The initial iterations of “The Lion King - Broadway Show” logo design were all drawn by hand before being re-drawn digitally. Disney provided a handful of press-released photographs of Julie Taymour's sketches, and the costumes and masks under construction on Broadway for reference. 

Masks were carved out of clay, there were sunset-warm earthy colors, a plethora of natural grasses, feathers and textures combined with vibrant African bogolanfini mud cloth patterns. 

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Creating an iconic symbol with timeless appeal requires a highly intuitive design process of immersion and focus. We visited Santa Monica bookstores to pull accurate African pattern references, and actual African made mud cloth and bead designs.  Each reference displayed bold, primitive forms with uneven lines in their design, filled with textures and patterns;  all evidence of being tooled by hand. 

"I wanted to be surrounded by every essence of the show," said logo designer and art director, Mary Ellen Schrock. Every African tribal texture and graphic pattern we could find that resembled the photographs was tacked up on the walls."

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Iconic masks and animal shapes were emerging as prominent forms from from all of the African graphic references It became evident that if the icon could resemble the Lion King mask it would resonate deeply and capture and convey the essence of the show.