Grids: June 2010 Archives

Inspiration, or.....???

On the left, New York magazine's BEST DOCTORS cover, 2003. On the right, Seattle magazine's TOP DOCS cover, July 2010. Notice the "Take a break!" signature on both casts.

Related story:

Rolling Stone: Deja Vu? Friends / Glee

More Inspiration ... Billboard / Mediaweek

Homage, Inspiration, or ... TIME / The Village Voice

Sports Illustrated "Appreciates" a TIME cover

Get Up To Speed on Adobe's CS5 In Just One Night

Adobe 06.29.10 posted by The Editors

One thing we hear, frequently, at HQ is something along the lines of, "I really, really need you guys to do a night that's all about the iPad." And we promise--we are working on that! Something else we hear frequently though is that no matter what you're doing on the iPad, you're most likely doing that in CS5--to the relief of many, it is most likely some combination of the new and improved InDesign, maybe some Flash Catalyst skills, better-integrated Photoshop and Illustrator techniques. So before we get to the "just about the iPad" night, make sure your skills are up-to-date and ready to go--we have a special Summer Speakeasy on July 14th that's not only going to get you ready to go, but is free for current SPD members (and just a little moolah for non-members). Get the info and registration after the jump, and get ready to get better at everything... … MORE

Newsmax: Provocative Political Conservative Cover Design

News 06.28.10 posted by Robert Newman

Newsmax is the slick monthly print magazine of Newsmax Media, the conservative political news operation that also runs the website Newsmax.com. In addition to being one of the most popular, influential, and profitable conservative news operations (with a major jones for Sarah Palin), Newsmax gathered a lot of media attention over the past month with its bid to buy Newsweek magazine. There was a lot of moaning in some media circles at the thought of a Newsmax-owned Newsweek, but there were some who actually thought the idea of a conservative newsweekly might not be such a bad thing. To get a sense of what such a newsweekly might look like, we've collected some covers from the past couple years of Newsmax. They're nicely done: they speak directly to their audience, they have attitude and a point of view. It's hard to imagine The Washington Post, Newsweek's owner, actually selling the magazine to Newsmax, but if they did, it would certainly be entertaining to watch.

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Obama Reqested Signed Copy of New Yorker Cover

Covers 06.27.10 posted by Josh Klenert

David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker, is reporting that the White House asked for a signed copy of the February 1, 2010 cover showing a Barry Blitt illustration of President Obama walking on water--and then falling in.

There was no mention of a request for a signed copy of Blitt's "other" Obama cover.

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Atomic Magazine: Cool Retro Style

Appreciation 06.24.10 posted by Robert Newman

Atomic magazine was published from 1999-2004. Jeff Griffith was the co-publisher and creative director of this "essential guide to the retro revival." He describes the magazine's mission as "to bring back the best of a bygone era--the music, the clothing, and the lifestyle--and remind our readers what it means to have fun!" Atomic was filled with retro-styled design, typography, and photography, featuring tons of great talent. The design was lovingly styled to reflect the vintage look of the magazine. Fans of 40s-50s design and imagery will love the pages of Atomic. We've collected some covers and inside pages to celebrate the wonders of this great magazine project, a labor of love by Griffith and editor Leslie Rosenberg.

(Above): The last cover of Atomic. Photograph by Guy Powers.

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Mag App: Gourmet Live

New+Notable 06.23.10 posted by Josh Klenert

Gourmet is getting a new lease on life with Gourmet Live--a highly interactive app for all the foodies out there. This app looks like its coming in on the "reinvention" side of the reformat vs. reinvent question.

They also have a new blog up and running for this new "Live" brand extension.

Watch the teaser video after the jump.

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The Village Voice Queer Issue Cover

Alternative Weeklies 06.23.10 posted by Robert Newman

The Village Voice continues their recent run of provocative and memorable covers with this week's Queer Issue. On the cover are three guys (Ronnie, Mike, and Vinny) from MTV's Jersey Shore reality show. The headline: "The Guido Ideal: MTV's surprise hit accents the real situation: Jersey's shore on the down-low." Art director: John Dixon.

Related stories:

Village Voice Fold-In Cover

Jaime Hernandez Village Voice Cover

The Village Voice Covers of Ivylise Simones

Dock Ellis and the LSD No-Hitter

Respect 06.23.10 posted by Robert Newman

In June 1970, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Dock Ellis threw a no-hitter against the San Diego Padres while under the influence of LSD (and a number of other drugs). According to Ellis, he was "high as a Georgia pine," and during the game "I started having the crazy idea that Richard Nixon was the home plate umpire, and once I thought I was pitching a baseball to Jimi Hendrix, who was holding a guitar and swinging it over the plate." Last year James Blagden created a video for New York-based clothes merchandiser No Mas, that sets an interview with Ellis to a trippy, psychedelic animation. In a game in 1974, Ellis famously attempted to hit every batter in the Cincinnati Reds lineup, hitting the first three, walking the fourth (who ducked), and then being removed from the game after two throws at the head of Johnny Bench. Ellis later played for both the Yankees and Mets, and passed away in 2008 of liver disease. This video is a great legacy, and is truly a visual marvel.

