Joe Catholic

Brand Overview

Joe Catholic is a Catholic webcomic, creative media brand, and tutorial channel built around the adventures of an ordinary Catholic man navigating faith, history, and the occasional divine mystery. The aesthetic is part Indiana Jones, part illuminated manuscript, part parish hall bulletin board — worn leather, gold ink on parchment, and a deep respect for two thousand years of accumulated weirdness.

The brand lives across three primary expressions: the webcomic at joecatholic.com, the tutorial and livestream channel Joe Catholic Draws on YouTube, and print/promotional materials under Collarmark Productions LLC.

Mission Statement

"To make the Catholic faith accessible, joyful, and visually compelling — one panel at a time."

Brand Pillars

Adventure

The faith is not boring. Catholic history is full of explorers, martyrs, mystics, and relic-hunters. Joe Catholic inhabits that energy — coordinates, maps, artifacts, expeditions.

Accessibility

Serious theology, approachable presentation. The comic and tutorials meet people where they are — no prior knowledge required, but rewards those who go deeper.

Craft

Hand-drawn, deliberate, author-driven. Nothing here is algorithmic clip art. Every line has a reason. The brand is a direct extension of one creator's hand and voice.

Authenticity

Made by a Catholic priest who actually believes the thing. Not a content strategy — a vocation. That shows in tone, in the willingness to tackle difficult catechesis, and in the dry humor that runs through everything.

Brand Positioning

Joe Catholic occupies a specific gap: Catholic-produced creative content that is neither saccharine nor polemical. It is not a debate channel, not a devotional image feed, not a catechism quiz app. It is a story — one that takes place in an animated, artifact-rich Catholic universe — told by someone who draws well and thinks clearly.

Collarmark Productions Relationship

Collarmark Productions LLC is the legal creative entity behind Joe Catholic, Joe Catholic Draws, and all related IP. All copyright notices, licensing agreements, and commercial materials flow through Collarmark. The Collarmark mark appears in footers and legal copy but is not a consumer-facing brand — it is infrastructure.

Logo System

The Joe Catholic brand uses two primary wordmark glyphs, both drawn in the same hand-lettered style, rendered in Brand Red. The glyphs function as the primary brand identifiers across all media.

Primary Wordmark — Joe Catholic

On Light / Parchment

On Dark / Brown

Sub-Brand Wordmark — Joe Catholic Draws

On Light / Parchment

On Dark / Brown

Clearspace

Maintain clearspace around both wordmarks equal to the cap-height of the letter "J" in the mark. No other visual elements — text, imagery, borders — may intrude into this zone.

1× cap-height 1× cap-height 1× cap-height 1× cap-height

Minimum Sizes

Context	Minimum Width	Notes
Digital / Screen	160px	Below this, letterforms lose legibility
Print	1.5 inches	At 300 DPI minimum
Favicon / Avatar	Use glyph-only icon	Full wordmark not appropriate at icon sizes
Embroidery / Merch	2 inches	Consult vendor on stitch count

Logo Usage Rules

✓ Do

Use the SVG source files for all digital applications
Use Brand Red (#8B2500) or Brand Glyph Red (#D90000) fills
Place on parchment, dark brown, or Brand Red backgrounds
Maintain clearspace at all times
Use Gold (#C9A961) as a reversed/inverted option on very dark backgrounds where red disappears

✗ Do Not

Stretch, skew, or distort the wordmark proportions
Add drop shadows, outlines, or glows to the SVG mark
Place on busy photographic backgrounds without a backing panel
Recreate the mark in a different typeface
Use any color not specified in this guide
Animate the wordmark (the character illustration may be animated)

File Format Guide

Format	Use Case
SVG	All web, screen, and scalable applications. Always preferred.
PNG (transparent)	Social overlays, YouTube thumbnails, any raster context requiring transparency
PDF	Print vendors, press-ready files
EPS / AI	Merchandise vendors requiring vector source

Color Palette

The palette is derived from Indiana Jones-era adventure aesthetics: aged leather, parchment, red wax seals, gilt lettering, and dusty maps. Every color has a job. Nothing is decorative noise.

