Korn: How Jonathan Davis Created Band's Iconic Logo

Jonathan Davis isn't just the bagpiping, scat-singing, soul-bearing frontman of Korn, he's also the creator of the band's iconic logo. In Revolver's new mini-doc, we visit Davis in his personal studio in his hometown of Bakersfield, California, and get the story behind the logo's invention - and he even recreates the moment of conception with a hand-drawn original.
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#korn #jonathandavis #numetal #altmetal #metal #heavymetal #rapmetal #blind #shootsandladders #kornlogo #kornblind #kornfirstalbum #korndebut #kornselftitled #bakersfield #gothelife #freakonaleash #rossrobinson #munky #brianheadwelch #fieldy

[@anthonywheeler2082]

I love that the logo was slapped together in 5 seconds. Sometimes not overthinking it is the best option. :)

[@MrParkerman6]

He also uses his left hand even though he is right handed.

[@aaronr5709]

Live in the moment.

[@sinistersix3721]

Yeah like the warrent singer, he said the record company need one last song. So he went to his hotel wrote cherry pie real quick. Song ended up being his demise.

[@sharontrudy2389]

@@sinistersix3721 he drank himself to death over that song lol

[@nilfux]

That's a lot of "art". Some kid spilled a bucket of paint on a canvas. GENIUS! $120k at auction. People are fucking morons. They think there's different types of wine. It's grapejuice asshole.

[@ButKorn]

The funny thing is in my language there is letter Я(pronounces similar to "ia"). So EVERYBODY called the band "Koian" at first just from the logo on the CD or merch(self-made of course). To my ukrainian ear Koяn sounded weird but a fellow kazakh dude told me that "koian" means "a hare" in kazakh language so naturally we would assume the dudes were from Kazakhstan. What can I say - we were schoolkids and idiots back then lol.

[@amaurythewarrior]

that's funny, because as I was reading your comment, it I thought "koian" kind of reminded me of a word my kazakh ex girlfriend had taught me. then I read "hare" and I was like yeah, I wasn't mistaken. But I had no idea it would be spelled "korn" in cyrillic ^^

[@nathanielbaker6884]

That's fucking funny

[@MIZORAM_mafaka_hnamte]

that's interesting... thanks for the comment

[@vilateeverett9231]

How to get the reverse R font in that sentence

[@backdoorlover9693]

dude thats fucking amazing.

[@A..D..D]

Alternate Universe kids were wearing " Larry " T shirts

[@notsure1969]

😆🤣👍

[@JoaquinKLEENEX]

Hahahaha!

[@corysantana6171]

LarЯy

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

I feel like repeatedly writing “Larry” on the front of all my binders in catholic school would have drawn the wrong kind of attention.

[@deadgamer1918]

I want a Larry shirt

[@bubaa1218]

That’s the first time I’ve heard him speak of David in years

[@amadeussilva4134]

And talk with respect, and a shine on eyes. Only David talk with hate, can't keep past on the past.

[@TheY2AProblem]

That’s what surprised me about this video.

[@antihero105]

He's been doing interviews and podcasts idk where u been

[@FathomMane]

@@amadeussilva4134 but its Davids fault... He never got back to them

[@onlyslavesareequal2790]

@@FathomMane David wanted reunite with band, but He insulted JDs wife so JD said never.

[@Edmasterz]

Korn is one of those bands that hasn't disappointed me ever in all the years.

[@SHOWEM]

Pot

[@blackspring3207]

Everything after Issues blows

[@posh132]

@@blackspring3207 serenity of suffering ain't that bad tbh. never listened to stuff after issues besides that so can't judge fully

[@alfiebowley5942]

Untitled was pretty rubbish.

[@PippyPopsSelfHarmMonica]

Well unlike these dudes i agree with you, i will always love KoЯn

[@mbchannel1037]

Korn was the first band that made me into metal music.

[@TheAngryFishh]

Same. Middle of 4th grade to be exact. I think that was 1995, shortly before Life is Peachy.

