during the interview.

Verlander’s work also includes images for RadioShack, PGA Championship, Lenovo, Adventures by Disney, the NBA All-Star Game, and Red Bull.

Verlander’s commitment helped relieve Haver’s frustration.

“Our goal was to stick with the design and try to get it legally,” Haver said.

Haver is now not sure about Jones’ connection to the logo.

“I don’t know where Jerry fits into it now. … You know, it will probably take a few days or longer before they (Cowboys organization) get back with us,” Haver said.

As to if the logo character is a Maverick or Desperado, Verlander’s answer was immediate.

“Desperado,” he said.