Primary Colors

Brand Red

HEX #8B2500
RGB 139, 37, 0
CMYK 0, 73, 100, 45
Primary brand color. Headers, buttons, rules.

Glyph Red

HEX #D90000
RGB 217, 0, 0
CMYK 0, 100, 100, 15
Logo/glyph fills only. Not for UI.

Gold

HEX #C9A961
RGB 201, 169, 97
CMYK 0, 16, 52, 21
Accents, borders, nav highlights.

Orange Pop

HEX #D97706
RGB 217, 119, 6
CMYK 0, 45, 97, 15
Hover states, energy moments, CTAs.

Neutral / Parchment System

Parchment

HEX #F4E8D0
RGB 244, 232, 208
CMYK 0, 5, 15, 4
Primary surface. Card backgrounds.

Cream

HEX #FDF6E3
RGB 253, 246, 227
CMYK 0, 3, 10, 1
Comic panel backgrounds. Lightest surface.

Warm Tan

HEX #D7B899
RGB 215, 184, 153
CMYK 0, 14, 29, 16
Page background. Warm mid-ground.

Map Grey

HEX #8C95A0
RGB 140, 149, 160
CMYK 13, 7, 0, 37
Secondary text, captions, metadata.

Dark Browns

Dark Brown

HEX #3E2723
RGB 62, 39, 35
CMYK 0, 37, 44, 76
Primary text. Dark header backgrounds.

Rich Brown

HEX #5D4037
RGB 93, 64, 55
CMYK 0, 31, 41, 64
Borders, dividers, secondary UI.

Bright Gold

HEX #FFCC00
RGB 255, 204, 0
CMYK 0, 20, 100, 0
High-visibility moments. Use sparingly.

Dark Gold

HEX #CC9900
RGB 204, 153, 0
CMYK 0, 25, 100, 20
Print-safe gold. Foil reference.

Color Usage Hierarchy

Role	Color	Hex
Page Background	Warm Tan	#D7B899
Primary Surface	Parchment	#F4E8D0
Body Text	Dark Brown	#3E2723
Primary Brand / Headers	Brand Red	#8B2500
Logo / Glyph Fills	Glyph Red	#D90000
Accents / Borders	Gold	#C9A961
Interactive Hover	Orange Pop	#D97706
Secondary Text	Map Grey	#8C95A0
Dark Surfaces	Dark Brown	#3E2723

CSS Custom Properties

:root {
  --jc-red:         #8B2500;
  --jc-red-glyph:   #D90000;
  --jc-gold:        #C9A961;
  --jc-gold-bright: #FFCC00;
  --jc-gold-dark:   #CC9900;
  --jc-orange:      #D97706;
  --jc-brown-dark:  #3E2723;
  --jc-brown-rich:  #5D4037;
  --jc-tan:         #D7B899;
  --jc-parchment:   #F4E8D0;
  --jc-cream:       #FDF6E3;
  --jc-grey:        #8C95A0;
}

Typography

The type system is built for legibility on screen and character on print. Three fonts cover every use case: a strong display sans for headings, a classical serif for body copy, and a monospace for metadata and code-style coordinates.

Display — Oswald

Google Fonts · Free · Web-safe · Used for H1–H3, nav, labels, buttons, section titles.

Oswald 700 — Display / H1

An Adventure in Faith

Oswald 600 — H2 / Section

Episode Archives & Lore

Oswald 400 — H3 / Sub-section

COMIC PANEL SPECIFICATIONS

Body — Lora

Google Fonts · Free · Serif · Used for all paragraph text, captions, commentary, blog posts.

Lora Regular — Body Copy

Joe Catholic is an ordinary man living in an extraordinary faith. He's not a theologian, not a saint — yet. He's the guy in the back pew who shows up every Sunday, asks the hard questions, and occasionally stumbles into situations involving relics, maps, and unexplained miracles.

Lora Italic — Captions / Pull Quotes

"The Church has two thousand years of strange and wonderful history. All of it is fair game."

