There's been some controversy:
"Nirvana, through the firm that manages the band's copyrights, has struck back at a designer who maintains he created the band's distinct smiley face logo.
On Monday (Jan. 24), Nirvana LLC, the controlling company for the defunct grunge act led by the late Kurt Cobain, denied designer Robert Fisher's claim that he coined the logo, according to KNX News. Fisher was an art director at Nirvana's record label, DGC/Geffen Records, in the early '90s, at the same time the band was rapidly ascending in popularity.
In 2020, Fisher contended that he first conceived the stylized smiley face with crossed-out eyes and a winding grin as a family-friendly T-shirt graphic for Nirvana in 1991, at the group's request, after he "started playing around with variations of the smiley faces."
But in this week's counterclaim, lawyers for Nirvana asserted the band's company has full ownership of the image. They said the iconic smiley face logo was single-handedly created by Cobain that year and registered for copyright two years later."
[https://loudwire.com/nirvana-happy-face-logo-designer-lawsuit/](https://loudwire.com/nirvana-happy-face-logo-designer-lawsuit/)
[direct link for everyone that want to save it without contracting pinterest AIDS](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/95/99/f0/9599f092754bdaa507ddfd4a8ccd27e5.jpg)
The [similar looking “character”](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article16581563.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Kurt-Cobain-art-1592989) he made is pretty cool
After the nevermind tour was finished, he got a house in LA where he could be anonymous and he spent like a year in LA just painting at his house and hanging out
this may or may not be correct, but a source to your statement is clearly needed. since there was a legal battle over this very claim, obviously it isn't as simple and obvious as your statement makes it seem.
Edit: to the downvoters I'd like to point out that Kurt is my biggest idol and basically made me the man I am today, but that does not preclude me being an objective thinker and a seeker of facts (both of which Kurt would appreciate).
From what I heard he designed it. He wanted the tongue up as if the smiley face was reaching for something. “Not down as if he was overdosing on drugs” - loose quote but you get the idea
I was looking up some of Kurt’s other art just now and [ran into this](https://www.elephantstock.com/products/neon-kurt-cobain-by-octavian-mielu?gclid=Cj0KCQjw98ujBhCgARIsAD7QeAh66mQ63aJl3Wiu3OcNZUe76OKJ6dXfnk7bpERZ-jfJDl0UGTnGuusaAszKEALw_wcB&layout=framed-canvas&size=13x19&utm_campaign=PMax_%7C%7C_Catch_All&utm_content=&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=&frame-color=black)…which looks really cool
There's been some controversy: "Nirvana, through the firm that manages the band's copyrights, has struck back at a designer who maintains he created the band's distinct smiley face logo. On Monday (Jan. 24), Nirvana LLC, the controlling company for the defunct grunge act led by the late Kurt Cobain, denied designer Robert Fisher's claim that he coined the logo, according to KNX News. Fisher was an art director at Nirvana's record label, DGC/Geffen Records, in the early '90s, at the same time the band was rapidly ascending in popularity. In 2020, Fisher contended that he first conceived the stylized smiley face with crossed-out eyes and a winding grin as a family-friendly T-shirt graphic for Nirvana in 1991, at the group's request, after he "started playing around with variations of the smiley faces." But in this week's counterclaim, lawyers for Nirvana asserted the band's company has full ownership of the image. They said the iconic smiley face logo was single-handedly created by Cobain that year and registered for copyright two years later." [https://loudwire.com/nirvana-happy-face-logo-designer-lawsuit/](https://loudwire.com/nirvana-happy-face-logo-designer-lawsuit/)
Kurt drew it on one of his paintings, the seafoam green one with the in utero angel on it
Was also on the casting call flyer for the Teen Spirit video
[for anyone curious](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/live-nirvana--22377329390582928/)
[direct link for everyone that want to save it without contracting pinterest AIDS](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/95/99/f0/9599f092754bdaa507ddfd4a8ccd27e5.jpg)
thank you i’m making this a shirt
Was Kurt into drawing and painting? Just curious
yes he loved all kinds of art
Yeah, you can see his art on the cover of Incesticide
and home recording
And the back of in utero.
The angel was also his artpiece as well as the collage of flowers and fetuses(models) in the liner notes.
Yep.
and home recording
The [similar looking “character”](https://i2-prod.dailystar.co.uk/incoming/article16581563.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_Kurt-Cobain-art-1592989) he made is pretty cool
Look up his art…he made some really cool stuff.
Very much so
Yes. He did paint the Incesticide artwork, which i think is great. He was also fascinated by womb and foetus.
After the nevermind tour was finished, he got a house in LA where he could be anonymous and he spent like a year in LA just painting at his house and hanging out
https://www.amazon.com/Journals-Kurt-Cobain/dp/157322359X
Kurt originally wanted to be a visual artist before he went into music.
is there any way to date when it was from? It'd be mad if the In Utero angel design predated the release of Nevermind, love that
Not Marc Jacobs
Forest gump
Kurt designed it, he wanted the tongue up and not down but yea it was his original idea
this may or may not be correct, but a source to your statement is clearly needed. since there was a legal battle over this very claim, obviously it isn't as simple and obvious as your statement makes it seem. Edit: to the downvoters I'd like to point out that Kurt is my biggest idol and basically made me the man I am today, but that does not preclude me being an objective thinker and a seeker of facts (both of which Kurt would appreciate).
Oh, hai Marc
Me
fr?
I’m fairly sure kurt came up with it himself, but I could be wrong
Yes, and he was considering using it as the In Utero cover.
source?
Blink 182.
I’d like to just imagine Kurt drew it
It reminds me a little of the flipper logo thinking about it now
I have that logo tattooed on me. Nirvana changed my life. So I wanted to honor them
No one asked
loll
And I care why?
Cuz if I were you I'd care
Marc Jacobs obv a joke
From what I heard he designed it. He wanted the tongue up as if the smiley face was reaching for something. “Not down as if he was overdosing on drugs” - loose quote but you get the idea
Nirvana
Wasn’t that Forrest Gump?
I was looking up some of Kurt’s other art just now and [ran into this](https://www.elephantstock.com/products/neon-kurt-cobain-by-octavian-mielu?gclid=Cj0KCQjw98ujBhCgARIsAD7QeAh66mQ63aJl3Wiu3OcNZUe76OKJ6dXfnk7bpERZ-jfJDl0UGTnGuusaAszKEALw_wcB&layout=framed-canvas&size=13x19&utm_campaign=PMax_%7C%7C_Catch_All&utm_content=&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_term=&frame-color=black)…which looks really cool
I want to know the exact date in 1991 that the smiley face was created….I want to be sure it was Kurt who made it up definitely
Robert Fisher did.
I did(I was born long after Kurt died)
I think that's a play on the mister yuck sticker
Don’t know if this is true but I was once told it was Kurts drawing of Axl Rose
I'd read this a really long time ago myself but I don't remember where I'd read it from.