Archive for March, 2007
I am going to admit a little personal secret here. I rarely ever read the content in magazines. I’d say out of each publication I pick up, I read one or two articles. Maybe it’s because i’m a visual junkie. Or maybe it’s because I get so excitable that I can’t focus my attention (yes, I know this is called ADD). However, every once in awhile I come across a magazine that beats the odds, and I read it cover to cover. Meet Box.
According to their site BOX is: the convergence of sex, fashion, and culture. Its mission is to challenge the schizophrenic nature of the current sexual climate by selecting models, photographers and themes that redefine the current standard of beauty and sexuality. Box exposes readers to features that appeal to a variety of sexual tastes. The magazine approaches the adult market with a luxury outlook. Imaginative and complex photography, conscious design and clever editorial features set Box apart from contemporary pornography. Box presents sex in its natural state, seamlessly integrated into our culture and daily lives without judgment or shame.
I usually tend to favor high-end publications. Perhaps this is because they suggest a world I am most certainly not a part of. They allow me to aspire to something greater for myself. Box is the opposite. It does not have a long history. It is nice looking, but Neville Brody did not design it. It’s not even published in NYC. It is completely approachable and reads like a project created amongst a group of friends. Regardless of intention, it makes the topic often tight-lipped topic of sex welcoming to all.
This particular issue dealt with the topic of Work, and barring the odd inclusion of the prequisite article on Lady Sov., all the content was 100% on-point with the concept. Artist Keith Boadwee, whom you may remember as the paint enema spewing Jackson Pollack, is profiled.
Dian Hanson—one time pornographer, turned magazine publisher, turned Taschen book editor—is featured in a 7-pg. article profiling her career. Her intelligence, business-savvy and drive bring to mind Vogue’s Anna Wintour.
Box also featured several stories from the American working class. Personal anecdotes of life on the job as a Telephone Surveyor, Food Scientist and Emergency Responder. Hearing other’s experiences from the outside reminds me that life is a series of vignettes and to never take one moment too seriously.
And finally, Box gave us a peek into rise and fall of gay photography house AMG (Athletic Model’s Guild). As with Hanson’s article it brought to light the glaring differences in sexual preferences as modern society continues to advance. AMG Founder Bob Mizer dies alone, much of his best work never coming to light, because society’s growing preference for the increasing hardcore has pushed into the shadows. Box paints a rightfully sad portrait, but fails to mention we would have no Jean-Paul Gaultier or David LaChapelle without Mizer. Mizer’s work lives on in the modern incarnations of some of our most brilliant creative minds today.
Box Magazine is everything sex should be—approachable, conversational, sexy and sometimes even intellectual.
March 29th, 2007
Japan and Terry Richardson are two of my favorite things. So of course I wanted to review FOIL Magazine when I saw Terry demonically grinning at me from underneath a bed of Japanese text. FOIL Magazine is one of two magazines published by Japanese art book publishing house Little More. FOIL fancies themselves “the first magazine in Japan which consists of only visual contents and has no fixed form in size, price, pages, designers and logotype”. I love this entire concept, especially the idea of rotating content and guest designers.
This issue, which was also the final issue of FOIL, sought to express America on the verge of the 2004 presidential election through the eyes of four photographers—Ryuichi Sakamoto, Terry Richardson, Katsumi Omori and Yuri Manabe.
Sakamoto shows us before and after 911 photos of his NYC world. Richardson sticks to his guns; hot girls and his cock. Omori tours rural Mississippi and Tennesee, profiling a simpler, slower speed of life. Manabe unveils a photographic journey amongst the lesbian community of San Francisco.
FOIL dedicated this issue to the American people after 9/11. The juxtaposition of the shocking event of 9/11 against the everyday lives of Americans packed a powerful and resonant punch. We are the country of Freedom and we will get by. We will still drive to the grocery stores in Tennesee, we will still go to Le Tigre shows and we will still have our cocks sucked by hot chicks. Long live America, R.I.P. Foil Magazine.
March 27th, 2007
MAG.NIFICENT is now on Myspace! Yes, that’s right, we’ve joined the wonderful world of cleavage pics and band spam. Drop by the page for news and schmoozing with other magazine hounds. I really hope Terry Richardson let’s me add him to my Top 8.