Monospace — Source Code Pro

Google Fonts · Free · Used for coordinates, metadata, file specs, code references.

Source Code Pro — Coordinates & Metadata

◈ 30.4515° N · 91.4395° W · SECTOR 7G · ARTIFACT ID: JC-0042

Desktop / Print Fonts (Licensed — Do Not Distribute)

Font Name	Foundry	Usage
Nautilus	Retro Supply Co.	Logotype titles, chapter headers, album/book covers in Affinity Designer / InDesign. Desktop license only.
Manero	ComiCraft	Comic dialogue and caption lettering in Affinity Designer. Desktop license only — not for web embedding.
Manero Bold	ComiCraft	Emphasis dialogue, sound effects, thought balloons.

These fonts require a desktop license. Do not upload as web fonts, embed in PDFs distributed publicly, or share with contractors without a separate license.

Typographic Scale

Level	Font	Size	Weight	Transform
H1 / Hero	Oswald	clamp(1.8rem, 4vw, 3rem)	700	Uppercase
H2 / Section	Oswald	clamp(1.4rem, 2.5vw, 2rem)	700	Uppercase
H3 / Sub-section	Oswald	1rem	600	Uppercase
Body	Lora	1rem	400	None
Caption / Italic	Lora Italic	0.9rem	400	None
Label / Stamp	Oswald	0.65rem	700	Uppercase, +0.2em tracking
Coordinates / Meta	Source Code Pro	0.7rem	400	None
Nav Links	Oswald	1rem	700	Uppercase

Voice & Tone

The Joe Catholic voice is the voice of someone who has thought carefully about the faith and isn't afraid to show his work — but who also doesn't take himself too seriously. It is warm without being cloying, informative without being academic, funny without reaching for it.

Voice Attributes

Direct

Say the thing. Readers are adults. Avoid hedging, throat-clearing, and unnecessary qualifiers. If it's true, say it. If it's funny, let it land without explanation.

Curious

The Church has two thousand years of history, and most of it is underexplored. Approach every topic as if it's genuinely interesting — because it is. Tutorials, commentary, and posts should feel like a smart friend sharing something they just discovered.

Dry Humor

Understated is better than performed. The humor lives in the gap between sacred subject matter and mundane observation. Never mock the faith; always be willing to find the comedy in the human experience of practicing it.

Authoritative Without Being Pompous

This is a brand built by an actual Catholic priest with theology training. That expertise shows in what gets said and what gets left out — not in credentials-dropping or jargon.

Inclusive Entry, Deep Reward

No prior knowledge required to enjoy the comic or tutorials. But those who know more will notice more. Every panel rewards attention. Every post has something for the beginner and something for the student.

Tone by Context

Context	Tone	Example
Comic Dialogue	Natural, dry, character-driven	"I've seen the actual Shroud. This is not helping."
Tutorial Intro	Casual, encouraging, specific	"Today we're drawing the Roman Missal. It's basically a very expensive book. Let's get the proportions right."
Blog / Commentary	Reflective, substantive, conversational	"Episode One ends where most Catholic adventures do — with more questions than answers, and an inexplicable peace about it."
Social Media	Punchy, visual-first, minimal copy	"New page. Joe Catholic discovers that the reliquary is not, in fact, a hat box."
Stationery / Legal	Professional, clean, minimal	"Collarmark Productions LLC · All rights reserved."
Merch Descriptions	Light, specific, fan-aware	"Wear it to Mass. Confuse your pastor."

What This Brand Does Not Do

Joe Catholic does not moralize at readers. It does not engage culture-war framings of Catholic identity. It does not punch down. It does not use the aesthetic of crisis to drive engagement. It is not apocalyptic, not politically coded, not a platform for grievance. It is a story about a man who believes, drawn by a man who believes, for an audience of any level of belief or none.

Character Bible

Joe Catholic is an Everyman — mid-thirties, ordinary occupation, ordinary face — navigating the extraordinary reality of being a practicing Catholic in the contemporary world and in history. He is the vehicle through which the reader encounters the faith: its beauty, its strangeness, its logic, and its comedy.

