www.good.is

The Stack interview

Name
Zach Frechette

Job title
Editor in Chief

What is GOOD?
A platform to connect, celebrate, and enable people, nonprofit organizations, and businesses moving the world forward.

What makes it different to the rest?
We’re not preachy, self-righteous, or overly earnest.

Who makes GOOD?
A young group of pragmatic idealists who want to live well and do good.

Who reads it?
Creatively engaged thought leaders in pursuit of the valuable life.

Why did GOOD start?
GOOD started to fill the wide gap in media between magazines that are fun to read and magazine that are about important things that matter.

Why do you work in magazines?
Because magazines are a vital tool for capturing hearts and minds.

Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
The website, live events, and custom projects.

What would you change about Good if you could?
I’d like to expose it to more people.

Can you pick a favourite issue of Good?
The State of the Planet issue.

Where do you see Good in five years?
As the primary culture touchstone for this generation of socially engaged creative people.

Voted ‘Best Designed Consumer Magazine’ at the 2008 Magazine Design and Journalism Awards, it’s all about cutting through the PR rubbish to get through to truth and movies.

www.littlewhitelies.co.uk

The Stack interview

Name
Matt Bochenski

Job title
Editor

What is Little White Lies?
A bi-monthly film magazine

What makes it different to the rest?
Each issue is themed around a cover movie, which influences both the visual style and the feature content of the mag. That feature content doesn’t just stick to film but can be about any topic connected to the cover film, whether music, politics, art, technology, etc. Visually, we make strong use of illustration and beautiful design that sets us apart from the usual rubbish on the shelves. We also have comprehensive reviews and a whole bunch of other good stuff from penetrating interviews that actually discuss real issues, to classic film and bizarre/cult stuff.

Who makes Little White Lies?
Our team comprises (award-winning) Creative Directors Rob Longworth and Paul Willoughby (who also does the cover illustrations), alongside Junior Designer Victoria Talbot, Publisher Danny Miller, myself and a band of dedicated, hard working freelancers/mates.

Who reads it?
People with excellent taste.

Why did Little White Lies start?
Because we were sick and tired of being passionate about film but totally uninspired by the film magazine market, where formula, advertising and ass-kissing were the name of the game. We had an idea to do something different and because it looked like no one else was going to make it, we thought we might as well do it ourselves.

Why do you work in magazines?
Creative freedom and free films.

Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
We have a small publishing company now that makes a number of magazines, including Huck – a surf, skate and snow mag. We also organise events, parties and do magazine gigs for hire.

What would you change about Little White Lies if you could?
I’d make it more pages and I’d pay all of our writers 100k a year.

Can you pick a favourite issue of Little White Lies?
I always think the current one is rubbish and the next one will be perfect.

Where do you see Little White Lies in five years?
Hopefully continuing to inspire, and to exert an influence in the right circles.

www.verynearlyalmost.com

The Stack interview

Name
George Macdonald

Job title
Editor

What is VNA?
VNA is a quarterly street art publication thing. Basically documenting street art/graffiti/illustration/design from London and featuring artists and designers from across the world.

What makes it different to the rest?
VNA is not specific… It’s a street art magazine with a twist. It’s not a graffiti magazine but it features graffiti artists we admire and up and coming artists/designers/photgraphers that we as a team have kept our eyes on and want to share in printed media not just on the internizle.

Who makes VNA?
We have a crack team made up of designer/web/digital guy Ben, art director/deputy editor/ all round busy man Greg, designer/photographer/videographer Pete, writer/copywriter/socialiser Zang and myself editor/photographer/drunk. We also have all sorts of other writers, photographers and designers who help make it all work.

Who reads it?
Errrr… People interested in street art, graffiti, design, photography, contemporary art, illustration…

Why do you work in magazines?
I fell into it. In fact we all did… It started as a bit of fun. Now it’s a bit more serious but the amount of free booze we get out of it makes it all worthwhile.

Aside from the print magazine, what are you involved in?
I blog on our website www.verynearlyalmost.com when I’m not being pressured to do real work in my day job.

What would you change about VNA if you could?
Maybe the name… It’s kind of crap. I love it but I hate it. I know Greg would change the logo too. I don’t know… I would like it to be bigger and better but for now we are pretty happy with how it is.