[@7riXter]

My good friend Larry brought me to metal.

[@mrconfusion87]

Plenty of 80s-born metalheads got their start via KoRn! 🤘🍻

[@JONDAVIS111]

Me too

[@severetiredamage6754]

That read weird.

[@totallypreposterous]

The backwards "R" reflects the same style out of the "Toys R Us" logo, and the delightful twist in this (in more ways than one) involves the contrast between the Toys R Us fantasy of a perfect happy fun warm fuzzy experience of being a child, and Korn's reality of the loss, disappointments, struggles and dark anguish many people ACTUALLY experience growing up.

[@mmbink79]

1:46 that munky impression 😂💀💀

[@kornfreak78]

My favorite band for the last 26 years! Life is better with KoRn, that's for damn sure!

[@chrismeasel8472]

Lol don't you mean, Life is Peachy? 😂

[@braydentaylor4639]

Username checks out

[@_pulyx]

I quickly grew out of Korn fandom, but that logo started a whole trend of band logos. Gotta respect it.

[@izzy_ondomink]

If you haven't heard their new album, I'd recommend it. It's one of their best, for sure.

[@OliveMule]

@@izzy_ondomink the yelawolf featured single was awesome

[@daredevilseyes7493]

Give Serenity of Suffering Album a listen, definitely worth it

[@lisandro1983]

The last 3 albums have been great give them a try

[@joeslacker1020]

@@izzy_ondomink A new one? What "The nothing"?

[@zaynebonshire3900]

Honestly, Korn actually sounds better than Larry

[@theirishpotato6588]

I disagree.

[@nipulkradmsinatagras8293]

Larry sounds like a band from Sesame Street.

[@BreakingNVain]

A little bit

[@MrParkerman6]

Larry sounds like a 40 year old that still lives with his parents, eats nothing but breakfast cereal and watches Cartoons amd Sesame St. all day.

[@livan5us]

@@MrParkerman6 a larry here, can confirm!

[@trope5105]

Its crazy to me, that after all these years, Korn is still, and consistently producing bangers, an actually good music, well into their 2nd decade as a band. Korn kid for life man!

[@buschicebeer7168]

The Nothing and Requiem are awesome

[@SageValentine]

Happy birthday Jonathan Davis.

[@revolutionday1]

My dog was really feelin' those bagpipes, when I played this through my speakers....

[@maxted13]

What korn song what this from??

[@thelastdaybreathinginetern1385]

@@maxted13 The first track off of The Nothing album. The end begins.

[@revolutionday1]

@Black Mass #cutthemusic

[@BrokeAtBestMusic]

Mine is into piano/violin... fancy @$!#%

[@petersmith1104]

If there s a person who have my whole respect this is him.

[@daloco6664]

The logo did get changed on the cover of life is peachy, But other then that it's always been the same. One of the most iconic band logos ever. Love korn 🤘🤘

[@jakubbujakowski]

They even intentionally skipped LiP in that little slideshow of album covers towards the end of the video. Any idea why was it changed? I did a quick search but couldn't find any info

[@daloco6664]

@@jakubbujakowski it was strange because the logo on the cover was different but in the liner notes inside the booklet the logo was the right one, No idea.

[@spiritlevelstudios]

Still looks hand drawn with a left hand. I liked it with the all caps.

[@potsyband]

@@spiritlevelstudios There's a version of it with a lowercase 'n' on a shirt from that era which came in navy blue and beige. It had a silver stripe running across it.

[@BlueOceanBelow]

@@potsyband I had that one! I wore it in my 8th grade picture.

[@DarkandTwisted]

Pure genius!!!🤟

[@metalgalr4428]

Why is his face so red?

[@killer6ten]

not really tbh there whas already a company that used the r like that toys " Я" us

[@KoRnBaKo]

Greatest band ever! Their debut album will never be touched and we will never hear anything magical like it again I believe. Oh the 90's RULED!