Visual Identity

Joe is drawn in an accessible, slightly cartoony style. He reads as approachable, not heroic. His expressions carry most of the characterization. He is depicted in era-appropriate clothing for whatever historical context the episode inhabits.

Character Voice

Dry, curious, occasionally exasperated. He believes — that's never in question — but he asks the questions believers actually ask. He is not a saint, and the comic is comfortable with that.

Role in the Universe

Protagonist and guide. Episodes may be historical, contemporary, or parabolic. Joe grounds all of them in a recognizable human interiority.

Art Style Notes

The comic art is hand-drawn digital, using clean linework over expressive brushwork. Influences include adventure comics of the 1950s–70s and illuminated manuscript illustration traditions. Color palette tracks the brand system — warm tones, deep reds, gold accents. Backgrounds are detailed; character design is simplified for expressive range.

The Joe Catholic character illustration (the bio portrait) is the canonical reference for proportions and color. Contractors and collaborators must match this standard for any derivative works.

Social Media Specs

All social assets use the brand palette. Profile images use the glyph wordmark or character icon on a Brand Red or Dark Brown field. Banner images may use illustrated compositions, artifact photography, or map backgrounds.

Posting Rhythm Guidelines

Channel	Content Type	Cadence
joecatholic.com	Comic pages	Per episode development — not on a fixed weekly clock
YouTube / JCD	Draw-along tutorials	Bi-weekly target; livestreams are supplemental
X	Comic updates, process shots, commentary	3–5 posts/week around publish events
Ko-fi	Early access, WIP, patron updates	Monthly minimum; align with comic milestones

Stationery & Print Templates

All stationery flows through Collarmark Productions LLC as the legal entity. Joe Catholic branding may appear as a secondary mark on materials where appropriate (licensing agreements, creator credits).

Letterhead

Collarmark Productions LLC
Fr. Christopher J. Decker
joecatholic.com
fatherchrisdecker.com
© Collarmark Productions

[Body copy area — Lora Regular, 10–11pt, Dark Brown]

Letterhead Specifications

Element	Specification
Page Size	8.5 × 11 in (US Letter)
Margins	0.75 in top/bottom, 1 in left/right
Header Rule	3pt Gold (#C9A961) horizontal rule
Logo Position	Top-left, max width 2.5 in
Contact Block	Top-right, Monospace 8pt, Map Grey
Body Font	Lora Regular 11pt, Dark Brown
Footer Rule	1pt Gold
Footer Text	Source Code Pro 7pt, Map Grey

Business Card

Fr. Christopher J. Decker

Creator · Joe Catholic

joecatholic.com
@joecatholicart
youtube.com/@joecatholicdraws

Business Card Specifications

Element	Specification
Size	3.5 × 2 in standard
Bleed	0.125 in all sides
Safe Zone	0.125 in from trim edge
Front Background	Brand Red to Rich Brown gradient
Front Text	Name in Oswald 700 Gold; details in Source Code Pro Parchment
Back	Parchment with centered Joe Catholic wordmark in Brand Red
Print Resolution	300 DPI minimum
Color Mode	CMYK for offset print; RGB for digital proof
Finish Options	Matte laminate preferred; spot UV on logo is approved

Email Signature

Plain-text Structure

Fr. Christopher J. Decker
Creator, Joe Catholic | joecatholic.com
YouTube: @joecatholicdraws | X: @joecatholicart
Collarmark Productions LLC

HTML email signatures should use the Joe Catholic wordmark at max 200px wide, inline PNG only. No SVG in email clients.

Comic Specifications

Standard Page Format

Attribute	Value
Page Size (Web)	900 px wide, variable height · 72–96 DPI
Page Size (Print-ready)	8.5 × 8.5 in · 300 DPI · CMYK
Bleed (Print)	0.125 in all sides
Safe Zone (Print)	0.25 in from trim
Color Mode	RGB for web; CMYK for print with ICC profile
File Format (Source)	Affinity Designer .afdesign or layered PSD
Export (Web)	JPG at 85% quality or PNG; max 1200 px wide
Export (Print)	PDF/X-1a or PDF/X-4; embed fonts, flatten transparency

Standard Panel Grid — 3-Panel Structure

The default Joe Catholic page is a 3-panel structure, read left to right, top to bottom. Variations are permitted but the 3-panel is canonical for standard episode pages.

