User blog comment:AYET/Pirate Crew's Jolly Roger/@comment-1595565-20120312064614

Shanks has two different designs for his jolly roger. The first one is the one you described, with the three slashes. The other one has a red stripe going at the same thickness and angle as the slashes. Despite any alterations done to the basis of the design, I doubt that the symbol would change. If a symbol becomes well known, it doesn't makes sense to change it. Imagine a well known logo of a brand in the real world. M&M's, Pepsi, McDonald's, something that can be recognized unmistakably the world over. Now, imagine one of them changing their logos, even if only slightly. It would confuse people and they wouldn't associate the picture with the product. Pepsi slightly altered their company logo a few years ago and when they did everyone was confused as to why the hell they did that. If they hadn't kept "pepsi" on the container it would have looked like a bad knockoff and no one would buy it. The same would apply to the Red Hair or Whitebeard Pirates. Consistent brand recognition is key here. That's why they won't change. Besides, if the WBP did alter the image to suit their captain's profile at his time of dying, that would just be disrespectful. Unless the whole crew gets renamed, the jolly roger isn't changing.