James Bond logo designer, Joe Caroff, dead at 103
Joe Caroff, the designer responsible for creating the iconic 007 logo for the James Bond franchise, has died at the age of 103.
His passing was confirmed to The New York Times by his sons, Peter and Michael, on August 17th, just a day before he was due to celebrate his 104th birthday.
No cause of death was revealed for Caroff at this time, although his sons said he was receiving hospice care upon his passing.
Despite creating not only the James Bond logo bout hundreds of other iconic Hollywood movie posters across the length of his career, including West Side Story, A Hard Day’s Night, and Last Tango in Paradise, Caroff remained relatively unknown.
This was due to the fact that he rarely put a signature to any of his works, and frequently avoided any form of self-promotion, instead preferring his relatively anonymous life despite the major status of his projects.
The designer also went largely uncredited for his most famous work, the 007 logo, having only been paid $300 for its original concept back in 1963. He also never received any royalties or residuals from the mass merchandising enterprise that ensued from the franchise.
However, Caroff himself insisted that he didn’t mind this supposed injustice, as the logo brought him further work and attention due to how iconic it became.
The graphic designer retired from his career back in 2006, only being recognised by the James Bond creative team, former producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson, who gifted him an Omega watch with a 007 engraving for his 100th birthday a few years ago.
Caroff’s passing comes after he lost his wife of 80 years just a few months ago.
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