Panel 1

Panel 2

Panel 3

Standard 3-panel · Equal widths · Gutter: 12px web / 0.125 in print

Alternate layouts for splash pages, chapter openers, and action sequences:

Wide Panel (2/3)

Narrow (1/3)

2:1 Split — Action or reveal pages

Full-Width Splash

Panel 2

Panel 3

Splash + 2 — Chapter openers

Panel Anatomy

Element	Specification
Panel Border	2–3pt solid Dark Brown (#3E2723) for web; 0.75–1pt for print
Gutter (Web)	12 px between panels
Gutter (Print)	0.125 in between panels
Page Margin (Web)	16 px all sides
Page Margin (Print)	0.375 in all sides (inside bleed)
Caption Box Fill	Parchment (#F4E8D0) with Dark Brown 1pt border
Caption Font	Manero Regular (desktop); Lora Italic (web fallback)
Dialogue Font	Manero / Manero Bold (desktop only)
Sound Effects	Manero Bold, large, Brand Red or Dark Brown
Background Color	White or Cream (#FDF6E3) within panel area

Compilation Book Specifications

Attribute	Value
Trim Size	8.5 × 8.5 in (square format)
Bleed	0.125 in all sides
Interior Pages	300 DPI · CMYK · PDF/X-4
Cover	300 DPI · CMYK · Separate file · Include spine width calculation
Spine Width	Calculate at vendor (approx 0.002252 × page count inches)
Interior Margins	0.5 in outer, 0.75 in gutter/spine side
Paper	60# or 70# uncoated interior; gloss or matte cover stock
Preferred Vendors	Ka-Blam!, DriveThruComics, IngramSpark for POD; offset for print runs 500+
ISBN	Required for retail distribution; obtain through Bowker
Copyright Page	Joe Catholic ™ & © [year] Fr. Christopher J. Decker & Collarmark Productions LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode Structure

Episodes are self-contained story units. Each episode has a title, an optional subtitle, and a defined start/end page. The webcomic displays one page at a time with prev/next navigation. Episode one is complete; episode two is in development.

Element	Treatment
Episode Title Page	Full-width composition with episode number, title in Oswald/Nautilus (desktop), Brand Red dominant
End Marker	Dedicated page, "End of Episode [N]" treatment, Joe Catholic glyph centered
Chapter Dividers	Map/artifact illustration with coordinate stamp in Source Code Pro
Page Numbering	Bottom center, Monospace, Map Grey — appears in print editions only

Merch & Print Production

Joe Catholic merch lives in the same aesthetic universe as the comic — adventure relics, expedition gear, Catholic artifacts. Nothing generic. Everything feels like it came out of a trunk at the back of a sacristy that someone's been filling since 1952.

Approved Merch Categories

Category	Notes
Apparel — T-Shirts	Unisex cut preferred. Dark Brown, Brand Red, Cream, or Parchment base colors. Screen print or DTG.
Apparel — Hats	Structured dad cap or unstructured camp cap. Embroidered JC glyph or wordmark.
Prints — Art Prints	Comic art prints, 8×10 or 11×14 in. 300 DPI. Matte finish preferred.
Prints — Posters	Episode covers, character art, 12×18 in standard. Satin or matte finish.
Stickers	Die-cut vinyl. JC glyph, character art, coordinate stamps, relic icons.
Mugs	11 oz or 15 oz. White base. Wrap print or one-side print acceptable.
Enamel Pins	Hard enamel preferred. Gold metal base. Character icons and artifact motifs.
Tote Bags	Natural canvas. Dark Brown or Brand Red ink. Wordmark or character art.
Compilation Books	See Comic Specs section for print specs.