[@M4NA5]

One of my first ever band t-shirts was that of KoRn. Been a huge part of my teenage years.

[@Rebelintheshelltfz]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JHONATHAN YOU ARE MY FAVORITE METAL VOCALIST EVER YOU FUCKING SAVE MY LIFE LOVE YOU

[@gkkelemen]

its correctly: Jhohnhahthahnh

[@DeadWirePromotions]

Jonathan*

[@xradical89x]

i like seeing Jonathan like this. He found his inner peace it seems.

[@mrvomit8617]

The metallica and acdc logos were pretty fire

[@ryanrobinson3200]

A lot of korns songs have reached my soul throughout my life

[@GaryTongue-zn5di]

This Broken Soul!

[@myselfasmyself5853]

The Korn logo IMO is the most iconic band logo. Even if I didn’t love the band, I’d still be in awe at that logo

[@jamesbrincefield9879]

This was on the front of every one of my binders in middle school.

[@nipulkradmsinatagras8293]

I probably have more Korn shirts than any other band out there.

[@kevinbustamante563]

Why would other bands out there have Korn shirts?

[@joeslacker1020]

@@kevinbustamante563 I don't know if you couldn't tell by now but it's because Korn is the shit

[@bodednoded5997]

Listen to koЯn since age 10. 32 now. Love you.

[@1critical.truther]

Children of the Larry.

[@Casketkrusher_]

That album cover, one of the best. Creepy, unnerving.

[@RÅNÇIÐ]

"Have Metallica ever changed their logo?" Load/Re-Load/St. Anger 😬

[@MrParkerman6]

Incorrect, Sir. It literally changes with every album. Kill 'em all it is flat. Then it is more 3-d with ride the lightening. It is literally different on EVERY Album.

[@RÅNÇIÐ]

@@MrParkerman6 It only got slightly altered to fit the aesthetic of the album cover but the core design stayed the same.

[@juanjr4mirez]

The general logo wasn't changed, just the logo in the album covers

[@maxwellbrand]

I wouldn't even consider those Metallica albums.

[@tamadrummer1nz]

Kill em All until black where the traditional logo but changed slightly. Load/Reload complete different logo, then again with St Anger. Thankfully since Death Magnetic they went back to the traditional logo

[@rogerbocky]

Korn, Slipnkot, Linkin Park & SOAD, my childhood was 🤘🏽🤘🏽

[@byronmillanicia3384]

One of my favorite albums.🤘🤘🤘

[@charleschi843]

I feel like Jonathan is getting only 60% of the air he needs through his nose.

[@jonthenamelessproject99]

Jonathan Davis - The Nose Corey Taylor - The Neck Who else is there? haha

[@yes2evan]

@@jonthenamelessproject99 Chino Moreno - the Brows 🤣🤣🤣

[@MuzikBike]

@@jonthenamelessproject99 Corey Taylor - The Human with The Neck Corpsegrinder - The Neck with The Human

[@luisperaltaizquierdo9051]

Thats originality and loyalty to its finest

[@micheledavidswife4336]

Jonathan is a beautiful artist

[@jameslorenzo5922]

Hello Beautiful!

[@charleschi843]

"David all buff looking like a Calvin Klein model...well he was a Calvin Klein model."

[@KornBrasil]

thanks, charles. I was really trying to understand what JD have said in this part. I didn't get it at first. ;-)

[@EveryFairyDies]

I distinctly remember (though 'twas not in bleak December) going to my first Korn concert in Brisbane, Australia, and being sooooooooooo happy at munching on a cob of Korn while excitedly waiting to see Korn, and chatting with a group of 12 year old children of the Korn who were as stoked as I was. I believe I was... well, can't actually remember how old I was. Early 20's. \../ And I make sure to eat Korn whenever I get to see Korn live. If I ever get to see ANY band live again. Move to the UK, I said. I'll be able to see more metal bands and festivals, I said.