March 26th, 2007
I am always a sucker for first issues of any magazine. I like knowing that if I pick it up, I could someday own every issue of what could inevitably become the next Face. So, of course when I saw issue one of a new publication the other day titled powerHouse magazine, I nabbed it with a quickness. Little did I know it would confuse me for the next three consecutive days.
With possibly the best editorial photography i’ve ever seen in a hip, cultural magazine, a varnished cover and only about 10 ads in the entire issue (all placed at either the front or back of the magazine), I couldn’t believe it was only $10! Even the content of powerHouse was unique; stark photos were juxtaposed against real-life tales of a specific moment or event in the writer’s life.
It was not until I reached the end of the issue that I began to detect something amiss in magazine world. Immediately following the last article was a two-page section entitled Books Featured in this Issue. Hmmm. It appeared that the articles and photos were actually excerpts from different books within the powerHouse books publishing company. I flipped through the issue a few more times and realized that the 10 ads were all for openings, events, and magazines under the powerHouse books publishing company.
It became apparent I was dealing with a faux magazine! I eventually ended up at the homepage for powerHouse magazine where the concept for the publication was explained:
Issue 1 of powerHouse Magazine is edited by Miss Rosen, who recalled the idea first came up during dinner with powerHouse Books publishers Daniel Power and Craig Cohen. “We were discussing how pleased we were with the Fall 2006 book catalogue, and thinking of ways to expand it in new directions. ‘How about a magazine?’ Daniel asked, to which I immediately answered, ‘Ohh! I love magazines!’ (not surprising considering I handle publicity). ‘You know,’ I added, ‘people keep asking me if we are doing a catalogue for No Sleep ’til Brooklyn, so perhaps we can use this as the basis for the publication but to go a step further and have it unite the Arena, the books, and our extended circle of artists and contributors.’ They loved the idea. ‘By the way what would be the production deadline? I asked. ‘About a month,’ Craig answered. ‘Ohh!’ I gasped, realizing that once again, we would be doing this in true powerHouse fashion: straight into the deep end, hope you can swim!”
Interesting. I must say Miss Rosen pulled this off brilliantly. The end product was not some shoddy attempt at a fake magazine, but a stunningly pulled off feat. Still, I felt duped and was a bit miffed at the ordeal. I actually enjoyed reading the story behind the concept, (quoted above) and think it would have made the end product even stronger, as well as clarified the purpose of the publication to unfamiliar audiences, to have printed it as an intro to the magazine.
Mostly I just laughed though, and decided Miss Rosen was pretty badass. After all, her magazine had slipped past the upturned noses of the Chicago’s indiest emporium and been filed with the periodical magazines (not the art books and publications). Bravo, good show I say!
(NOTE: Upon rereading the intro spread, Miss Rosen does mention powerHouse Books and the No Sleep ’til Brooklyn event, but definitely not to the clarity with which it is explained on the website. I definitely skimmed over this final paragraph and two sentence mention the first time I went through the publication.)
March 21st, 2007
And by French boys, I mean the team behind Clark Magazine. Being an avid Fluokids’ hound, I kept finding snippits of Clark, but had zero success in obtaining it. How could this amazing magazine that hosted weekly parties and had a shoe collaboration with Le Coq Sportif in the works be so difficult to get my greedy paws on? I pondered this and came to two conclusions. Either 1) Clark is fairly obscure in France or 2) The U.S. is again, culturally behind. At any rate, I finally convinced a nice French internet lad to send me a copy. I think I will make it my personal mission to get Clark carried on U.S. soil.
I’m a huge fan of the Picasso of Graphic Design, Parra. Parra’s typography, figures, use of color and witty slogans are a constant inspiration for me, and a great example of how modern illustration can be hip and simple, but also more complex than skulls and antlers (see my Death to Design rant). Parra is the Art Director for Clark Magazine and pretty much the entire reason I spent the better part of two months attempting to track it down. As far as content goes, I cannot read French but Clark seems to be along the lines of a Beautiful Decay or Anthem type magazine. Vinyl toys, artist features, lots of musician profiles, etc. Clark is your standard hipster art & culture magazine, wrapped up in a well-illustrated little Parra blanket.