File Prep for Vendors

Application	Format	Color	Resolution
Screen Print	AI / EPS / PDF vector	Spot CMYK; Pantone if available	Vector
DTG / POD	PNG transparent	RGB, then vendor converts	300 DPI at print size
Embroidery	AI / EPS vector	Spot colors; provide Pantone thread reference	Vector; min 2 in
Sublimation	PDF or PNG	RGB	300 DPI
Enamel Pins	AI / EPS vector	Pantone Solid Coated for enamel fills	Vector
Vinyl Stickers	AI / PDF with die-cut line	CMYK or RGB depending on printer	Vector preferred; 300 DPI raster acceptable

Pantone Equivalents (Reference)

Brand Color	Hex	Pantone (SC) Approx.
Brand Red	#8B2500	PMS 7526 C
Glyph Red	#D90000	PMS 485 C
Gold	#C9A961	PMS 465 C
Dark Brown	#3E2723	PMS 476 C
Parchment	#F4E8D0	PMS 9183 C

These are approximations. Always request a physical proof before production runs. Pantone references are for screen-print and embroidery only — not applicable to digital/DTG.

Licensing Notes

All Joe Catholic artwork is copyright Fr. Christopher J. Decker and Collarmark Productions LLC. No artwork may be reproduced on commercial merch without written authorization. Fan art is permitted for personal use; commercial fan art requires a licensing agreement. Contact via joecatholic.com.

Joe Catholic Draws — Sub-Brand

Joe Catholic Draws (JCD) is the tutorial and livestream arm of the Joe Catholic brand. It lives on YouTube under @joecatholicdraws and covers Ed Emberley-style Catholic drawing tutorials targeting a general audience, with a bias toward younger learners and parish art programs.

JCD Wordmark

JCD Glyph — On Parchment

JCD Glyph — On Dark

Sub-Brand Relationship

Same DNA, Distinct Mark

JCD shares the full Joe Catholic color system, type system, and adventure aesthetic. The JCD wordmark is the differentiating element. In all other respects — palette, tone, the character of Joe Catholic — JCD is continuous with the parent brand.

Where JCD Differs in Tone

Tutorial content is warmer and more instructional than the comic. The voice is still dry and direct, but there's more encouragement and less ambiguity — the goal is "you can do this," not "watch what happens." The humor stays. The mystery is replaced by craft.

JCD Channel Visual System

Element	Specification
Channel Avatar	JCD glyph on Brand Red field, 800×800 px
Channel Banner	2560×1440 px; safe zone 1546×423 px; JCD wordmark + "How to Draw Catholic" tagline
Tutorial Thumbnails	1280×720 px; subject drawing (finished) + Oswald Bold title + Brand Red accent bar
Thumbnail Color	Dark Brown or Brand Red BG; Gold or Parchment text; subject art in full color
Livestream Overlays	Brand Red lower-third; JCD glyph watermark top-right; Parchment webcam border frame
OBS Scene Labels	Oswald Bold, Gold on Dark Brown — consistent with brand system

Tutorial Structure

Each tutorial follows a consistent structure: subject introduction (30–60 sec), step-by-step Ed Emberley-style breakdown, brief Catholic context for the subject, optional color demonstration. Scripts are structured for ad-lib delivery. Running time target is 10–20 minutes for standard tutorials; draw-along livestreams are open-ended.

Tutorial Subjects — Content Pillars

Category	Examples
Liturgical Objects	Roman Missal, Chalice, Ciborium, Thurible, Lectionary
Sacramental Symbols	Baptismal Font, Oil Stocks, Stole, Chrism
Architecture	Church facade, Tabernacle, Altar, Sanctuary lamp
Saints & Figures	Joe Catholic character, patron saints, angels
Artifacts & Relics	Reliquary, Cross variations, Map of the Holy Land
Seasonal	Advent wreath, Nativity figures, Easter candle, Palm

Brand Continuity Checklist — JCD Productions

Before publishing any JCD content, verify:

JCD wordmark present in thumbnail and end card
YouTube channel branding colors match brand system (no rogue blues or greens)
Lower-third / overlay uses Oswald typeface
joecatholic.com link in video description
Joe Catholic parent brand link in video description