All's Creative on the Western Front

SpeakEasy 06.22.10 posted by The Editors

If you're in the Los Angeles area Wednesday night (the 23rd!) we hope you're also planning to join us for our first-ever SPD Speakeasy in the LA-area, "Unsung Heroes of the American West." We've got great people, fantastic, authentic Mexican food and delicious cocktails, and excellent presentations about working with the inspiring talent in LA -- all that's missing is your RSVP. Keep reading after the jump for info on some of our panelists, and to reserve your spot for tomorrow night...
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Seattle Met Magazine Flash Mob Cover

Magazines 06.22.10 posted by Robert Newman

Seattle Met magazine art director Benjamen Purvis organized a flash mob for the latest cover of their 100 Reason to Love Seattle issue. The cover photo was taken from a helicopter as the crowd of 250 people mobbed below in the city's Gas Works Park. It's a great original idea; a welcome break from the countless formatted "best of" covers that city and regional magazines do every year. Purvis is doing some highly creative work at Seattle Met. Take a look at a couple examples of his energetic, polished design.

See a video and slideshow of the Seattle Met cover shoot here.

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Reid Miles Blue Note LP Covers on Video

Cool 06.21.10 posted by Robert Newman

Check out this incredible video version of designer / typographer Reid Miles' Blue Note LP cover designs. It's an animated version of his LP covers, with some cool effects. A celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Blue Note label, it was directed by Bante, and is apparently some kind of Italian promotional item. It's an amazing tribute to Miles and three minutes of pure graphic design bliss. And for a complete collection of every Blue Note LP cover, visit this site here.

George Clooney, Anton Corbijn and 'The American'

Life Outside of Work 06.18.10 posted by Josh Klenert

While the 2010 summer movie season has been shaky at best, here's something to look forward to in the Fall: The American. Photographer Anton Corbijn get in the directors seat for this thriller set in Italy.

Watch the trailer after the jump.

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It's Beach Season!

Covers 06.18.10 posted by Josh Klenert

Time to hit the beach or the gym? Enjoy the weekend!

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The ABCs of XYZ

New Work 06.17.10 posted by The Editors

A deeper look at the newly redesigned RISD alumni magazine from Criswell Lappin [RISD MFA '97]:

An alumni magazine should be about alumni activity. One of the biggest problems with Rhode Island School of Design's previous alumni magazine, risd views, was that it felt too institutional--a magazine ostensibly for the entire RISD community, but produced by the administration and largely focused on its internal concerns. So in February, when our firm, WellNow Design, was invited to redesign the magazine as an alumni-centered publication, our biggest priority was to create a dynamic new vehicle that would do justice to--being by and about--RISD's creative community of 25,000 alumni.

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Gay and Lesbian Magazine Covers

Respect 06.17.10 posted by Robert Newman

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the first gay pride march, held on June 28, 1970, in New York City. Originally called the Christopher Street Liberation Day March, it was held on the one-year anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in Greenwich Village. In honor of this anniversary, we've collected a series of magazine covers featuring personalities, historical events, and publications of significance in gay and lesbian history and culture. There are 11 pictured here; see more, along with an updated cover every day during the month of June, here.

This series is co-produced by Dale Yarger, Linda Rubes, and Robert Newman.

(Above): The New Yorker, July 12, 1930. Cover illustration by Constantin Alajalov.

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Happy 10th Birthday to the Staff of O Magazine

Appreciation 06.16.10 posted by Robert Newman

Oprah Winfrey visited the Hearst Building on Tuesday to deliver a 10th anniversary present to each staff member of O magazine: a brand new iPad, an engraved leather case, and a check for $10,000. Read the story here.

The Economics of the iPad

Technology 06.16.10 posted by Robert Newman

I spent the last couple days at the Power of the Tablet seminar at the Poynter Institute in St. Petersburg, Florida. A lot of smart people were gathered together by newspaper redesign guru Mario Garcia to talk about the potential of the iPad and other tablets to transform magazines and newspapers. You can see a full report on the seminar here, including transcripts of all the sessions and interviews with some of the key presenters. Among the speakers were: D.W. Pine, art director of Time magazine, Jennifer Brook, interaction designer at The New York Times, Andrew DeVigal, multimedia editor of The New York Times, and Gary Cosmini of Adobe. One of the strongest presentations was by art director/illustrator/smart guy Joe Zeff of Joe Zeff Design. His talk, The Economics of the iPad, is available at his blog. It's a quick read/view and well-worth the time to get a smart, comprehensive rundown on the financial potential of publication apps.

Mag App: TIME Magazine v2.0

New+Notable 06.15.10 posted by Josh Klenert

Min online is reporting on TIME magazine's upcoming update to their current fairly straightforward print-to-tablet reformat iPad app. Min's post is worth a read, and after the jump watch an updated SPD-exclusive video demo of their new app which is to include a video enabled cover, more imaginative use of interfaces, photos, videos plus links to live Web media.