…and Judging by their myspace page, the Clark boys know how to throw a party. I’d quite like to roll up in that shit VIP style.
March 19th, 2007
People are always asking me for my links. Clothes, shoes, furniture, magazines whatever. I feel like a bitch, but I hate giving out my lil’ secret treasure trove of hot shit. I only give my goods to a select few (and you three people know who you are). But I’d like to use my grand entrance to the blog world to finally share with my loyal fanclub. So here are some magazine-related treats for you all:
GAWKER
Yes, I know you have been to Gawker before. But do you read it in depth, or do you just skim the headlines? The Gawker girls are the O.G.’s of the blog game. They are snarky, sassy and if you have a decent knowledge of media, mags and the like, then every post is chock full of snide-inside jokes aimed at the likes of Wintour and the media moguls with the corner offices. Gawker is the first blog I read when I sit down at work each morning.
MOB LIVING
Meet the ladies of Married to the Mob. These chicks are like me (if i was hotter and grown up in NYC). Their blog began as a tie-in to rep their clothing line, but in my opinion its now its own entity worthy of a separate url and bookmark. I love reading about their world of hot kicks, badass boys and blunts. They are the super exclusive girls club you were never cool enough for in high school, but still knew everything about. Oh, and sometimes they blog about fashion magazines (ahem, hence the tie-in).
CLIP. STAMP. FOLD.
Architecture heads and intellectuals unite! Click. Stamp. Fold. is a gallery exhibit in NYC that studies the culture and history of seventy little magazines, which were published in over a dozen cities in the 1960’s and 1970’s. The site shows history and images of many of the featured publications. If you can’t get to NYC to see it in the flesh, definitely check out its cyber-home.
DAZED DIGITAL
Maybe its because most magazines are owned by large publishing groups, but I know I’m not alone in thinking that most websites of print magazines are horrific. There is usually not much more than a list of contents of the printed publication. I think it’s really a terrible shame. There are so many tie-ins that could be made. Hopefully with the growing popularity of blogs, magazines will realize they are losing countless opportunites and use their webhome’s better in the future.
Dazed & Confused, my new replacement best mag contender since the untimely demise of The Face, uses Dazed Digital as a perfect complement to their printed publication. Labeled an Ideas Sharing Network (tre brilliant!), its a great space to discover the Dazed lifestyle. Definitely check out Dazed staffs’ montly playlists. Play the new shit from across the pond while pretending you drab cube is a fabulous British office. Then snap back to reality just in time to realize Alastair, your adorable gay 19-year-old intern, is actually the annoying Marketing VP asking if you updated the postcard copy yet. Sigh.
PDF MAGS
There should be a magazine about magazines. Yes, I’ve heard it before. Yes, I’ve thought of it. No, I haven’t (yet). But someone out there has. Unfortunately, it isn’t in print form, but I don’t mind. Pdf Mags is one-stop shopping for design nerds to point and click through a bevy of online magazines. Great resource for layout inspiration or to find badass art to make into desktops for your pimped out macbook.
HINT
Hint is my oldest blog-type link. Hint has been around since at least 2000, and while it pretty much has remained unchanged, it consistently provides excellent news and images from the high-fashion front. As a bit of a style-hound, I love watching the coverage of all the shows and looking at pics of Karl Lagerfield drinkin’ it up at one or another posh fete.
Hint is also a fantastic hidden resource for interactive design inspiration. I am continually impressed by their interactive-based fashion shoot features where artists transform what would be a boring photo spread to pulsating colors and thumping beats.
I do wish their message boards were more active, but then again, do I really need yet another excuse to talk about Marc Jacobs shit I want but can’t affford?
V MAGAZINE BLOG
Another contender in the arena of successfully using webspace to further market and promote a printed magazine, is V Magazine. It take a very explicitly blog-like approach. If you had never read V Magazine, you would most likely think it was just a blog. And I personally love that touch. Always lush with great content and photography, it definitely deserves a shout-out.