Can you pick a favourite issue of VNA?
I can tell you the ones that aren’t my favorites! Nah… I love them all. I guess I really enjoyed issue 8. It was the first time me and Greg really got our teeth into it and picked the artists we both wanted in there. Kid Acne was on the cover and he was great and made it a pleasure. We packed more pages into it and I got the biggest buzz when I first saw the final printed mag.

Where do you see VNA in five years?
I think we will still be ticking along. It keeps getting bigger with every issue and with all the new interest in street art and “The Banksy effect”. Opportunities to do more interesting things with the cover and other collabs are fun. So I hope in five years we are still going strong and enjoying it.

Provocative, disruptive and intelligent, Under/current is a brilliantly original arts magazine that mixes in fashion, music, literature and lots of photography. It takes itself very seriously, but it carries the reader along with it as it investigates themes such as ‘Downfall’ and ‘Dawn’, gathering an eclectic range of work and taking the time and space to properly explore its meaning on the page.

www.undercurrentmagazine.com

The Stack interview

Names
Will Alderwick, Yannis Tsitsovits

Job title
Editors in chief

What is Under/current?
It’s a biannual arts and fashion journal with a wayward approach to its theme selection. Our Downfall issue, for example, featured among other things apocalyptic, ruinous landscapes and Nazis in drag. We like to blend provocative imagery with challenging, accessible writing. So an art feature will sit comfortably next to a poem or a Francis Bacon-inspired fashion editorial.

What makes it different to the rest?
Under/current unashamedly takes in the epic and intellectual along with the subtle or ridiculous. Our tagline could be ‘because it’s worth killing trees for’.

Who makes Under/current?
Our dysfunctionally creative, London-based team of six, with the help of a growing collective of contributors – writers, photographers, stylists, artists and poets – from all over the world.

Who reads it?
The kind of person less interested in fleeting trends than food for thought and a distinct visual aesthetic. Contrary to what the mainstream media would have us believe, this includes a wide spectrum of people.

Why do you work in magazines?
Because, to paraphrase Warhol (and plagiarise from Momus), in the future everyone will be famous for fifteen people.

Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
We have some radio and art shows in the pipelines and our blog is constantly updated with new material. We’re always looking to expand our activities and find new people to work with, be it curators, promoters, or designers.

What would you change about Under/current if you could?
Have it be breastfed by an adventurous, art-loving sugar daddy.

Can you pick a favourite issue of Under/current?
So far it would be Downfall, which came out a good few months before the recession hit the headlines. We really feel that we tapped into something that was in the air at the time. But our forthcoming issue, Dawn, will be even better. The motto this time round is ‘dancing on the ruins of yesteryear’.

Where do you see Under/current in five years?
We’d like to continue doing things our way, establishing an uncompromising, instantly recognisable aesthetic and vision.

www.foto8.com

The Stack interview

Name
Jon Levy

Job title
Founder and Publisher

What is 8 Magazine?
8 Magazine is an independent biannual bringing together high quality photojournalism, documentary photography and writing.  We present stories that we feel are important, whether because they describe current events in an effective way that we have not seen before or because they convey an intimacy with a  personal subject that enlarges our understanding of the many ways that people live.

The magazine originated as a web magazine in 1998 to showcase working photojournalists’ personal projects.  In 2002, when many magazines were moving from print to the web, 8 moved in the other direction. The magazine now presents a mix of work from established professional photojournalists as well as from documentary photographers who may not identify as photojournalists.  Many of our contributors have never been published before; others are seasoned veterans.  We select work based on the strength of the photographer’s pictures, not on their credentials or professional reputation.

What makes it different to the rest?
We believe in the power of photographers to tell stories that we strongly feel should be seen and heard, honest and meaningful stories which once seen will not be forgotten. These stories, which generally represent a significant personal commitment on the part of the photographer, describe the world in a way that the mainstream press cannot, and which art photography venues may overlook, ignore, or decontextualize.

Who makes 8 Magazine?
8 is produced by a small staff of editors and interns based in London, with regular contributing writers.

Who reads it?
Over the last eight years our audience has grown from being primarily people within the photojournalism industry to a wider readership that values great photography and writing.  Our readers are people who are curious about the world and thoughtful, who appreciate art and literature but perhaps do not buy into conventional categories.  I think they both enjoy photography and appreciate the importance of documentary photography and photojournalism.

