Sterner Stuff

Background
Sterner Stuff is a production company ran by former bodybuilder and producer Julia West and screenwriter, producer and director Phil Sterns, based in Decatur, Illinois but also having offices in Hamilton, Ontario. The company originally launched as Sternwest Productions, but would rebrand as Sterner Stuff in 1996. Sterner Stuff acted as a production company and licensing firm, aiding on independent projects, television productions, also licensing characters for video games.

1st logo (1987)
Logo: On a black background, we see the word "sternwest" in a Courier New font. An exclamation point appears next to the word.

FX/SFX: The exclamation point appearing

Music/Sounds A scream when the exclamation point appears.

Availability: Seen on the syndicated run of The Halloween Gang, and along with the Gecko Studios logo, plastered the Blessard Animation Productions logo on reruns of the first season in local syndication and home video issues through Family Home Entertainment. Also seen on the TV movie Junior Village.

2nd Logo (1994-1995)
Logo: We fade in to a room with a table, chair, waste basket and a window overlooking a giant field. Two portraits containing caricatures of Sterns and West are on opposing sides of the window. "sternwest productions" appears above in a typewriter fashion. Suddenly, a knife flies in from the right and hits the wall, causing the caricatures' expressions to turn into that of shock. The image shakes, implying someone fainted.

FX/SFX: Stop-motion animation.

Music/Sounds: Typewriter sounds, followed by the sound of the knife hitting the wall, a woman screaming and the thud.

Availability: Appeared on two TV movies, Hotter than the Sun and Dead and Aside, both airing on Fox.

1st Logo (1997)
Logo: On a grey background, we see the company name slide in. "STERNER" is white and "STUFF" is red, and a thick black outline surrounds each letter. "CHARACTERS CREATED BY" appears above in white, along with copyright information.

FX/SFX: The sliding.

Music/Sounds: A hip hop tune.

Availability: Seen on the video game Green Jean 2: Enter the Nega Jean for the SEGA Saturn, PlayStation and PC.

2nd Logo (1999)
Logo: We fade in to a white room full of cameras and people wearing white suits. The camera pans to a balcony with a yellow shawl hanging on the wall. A man walks into view (Phil Sterns himself), greets the people before saying he'll remove the shawl. Upon doing so, after the perspective cuts to the direct front of the balcony, he rips the shawl off, revealing a yellow rhombus with four short lines (meant to represent two "S"s). The background fades to back, save for the rhombus, and the text "STERNER STUFF" zooms into view.

Trivia: TThe second logo had been created, but due to another production company working on the film already having a similar logo, they held off on using it.

FX/SFX: All live action, along with the text zooming.

Music/Sounds: Sounds corresponding to the actions.

Availability: This only appeared on the film Lockin.

3rd Logo (2000-2003, 2017-)
Logo: On a black background, various shapes zoom back before settling at a comfortable position. The shapes resemble a filmstrip, a crescent moon, a shut eye and a cone, all encased in a rhombus. "STERNER STUFF" fades in below.

FX/SFX: 3D animation.

Music/Sounds: A droning synth tune, ending with a muted reverb.

Availability: Appeared on the film The Favorant, the short-lived series The Halloween Kids and the video game Green Jean. Was brought back for 7 Deadly Tales and Turn Away and also appears at the start and end of newer prints of their old content streamed on YouTube, often following the FilmRise logo at the start.