March 12th, 2007
I remember the first time I discovered BUTT magazine. It’s pink paper and simple B&W photos beckoned me from the lonely rack at the gay bookshop. It only took one glance to realize I’d discovered a true original.
I’ve spent a good amount of time working and living amongst The Gays. I have deduced that American gays are really quite annoying, campy, and entirely too obsessed with the GAP. Netherlander’s Gert Jonkers and Jop van Bennekom, the Creators and Publishers of BUTT are the polar opposite; real-life Tom of Finland’s.
To discuss BUTT’s content, is to be taken back in time to a different era. An era of throwing caution to the wind and a certain silver Factory. The photography is a combination of dreamy and washed out and up-close and raw. Each issue selects a few gay fringe artists, of different disciplines (and yes, porn is most definitely a form of art to BUTT boys Jonkers and van Bennekom) and interviews the subjects in a casual, no-subject-is-taboo format. An interview with Vermont resident Jason Whipple queries such thought-provoking topics as What’s your crotch scent like?, while an interview with porn director Michael Lewis takes the high road with political banter, You’re not going to say that Israel is heaven are you? There seems to be so much wrong with Israeli society.
It’s this mixture of the inane and educated, the high-brow and the low-brow that makes BUTT entirely unique. Jonkers and van Bennekom never take themselves too seriously and it shows in their writing. BUTT is worth reading for the article titles alone, filthy little gems like, Michael Lucas New York’s Hard-Core Porn Director From Russia Eats Ass in Private.
Search out BUTT, cover your apartment in silver tin foil and support the new avant-garde.
March 11th, 2007
Newspapers tell you about the world. Magazines tell you about their world.
Graydon Carter, self-proclaimed Bigshot Editor of GOOD Magazine wins the magazine war. I’m 100% sure his magazine collection puts mine to shame, and his knowledge of magazine history makes me look like a pre-schooler in comparison (though I’m willing to bet he’s got a good decade on me, agewise). Finally, at long last, I have something to aspire to.
Take a looksee at his list of The 51 Best Magazines Ever *Smartest, Prettiest, Coolest, Funniest, Most Influential, Most Necessary, Most Important, Most Essential, etc. His list spans a full century, marking the notable achievers of the game.
I tend to gravitate mostly toward cultural and subcultural publications. It is my niche if you will. I appreciate Graydon’s attention to the Majors and the bit of history he interjects. I tend to pass over a lot of these publications such as LIFE, dismissing them as historically vital, but boring and uncontemporary. Perhaps his list has opened my eyes a little.
So Graydon Carter, Sir, you have inspired me on an expedition of crate-digging (or ebaying, whatever). As an ode to you, I will attempt to track down a few choice titles off your list that were of particular interest to me.
So with no further adieu, I begin my search to track down and review the following publications:
9. Andy Warhol’s Interview: (until Warhol’s death, 1969–1988)
18. Details (original incarnation, pre Condé Nast, 1982–1988)
27. The Face: (1980’s)
43. Wet: (maybe the weirdest magazine on this list)
March 10th, 2007
Add mag.nificent as your new flickr contact to take a closer peep at the ongoing collection of featured items!
And if you are a diligent little flickr junkie like myself, you just might even get to peep some of the content before it’s posted here. 
Add mag.nificent!
March 10th, 2007
No, I am not going to write about porn. Ok well I’m sure I will, soon, but not in this post. Craphound is far better than fake titties anyhow. Originally debuting in 1994, Craphound is the insane brainchild of zinester Sean Tejaratchi. Like a clip art book gone insane, its filled with page upon page of high contrast black & white art taken from vintage catalogs, advertising, obscure books, and found ephemera.
Apparently Craphound has
been around forever. Death, Telephones & Scissors is a reprint of a 1997 issue. Unfortunately, in 1997 I was not one of the cool kids in the know. In 1997 I was pretty much as far from cool as you could get; I went to the Lilith Fair for fuck’s sake.
Whether you are the coolest kid on the block, an über-snooty designer or a myspace band spammer, you will definitely find something that strikes your fancy in Craphound (it’s also pretty much the holy grail for those searching for tattoo inspiration).
March 9th, 2007
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