Why do you work in magazines?
We believe that magazines continue to be a vital way to present photography, that they offer the opportunity to display picture stories in a way that remains essentially different from other venues.  The tradition of picture magazines has changed considerably over time. Our magazine honors and is grounded in that tradition but also benefits from the possibilities offered by contemporary creative design.

Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
8 Magazine, alongside www.foto8.com and the HOST Gallery on Honduras Street in London are all part of Foto8.  The three complementary projects allow us to present photography to different audiences and convey the same sensibilities in very different kinds of experiences.

What would you change about 8 Magazine if you could?
It would be nice to have a way to distribute and ship the magazine affordably everywhere in the world.

Can you pick a favourite issue of 8 Magazine?
The next issue, the one which hasn’t been published yet.

Where do you see 8 Magazine in five years?
The magazine is continuously evolving as our own ideas and feelings about what photography can be and how it can be best-presented – and why – change.  It’s impossible to say what the magazine will be like in five years except to say that it will not be the same as what it is now.  Each issue raises new questions and challenges.

www.anorak-magazine.co.uk

The Stack interview

Name
Cathy Olmedillas

Job title
Founder

What is Anorak?
Anorak is the happy mag for kids. Kids of all ages.

What makes it different to the rest?
It’s a pop culture magazine, which is uniquely aimed at both boys and girls. In fact, everything about Anorak is quite unique – from the actual look and feel of the magazine, to the content itself and the way that it is published.

Who makes Anorak?
Supermundane is Anorak’s CD (www.supermundane.com): he is responsible for all art direction and design, as well as the commissioning of illustrators for stories and games. We have a host of contributors from around the world and I personally take pride in the fact that Anorak is a creative outlet for a wealth of talented graphic designers, writers and illustrators.

We also have an army of ‘little editors’ who review books and films for us and carry out drawing missions. Oh, and me! I am the editor and publisher, that means I stuff envelopes, chase invoices, sell advertising and have fun writing about knees that talk or interviewing clowns.

Who reads it?
Primarily it is families who read the magazine. But there are plenty of people without kids or who have young nieces or nephews who read the magazine too. And of course there are those people who simply enjoy Anorak for its design or crazy stories.

Why do you work in magazines?
Because books and magazines are my best friends! I have always consumed loads of them. I always knew that one day I would have my own magazine – it just took me a while to figure out what about!

I used to work at The Face in the days when it was independent and owned by Nick Logan. I loved the spirit of that place, which was incredibly inspiring. It’s reassuring to know that that spirit is still alive, that there is a whole new generation of magazine lovers out there who not only create their own magazines, but make them intelligent, different and rich. The corporate world would like us to believe that magazine-making is very costly and an incredibly elitist affair. Independent magazines show that it is not. We are proud to be part of that.

Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
We launched an iPhone app in November. We are planning more updates in the next couple of weeks. It’s been great fun turning Anorak into a digital entity. And with Supermundane we have just launched Present Joys, a publishing house dedicated to the love of words.

What would you change about Anorak if you could?
I would not change anything about the magazine itself. We could have gone down a much more cost-effective route with our format and our paper, but I don’t think I could live with myself if it felt cheap or was small. If we had more resources, money and time I would love to publish it more regularly.

Can you pick a favourite issue of Anorak?
Every issue is great fun to create so it is quite hard to pick one. Having said that, I love our WORDS issue: Supermundane hand drew it all, it looks stunning.

Where do you see Anorak in five years?
We have created Anorak playgrounds all around the world. And the first Anorak rocket has landed on the Moon.

The place where serious food writing and beautiful graphic design meet, Fire & Knives is a new food magazine made by London-based writer and editor Tim Hayward. Big name contributors like Matthew Fort and Tom Parker Bowles will be familiar from the Sunday supplements, but in Fire & Knives they get to write about the aspects of food that fascinates them. Combining food with film, architecture, history, literature and much more, it’s an eclectic and impassioned exploration of British food culture.

www.fireandknives.com

The Stack interview

Name
Tim Hayward

Job title
Food writer and editor of Fire & Knives

What is Fire and Knives?
I could say that F&K was a brand because we have some ambitions for the name outside of the magazine world.
I could say that F&K naturally facilitates a coming together of foodwriters who can’t find a home for their best work with readers desperate for something stimulating.
I could say F&K is a desperate last bastion of quality food writing in an environment of ‘lifestyle’ pap.
Or I could stop being so pretentious and just say it’s a nice little magazine about food that looks lovely and doesn’t make any money

What makes it different to the rest?
The biggest difference is that it doesn’t get involved with advertisers, celebrity chefs or restaurant reviewing.