[@titatorres9247]

That little slap to David lol

[@ABlankAndrew]

Man, David Cross sure knows a lot about Korn

[@clstile]

They did change the logo for “life is peachy” .. I love that one too!!

[@ELIDOTORG]

Crazy theses guys are from my hometown bakersfield. Even crazier my uncles all went to high school with them.

[@ForLorNVuLgaR]

Love your studio bro

[@deathcreeps6227]

Happy Birthday, JD! January 18th. Rock On! ♥️🤘

[@alvarodominguez8183]

GENIUS.....

[@Anxi0us_]

I needed this 🤘🏽 Korn is the definition of, you don’t need an AMAZING out of this world band name to be a good band.

[@jameslorenzo5922]

Hello

[@julienlenormand1983]

My favorite band since 1997. I have the logo and the first four albums covers on my skin.

[@KeroKeroGrips12]

This is art

[@mr.charmcaster6747]

That's called true Teamwork

[@whiqeddik7615]

That wall paper is fucken awesome

[@Trustyfilms]

I have so much appreciation for Korn for never changing their logo, among other things.

[@durden2480]

I love this dude. Hope hes finding peace .

[@jckorn9148]

There new album really took me back. Amazing album.

[@PrinceJaidenHarrisAnders-cv2gt]

Cant believe u gave korn away.. it was 4 u and her . ❤❤❤ U SONYA.. LAYLA...

[@buddyhimself]

I'd have to imagine the "redrum" scene from The Shining was a subconscious influence

[@Psyclonus7]

2:18 YES. MULTIPLE TIMES. Also, some video somewhere said the backwards R had to do with the old Toys R Us toy store logo.

[@whiqeddik7615]

Love this dude, 100% this dude is too honest for the business

[@Nifelheim664]

"Everybody has a corn story" - one of the guys on the "who then now" vhs/dvd

[@Metlhed02]

Great stuff.

[@nilfux]

I was in San Diego in 1993 and saw a TON of "KoRn" stickers on cars and shit at Mission Beach. I was like, ok, what is this? I went to the local music shop at Mission Bay, bought the CD. Put it in my shitty ass car, and went "HOLY FUCK!". Unreal dude. Unreal. Never heard anything like it. I was an Oregon state champion track runner in highschool, that album was what I trained to in 95. They defined a huge chunk of my dumb life. I'm 45 now, I'll buy everything they make and go every time they're in town (Seattle). I found 2 things while in San Diego: Korn and Doug Stanhope, lifelong, dedicated fan to both.

[@VALKOU-X]

Still, KOЯN has always been a great name to all fans out there and also the logo is always been top notch the greatest logo ever.

[@cristinadelmoralaguilar5229]

Amazing video, wonderful group and magnificent singer Jonathan Davis. I love Korn music, forever. 🤘🏼♥️🤘🏼♥️🤘🏼♥️🤘🏼♥️🤘🏼

[@leahcar5312]

this is the best video i have seen in a long time and made me happy

[@bolezy9070]

That pretty cool. Just threw it together in a rush and it became such a well know logo.

[@GaryTongue-zn5di]

No! Rush is a completely different band!

[@joshsteffen]

I chirped when i heard Larry as their backup name

[@blistersonmyfingers9321]

The backwards "R" is apparently an homage to Toy's R Us, where half the band worked back in the day (Their logo also used a backwards "R").

[@AustinAaq]

Lol not everything is true from behind the lyrics

[@blistersonmyfingers9321]

@@AustinAaq Guess we'll have to ask them ourselves. Anyone know any Korn members?

[@Rustam_D]

K o я n? Or maybe k o я и?

[@Kornholic]

False. Where did you even get that? Do you know how ridiculous that sounds to people who are actually familiar with Korn and its history?

[@apocalypse2519]

Jon is so wholesome

[@njdarudedovich6126]

Legends. Guys these are legends

[@lisandro1983]

Love korn!

[@RezynOfficial]

I remember reading about the Larry thing in Heads book lol.

