Here's a look at some of the nearly 5,000 rejected Illinois flag redesign submissions.
Courtesy of the Illinois Secretary of State
No one can say there wasn’t much variety among the submitted options to redesign the state flag of Illinois.
The 21-member Illinois Flag Commission ultimately leaned more traditional when choosing the 10 finalists from the nearly 5,000 submissions, leaving unique options including Abraham Lincoln riding a woolly mammoth, a laser-eyed cardinal, a hot dog and an angry squirrel in the reject pile.
The commission recently released the full catalog of submissions ahead of the public voting period slated to begin later this month.
“There are some they didn’t pick that are better than the finalists,” said Michael Green, a vexillologist and owner of the Indiana-based Flags for Good. “There are some of these that are just hilarious and some that are just, don’t.”
Hundreds of schoolchildren submitted options to the commission and there were hundreds of serious submissions from artists and other vexillologists — the fancy way of saying “flag designers” — as well.
Each submission was accompanied by the artist’s relationship to Illinois and an explanation of the meaning of the flag design.
But as with any project seeking public input, there were plenty of shenanigans.
Several people submitted photos of their dogs. One submission was a picture of a man’s bloated belly. Someone else submitted a picture of a burrito.
There were also common themes that emerged in the submissions.
Abraham Lincoln or his famous stovepipe top hat are in dozens of designs, including one that shows 21 black top hats (to represent Illinois being the 21st state) set upon an orange field because, “orange is the color of cornstalks at harvest time, symbolizing agriculture,” explained the artist.
Green acknowledged the difficulty the commission might have had in picking finalists that will please most people. But Illinois can be particularly fractious.
“Being a flag nerd and listening to people talk about this, Illinois is divided into Chicago and the rest of the state,” he said. “Bridging that gap and finding a symbol that represents both parts is so hard.”
But that didn’t stop people from trying.
Several flags featured a mix of Native American, French and American iconography, or images combining the state’s agricultural and industrial strengths.
There were also plenty of people who simply submitted the state’s current flag design and admonished state officials for suggesting the flag needed a redesign.
Many people submitted the current state flag to the commission tasked with picking options for a potential redesign.
Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com, 2012
“I have been proud to fly the current state of Illinois flag for decades,” one submitter wrote. “I am submitting exactly the same design of the current flag as a protest to any redesign of it.”
The current flag is oft-targeted by vexillologists who complain it is “too busy” and features too many elements and colors.
Illinois is the latest state to consider a flag redesign. Mississippi, Minnesota and Utah recently adopted new flag designs. Massachusetts is considering a similar measure, while voters in Maine recently rejected a redesign plan.
The artist who created this rejected Illinois flag redesign said, “The 21 poppy seeds represent Illinois being the 21st state of the Union. The blue and green backgrounds represent 75% of the state border comprising of water and 25% land. The hot dog with toppings represents the agriculture and meat processing industries from the state vital in feeding our nation and the world.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist who designed this rejected Illinois flag redesign said, “The blue-heeler cartoon dog represents the below-average rate of dogs in Illinois and the need for more.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist behind this rejected Illinois flag redesign option said, “Illinois is a diverse and divided state. The majority being in the Chicagoland, and the minority disliking it. There is no iconography that will unite it. That's why a simple flag with the state's name in bold letters is the only option.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist of this Illinois flag redesign submission said, “Representing Illinois and the work of its people, the ‘Illinois Stake’ stands firmly grounded in the center of the flag as Illinois does in the Midwest.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist behind this rejected Illinois flag redesign said, “The laser beam projects a powerful image of Illinois. I believe my design is so powerful it does not need to be discussed.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist who created this option for a redesign of the Illinois flag said, “The blue represents Lake Michigan and the Mississippi River, while the orange is inspired by Illinois' pumpkin industry, as well as the cultural mainstays of Illinois such as the Chicago Bears or UIUC. The 16-pointed star pays tribute to Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president and state luminary.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist behind this rejected Illinois flag redesign said, “Abe, who is the subject of our state motto ‘Land of Lincoln,’ represents honesty and virtue. The mammoth is an example of one of the most impressive creatures that roamed our state in its prehistory.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist who created this Illinois flag redesign proposal said, “This is intended to be recognizable as an Illinois design, but still being distinct from Chicago.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist who created this rejected Illinois flag redesign said the top hats were an homage to Abraham Lincoln and the orange background represented the fall corn harvest.
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
Someone proposed a drawing of an angry squirrel as a replacement for the state's flag.
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist who submitted this Illinois flag redesign option said, “My flag represents the great turtles of our state. Illinois is home to seventeen different turtle species! This flag shows what Illinois is all about.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission
The artist behind this Illinois flag redesign option said, “This flag features 21 stars arranged in a pattern mirroring the U.S. flag, reflecting Illinois' position as the 21st state admitted to the union.”
Courtesy of the Illinois Flag Commission