Who makes Fire and Knives?
Me, a couple of freelance subs and Present Joys, which is Cathy Olmedillas (Anorak and Sleaze Nation) and the utterly genius Rob Lowe.

Who reads it?
Literate food lovers

Why do you work in magazines?
Partly because I write and take pictures and I’m enough of an old Trot to want to annex the means of production. Partly because new technologies and ways of working are making it easier to get involved and the big boys seem not to ‘get it’ and are consequently bleeding out.

Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
I write for mainstream newspapers and food mags, do a bunch of online stuff and have recenty started doing TV and radio work.

What would you change about Fire and Knives if you could?
I’d pay the writers. Actually, not just that, I’d pay the writers eight times the going rate.

Can you pick a favourite issue of Fire and Knives?
The next one.

Where do you see Fire and Knives in five years?
Still very much in print though by that point I imagine that sorting out micropayment will mean we’re also available on your iPad or similar tech. F&K will also be working with its writers on projects in other media but the magazine will still be at the heart of it – a kind of nexus for quality food writing. Also, let’s face it, Rob’s logo is so damn good, I reckon it’ll be on everything.

With its offices in New York and London, its limited distribution in selected shops in major cities and its dedication to covering the best and coolest contemporary music, ‘SUP could easily have become a self-referential piece of hipster publishing. So it’s to the magazine’s credit that it seems as happy interviewing mainstream stars as it is speaking to up and coming artists, and always with an open, conversational tone that includes its readers rather than alienating them. Add in some beautiful original photography and simple but clever graphic design and you’ve got a music magazine that seems ready to take the next step into wider distribution and greater recognition.

www.supmag.com

The Stack interview

Name
Marisa Brickman

Job title
Editor and Publisher

What is ’SUP?
First and foremost, ’SUP is a labor of love made by people who are passionate about music. ’SUP is an independent magazine that intimately documents contemporary music culture. Each issue is a digest of what’s up in new music from around the world.

What makes it different to the rest?
We only write about bands we like and we take pride in the way we portray the artists we feature – always honest and personal. We’re big fans of the Q&A interview format, which lets artists speak for themselves and gives the reader the sensation of eavesdropping on a conversation. The subject matter is a mix of new undiscovered bands and iconic/cult musicians who continue to inspire a new generation of artists and fans.

Who makes ’SUP?
We have two editors in the US (Cameron and Abbey) and two in the UK (Josh and Laura). An Art Service make up the creative team. And we have a big extended crew of writers and photographers all over the world. Everyone is really busy with day jobs and side-projects. We all have different taste as well, so it’s nice to have all of that diversity when we approach each issue. We are always looking for more contributors!

Who reads it?
We’ve been publishing since 1998 and the whole thing is very DIY, so I’d like to think we have a pretty solid fan base by now, but since we’ve recently been spending more time working on the website, people are emailing us from all over. It reinforces why we do what we do when we hear from our readers. The print issue can be found for free in shops in LA, NYC, London, Paris, Berlin and Brussels. The distribution is pretty exclusive, so we decided to start selling them online – just to make sure that everyone who wants one can get it.

Why do you work in magazines?
I think I speak for the entire ’SUP team when I say that we just simply have an insatiable desire to create and put products of quality out in the universe. Print is not dead.

Aside from the print magazine, what else are you involved in?
SUPMAG.com is the online home and we’ve been slogging away trying to get everything updated and working properly. Watch that space because we’re adding new content and functionality every day. We’re planning more of our own events and are looking to sponsor other people’s events. ’SUP is also doing more and more projects for brands – last year we started a magazine for Nike in the UK called 1948 and created a big music site for Fox Searchlight called 500 Days of ’SUP.

What would you change about ’SUP if you could?
I’d love to do be able to pay everyone what they deserve for all of their hard work. And of course turn it into something I could do full-time.

Can you pick a favourite issue of ’SUP?
I honestly think that each issue is better than the last, so ’SUP 21! But, I’m not sure you can beat a bright yellow issue with legendary Carl Craig on the cover eating a banana… I also particularly love that issue for all the doom coverage because those bands are amazing and don’t tend to get a ton of press.

Where do you see ’SUP in five years?
Still publishing, printing more issues, curating exhibitions, releasing music, and doing more custom publishing and creative consulting.