[@faridahakmar4993]

The logo is simple & brilliant 😊👍

[@jiggeplaya7182]

Now that is a dope story!

[@robrojas6351]

love the logo

[@tomas23769]

It's honestly kind of crazy to me that it wasn't a deliberate choice for the logo to come out the way it did. It looks so perfect and strategic when it was actually arbitrary. Super cool. I wonder why Life is Peachy has a different version, though, but it kind of adds to the allure of that album

[@bennybonilla2864]

I wish some of those stickers from them back in the day. Would have bought like 100

[@thelastdaybreathinginetern1385]

KORN!🤘🏽 Darkness is Revealing is my favorite track off of The Nothing. I feel it's underrated imo.

[@FutureAbe]

Like a child would write it… I’ve been a fan since 2002 and I never even knew that

[@Carlos-ms1yx]

Iconic.

[@dizzydad51]

And that's how the greatest metal band of all time was born my friends!

[@motherearh4486]

I love you Jonathan Davis

[@666thebmxkiller]

thanks for the answer. One of my favourite shows Portland Oregon was years ago at the rose garden last song even after almost half the audience left you Jonathan got on the drums If I remember correctly? and Head "Brian" sang low rider

[@Ozzmosisf35]

Scary Larry or Korn on the cob? The cob man cometh. The first cover was awesome.

[@jamesjewett6875]

Ahh jd in them green addidas pants that looked like a disco ball. He wore them sometime like 96. Lupos heartbreak hotel. With the pharcyde.

[@OOPMD-backs]

I've always liked your vocals

[@renemarrero6523]

Cool to know how they came up with the idea and art

[@MrParkerman6]

Munky came up with the idea for the first Album Cover.

[@renemarrero6523]

Cool

[@lisajohnson521]

I love Korn!!! One of my favs. I wonder JD gets royalties for that 🤣

[@jonathandavis9865]

Hello 👋 Thanks for your love and your support I really appreciate for being a great fans ❤️

[@jakobdavis93]

Are they still using that theater as a recording studio?

[@potsyband]

I'd actually like to hear them talk about a lot of their early t-shirt designs, like the Clown w/Paddle, and the Beer Bottles prints. There's an old poster where David is wearing a red shirt (I think it says "Grind" on it) which strongly resembles one of their first designs.

[@adamr3028]

What a name.its short sweet & to the point.no directive meaning.its like saying we dont give a phuck,it is what it is & collaboration of whatever we create.

[@hijackd5678]

Hes not left handed but he draws the logo with it .. thats sum crazy stuff right there ..

[@cheri618]

happy birthday jonathan 🖤

[@colonelinfernal5004]

Korn: The Story Behind the Can

[@knightofniini7772]

Sorry to say but the best days of korn where the @ the time of the 3 first albums. Not saying they are making bad music now ot the set-up of the band now. It was just the time and the moment that made it all so special

[@BoxCoverArt]

"They wanted to change the logo..." You literally changed it for the next album lol

[@13ss13ss13ss]

Love that logo, I will get it ink very soon :)

[@rawwbknowles8293]

I was listening to the radio one night, I thought I heard a DJ say something about a band named Carrots. The very next day, a buddy was fucking with me, talking about this new awesome band called Carrots. I had a white out pen and my bookbag with me, so I randomly wrote Carrots on my bookbag. Of course, there was no fucking such thing and I went around the rest of the year with Carrots written on my bookbag. My buddies made fun of me for that shit for years.

[@wingnutzster]

Some deep forgotten part of me wishes I lived in a parallel realm where Korn was called Larry

[@xx_blasphemer_xx8148]

🤣🤣 oh i would of never of expected it would of just been a backwards R and thats all it took..... MIND BLOWN 🤯

[@TylerGibsonMusic]

Awesome!

[@Nebula-nox]

it's the same with the slayer logo lombardo just drew it like a quote "psycho" would carve a name with a knife and that's how it turned out

[@sf7006]

It works. Wouldn't change it.