A friend of mine came to me and asked for some help with a Zine project. Something similar to Complex Magazine… A few emails and a cup of coffee later, here’s what came out… Hope it helps…
I see…
My only advice to you NOW at this point is to really think about the content… I think making a magazine based on similar content and editorial themes as Complex but from 757, will only make it exactly that.. I hope you understand what that means… Sit down and think real hard about what will set yourself apart from that. Basically you’re gonna have to dig deep and say, “what makes ME different, what do I have to say? Whats MY opinion about shit?” because if you don’t, then your zine will just be another product of major marketing and you’re only contributing to the mess… does that make sense?
I know you’ve worked for complex, but I feel by creating something so similar to their shit, to me, that’s you stil ‘working’ for complex. Do it for the love and not the money. It’ll pay off in the end…
Set yourself apart. Find aspects of your life, or 757 life thats Real as fuck and only true to that region. Only deal with professionals and turn down anyone who approaches if you think they’re not worth it..
Make sure your shoes are laced tight so they don’t fall off in the race.
Content-wise, be way ahead of production. Consistintley take in submisions and keep them on file. there may come that time where you just don’t have anything to throw in… Don’t throw in fillers, keep it fresh…
Make sure everyone who contributes is on their shit.. that means design, copy, photography, production, interests, etc… these people will be the ones that help you stay fresh, plus you’re publishing their work, and really you can only recycle trash so many times before it just becomes recycled trash… Find writers who have voices, and don’t settle for high school level bullshit. I found that out with meat and potatos. You’ll look back at it like ‘damn what the fuck was i thinking, why’s this shit in here?” what was my Editor thinking? In the end everyone knows its shit, but may not say it just to keep good morale. Don’t be afraid to call it like you see it.
Again when you look back at it later, or even the day it comes back from print, you dont want to be bummed and say you could’ve found better, because if you think about it, you probably could have. Find your mistakes before they find you.
Keep in contact on a personal and business level. People know when they’re being used. Go out of your way to keep in touch. Thank them. Drop their name off to someone else. I refer people to my tshirt printer because he needs the work, and because he’s good. He’s also a good dude in general and doesn’t stress us out… We go there and end up wasting an hour laughing every time.
Be the Godfather, keep em connected, and they’ll do the same for you later… Basically use your resources as RE-SOURCES…
Talk to your printer and find out what they offer. Go somewhere small. Small meaning mom & pops. Kinko’s doesn’t care about you and they don’t have time for you. Mom & Pop will always be there for you. They’ll let you go behind the counter. They won’t let you go outside without a jacket on.
I mean I can go on all day, but i’ll save it for later. Just digest this man, its honest to god stuff i’ve learned and I believe… most of it i’ve learned the hard way as you will, and the next guy after you will. Its the best kind of learning though.
“This typeface is named after Sarah Eaves, the woman who became John Baskerville’s wife. As Baskerville was setting up his printing and type business, Mrs. Eaves moved in with him as a live-in housekeeper, eventually becoming his wife after the death of her first husband, Mr. Eaves. Like the widows of Caslon, Bodoni, and the daughters of Fournier, Sarah similarly completed the printing of the unfinished volumes that John Baskerville left upon his death.”
This photo was forwarded along to me from Chip Kidd. It speaks volumes.
Okay, Dreamlets, I’ll admit that as far as I’m concerned the jury’s still out on the whole “higher power” thing, but when something like this happens it sure tips the scales in that direction. Attached are two jpegs of the front page of my copy of The New York Times, EXACTLY as it arrived on my doorstop this morning. I honestly didn’t even notice it until I was on the subway to work. The photo is of the inauguration of the new Russian president Dmitri A. Medvedev, with out-going president Vladimir Putin at his side. Now, there’s been no small speculation that DM’s election is a sham and that he is merely a Putin-puppet. So, it truly boggles the mind that the paper could have been ripped this particular way, and that the story on page 3 underneath could have that headline. I know some of you may be skeptical that I’m pulling a fast one here (the placement, the word, the rip, it’s all too ridiculously perfect), but if you think about it, how would I even know to do this? No, I SWEAR TO GOD that this can only be His cosmic trickery, so to speak. If it starts to rain blood in Moscow this afternoon none of us should be surprised. Feel free to pass this on to any un-believers, and try it with your own copy of the Times if you still think I’m full of borscht.
I found this reel a few weeks ago, maybe on QBN or Heavy Backpack, either way I wanted to share. It was created by Nylon studio in LA as a promotional piece. The video itself is amazing, as is the rest of Nylon’s work, if you haven’t looked, be sure to check out their other projects. Inspired by Herb Lubalin, and more specifically the famous CBS cafeteria wall, the video takes you through the typography, literally. Instead of standing in front of the wall, admiring the hodgepodge of slab serifs, exaggerated scripts, and bloated 60’s type, you are driving an American muscle car through the counter forms of enormous letters of words like “spiderjizz”. Needless to say, I thought this modern permutation of what I feel is a design milestone, made me happy.