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A Redesign for Atlanta Altweekly Creative Loafing

Alternative Weeklies 06.11.10 posted by Robert Newman

Newspaper designer/art director Ron Reason has a smart new post on his website about his recent redesign of Atlanta alternative weekly Creative Loafing. The redesign was conceptualized in a week-long "redesign boot camp" that Reason organized with the paper's staff. There's a lot of good behind-the-scenes information, plus some creative approaches to organizing and naming departments and sections. And there are some thoughtful new ways of integrating ads into the edit, an acknowledgement that these days art directors need to pay as much attention to commerce as they do art.

Related Stories:

Maui Wowee: The Covers of Maui Time

The San Antonio Current's Remarkable Covers

Great Illustrated Covers from the San Antonio Reporter

National Geographic's Gold Medal Award for Photography

45 06.10.10 posted by The Editors

As excited as we were about all the amazing work shown at the Gala, both from 2009 and the 45 years of work leading up to it, we're very sorry to note a duplication error made in the Gala program: the credits for National Geographic's Gold Medal news/reportage photography winner from December mistakenly reprinted the credit information for the Nat Geo Medal Finalist from February in the same category, omitting the Gold Medal-winning team deserving the glory! Corrected credits, and beautiful work, for both are included after the jump... … MORE

More on the WIRED iPad app:
"We make up the language as we go."

Technology 06.09.10 posted by The Editors

It seems safe to say we're all pretty interested in the ways that apps are impacting the magazines of today, and what they might mean about the magazines of tomorrow. There's admittedly some frustration too, about how much we DON'T know yet, including more of the specifics and the nitty-gritty details we'll have to really know, and quickly. For every great, sexy user-video, there are ten times more questions about workflow, tech, staffing, and on and on. The Loud Cloud Creative Agency posted a pretty extensive interview today with WIRED's Creative Director, Scott Dadich about their new app for the June 2010 issue that at least starts to lift the veil, and probably launch a hundred more good questions. Definitely worth a read.
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Facebook mania

Resources 06.09.10 posted by Robert Newman

It's no secret that I'm a big fan (and user) of Facebook. I like the fact that almost everyone I know and work with in the magazine world--editors, art directors, illustrators, photographers--has a page on Facebook, and spends regular time on it (never during work, of course). It's an especially rich visual experience, with folks posting up videos, photographs, recent work, sources of inspiration, and links to all kinds of valuable resources. There are also a lot of visual people who are using Facebook "fan" pages in a variety of ways....for self-promotion, as mini-blogs, or as support for their websites. It's building an inter-connected community of visual messengers and commentators, and helping work to be seen by many more people than was ever possible before. The pages are free, and incredibly easy to access and update. Here are five people who are doing diverse and interesting things with their Facebook fan pages (self-promotional disclosure: one of them is me).

(Above): Cover of Slant, circa 1995. Illustration: Gary Panter, art director: Jesse Marinoff Reyes. From the Jesse Marinoff Reyes fan page on Facebook.

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Complex magazine: Tim Leong retrospective

Appreciation 06.08.10 posted by Robert Newman

Tim Leong was the design director at Complex magazine for the past four years. He recently left the magazine to move to San Francisco and be the art director at Wired. At Complex he developed a look that was fun, energetic, sexy, and diverse, reflecting the magazine's hip, street attitude. Leong used a rapid-fire mix of cool photography, photo illustration, cartoony illustration, and high-powered graphic typography to create a very original and totally rocking design. Here's a short retrospective collection of Leong's Complex covers and feature spreads.

(Above): Keri Hilson, August/September 2009. Photograph by Matt Doyle, illustration by So-Me.

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A Critical Look at the New Wired iPad App

Technology 06.01.10 posted by Robert Newman

I ordered my iPad last week, but there's now a minimum wait of 10 business days before it shows up on my doorstep. So I'm spending my time reading everything I can about the new apps that I can't play with yet, and getting ready for Mario Garcia's The Power of Tablets seminar at the Poynter Institute on June 14.

Over at Information Architecture, web designer Oliver Reichenstein has a beef with the new Wired iPad app, and lays out his critique in granular detail. His focus in on the format grid and typography, and he comes down hard on the overall product: "The future of journalism is definitely not a stack of banners spiced with videos, exported from a paper layout program." He also makes room for responses from typographer Jonathan Hoefler and New York Times Online creative director Khoi Vinh. It's a pointed, provocative post that is essential reading.

Meanwhile, over at Mario Garcia's blog, they're running a daily post with lots of links and examples of iPad design and apps. It's a run up for The Power of Tablets seminar, but there's deep learning for all regardless of whether or not you're attending.

(Above): A look at the in-depth approach Information Architecture brings to its critique of the Wired iPad app.

Thanks to Magtastic Blogsplosion for the Information Architecture story.

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Mag App: Popular Mechanics (Beta Edition)

New+Notable 06.01.10 posted by Josh Klenert

Coming right in the heels of Wired's successful release last week (24,000 copies sold in its first 24 hours), Popular Mechanics is set to launch their iPad app next month (Watch this Gizmodo video). Their in-house developed app continues the trend of reformatting a print magazine vs reinventing the format. Further out on the horizon: Sports Illustrated.

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June 2010 Archives

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