I’m not an artist, and don’t know how better to describe the style. The fruit and coins in the top panel look like items you would collect in a Mario game. Not particularly regal in my book.
That is all.
Is that a vulture? How patriotic!
Yes it is, but a very large one. It’s a rather badly drawn Andean Condor.
I particularly like the emphasis in the lowermost section on Panama, which is no longer part of Colombia.
Here’s a link to all the coats of arms of the world. I’m sure there’s a couple other ones we could make fun of:
Bosnia: Turning your flag into a shield does not equal a coat of arms.
Guinea-Bissau: Why the red? Did the communist party take over and no one told me?
Kiribati: See Bosnia. And putting a slogan underneath doesn’t make it a coat of arms, either.
Lebanon: See Bosnia, Kiribati.
Mongolia: If Colombia’s was animated on a NES, then this blocky horse must have been animated on an Atari 2600.
Switzerland: See Bosnia, Kiribati, Lebanon.
Turkey: See Bosnia, Lebanon, Switzerland, and especially Kiribati (replace “underneath” with “on top”).
Oman’s has a penis. A massive one too.
I like the vulture. I’ve named him Harold.
According to the posters at Flags of the World.html), what you are seeing is a version fo the Colombian Arms as done recently by the Presidency’s publicists’ graphic artists, supposed to be a freshening of the rendering (the actual blazon remains unchanged).
I say the attempt failed. This looks like a bad web cartoon indeed.
Call me stodgy, but one would feel that objects and devices in a proper Coat of Arms should be either realistic, or stylized in an idealized or heraldic traditional)manner, not caricatured. That Condor does not awe me at all.
I hope this is not a harbinger of a trend of nations redoing their their national symbols in Flash graphics and entrusting the whole composition to the first CG geek on staff instead of bringing in a competent artist/heraldrist(?)/vexillologist.
Ah, but you can have certain colors and devices be your Arms in the first place… and then use what is called a Banner of Arms as a national flag, which is basically the colors and devices in the escutcheon, arranged in flag-shape.
I was curious as to whether or not this was the official illustration of the Colombian coat of arms, as it is the one that appears on the official website of the President of Colombia.
While we’re talking about good things on coats of arms, I think the slogan on Botswana’s is really neat. “Pula.” It’s just fun to say. It means rain, apparently. I can imagine a stereotypical African tribesman shouting “PULA!,” presumably while encountering British explorers or rain. I think the country should change its name to Pula- although that might make tourists think it rains all the time.
I’ve named him Pierre, because he appears to be wearing a red beret.
Nicaragua apparently has the last piece of the Triforce, with a little heart in the middle.
Yemen’s looks like something you’d see on a flight attendant on Aeroflot.
Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan is home to the Southern Oracle.
Come to North Korea! We’ve got electricity!
Those poor Albanian eagles have to share one hat (?) or UFO (?) or something.
Iran’s and Ukraine’s are two I can really get behind – they look like they sprang from the mind of a TV sci-fi production designer
Germany’s is so… German.
I would like to add, offhand:
The flags of Ecuador / Colombia / Venezuela and of El Salvador / Nicaragua / Honduras were clearly designed to give fits to legions of geography students.
Sometimes.
The first trio is based on the personal standard of Simon Bolivar, who fought for the independence of those three countries, and the second trio is based on the flag of the United States of Central America, of which all three countries were part.
I knew there had to be a reason. Thanks!
I see. You’re right. And a lovely beret it is too. Pierre he shall be then.
-Lil
Australia prides itself on being one of the few countries (perhaps the only one?) that eats all the animals on its coat of arms. Both emu and kangaroo can be found on the menu in some Australian restaurants.
Personally, i’d like to see Applebee’s or TGI Friday’s offer char broiled eagle.
Want to reiterate, it’s quite legitimate to have the arms the same as the flag; in fact, in times past armigers were expected to fly a banner of their arms. A banner of the royal arms of the UK is used as The Queen’s personal standard, and the same in Canada (with the addition of The Queen’s personal cipher). Also, four of Canada’s provinces use banners of their arms as flags; the effect is suitably impressive.
Suriname’s looks like it should be emblazoned at the threshold of a gay nightclub.
I started a club when I was in the third grade and, I swear to God, the Coat of Arms I made up for my club was exactly like the one for the Republic of Chad.
Ooh! Jamaica has boobies!
Not to mention pineapples and a rather cheerful crocodile - that so rocks!