Stack Magazines

"I don't know if we ever really thought we'd finish at eight issues..." Each issue of Weapons of Reason focuses on a major global challenge, like the environment, population growth or demographic shift, and brings some sense to these big, complex, difficult subjects by zooming in on a specific part of the wider challenge. Their latest issue is dedicated to technology, and they chose the rise of artificial intelligence as the area they wanted to explore, looking at the past, present and potential future of a technology that is affecting the way we all live our lives. In this conversation the magazine's publisher, editor and art director speak about the reasons why they wanted to tackle such difficult and important subjects, how they use a simple illustrative style to communicate complex ideas, and where they are planning to take Weapons of Reason next. We delivered this issue of Weapons of Reason to Stack subscribers in March 2019, but if you're not currently part of our independent magazine club you can buy

"They defied taboos, they attacked conventions... they caught a moment in time." Ian Birch is the author of Uncovered: Revolutionary Magazine Covers, an aural history of magazine cover design from 1958 to 2016. He spent his entire career in magazine publishing, working on the launches of titles including Grazia, Red, Heat and Closer, and in this conversation he draws on his decades of experience to chart the ways in which magazines have changed over the last 60 years. Beginning with One, the magazine for gay men published in 1958, and running right up to the relaunch of Esquire earlier this year, he considers the art and conventions of cover design, as well as the shifting role of the printed magazine in wider culture.

"Design cannot make a boring magazine interesting..." Audrey Fondecave is one of the editors of Too Much, the Japanese magazine that mixes art and architecture to create a poetic understanding of the spaces we inhabit. They call the resulting hybrid 'romantic geography', and each issue is exhaustively researched, drawing upon a wide pool of expert contributors to ensure that the ambitious editorial is as authoritative and provocative as possible. In this conversation, Audrey speaks about their process for creating the magazine, why it absolutely needs to exist as a physical object, and why she doesn't want it to last forever.

"I'm not going to kill your kids at night..." Valentina Egoavil Medina is the editor and creative director of Suspira, the magazine that views horror through a female lens. The first issue focused on monsters, seeking to understand what makes something monstrous; while the second issue was devoted to fetishism, exploring female sexual power in horror and beyond. In this conversation she speaks about the ideas behind the magazine, the twin frustrations that led her to making a magazine about horror, and the stuff that really scares her. We're sold out of the second issue, but you can still pick up copies of the award-winning first issue in the Stack shop: https://www.stackmagazines.com/product/suspira-issue-1/

"There are no bosses..." New Internationalist launched in 1973 to highlight the global inequalities that emerged as countries across the global south began to make their way in a post-colonial world. In the 1980s it adopted a non-hierarchical co-operative structure, and in 2017 it issued a community share offer, giving its readers the opportunity to buy a piece of the organisation. Buoyed by the success of its sale to its readers, last year the magazine embarked on the first major redesign in its history, relaunching last summer as a bimonthly magazine with a fresh and impactful new look. In this conversation, production editor Kelsi Farrington and co-editor Yohann Koshy explain the thinking behind last year's changes, the sometimes painful process of guiding a non-hierarchical organisation through such major transformation, and why they're doubling down on their coverage of human rights, international politics and social and environmental justice.

"It's not entirely a surprise, but it's a delightful provocation..." Penny Martin is the editor of The Gentlewoman, the phenomenally successful magazine that fills its pages with fascinating women and discerning fashion, all presented with a wry smile that sets it apart from the rest of the newsstand. Renowned for its iconic covers that have featured a wide range of stars including Angela Lansbury, Beyoncé and Simone Biles, it rejects standard tools like cover lines and garish colours, instead using characterful portrait photography and subtle design touches to create an impact. In this conversation Penny speaks about the slow-burn process of choosing their cover stars, the trust they place in their collaborators, and the way she knows that they've got a cover right. ("A magazine cover works for us if I end up shrieking with laughter every time I see it.")

"It's Donald Trump and Vivienne Westwood in the same image..." Naoise O'Keeffe is editor-in-chief of Hot Potato, an "alternative newspaper" that uses fashion photography and simple one-page explainers to engage younger readers in big, difficult subjects like Brexit, gun control and the rise of Donald Trump. Printed at tabloid size by Newspaper Club, it looks at first glance like a fairly standard newsprint magazine, but O'Keeffe and her designer Maude Vervenne have introduced a little creative chaos to make sure it stands out from the crowd. For example in this episode you'll hear Naoise explain why they decided to make virtually every spread in the magazine look like a cover, and why it was important that the writers and the photographers should never meet or speak to each other.

"It's totally out of my comfort zone, but I'm 100% okay with that..." Steven Gregor is the editor and publisher of Gym Class, the magazine that has evolved over the last 10 years to become the magazine-maker's magazine. He published the last issue in 2016 as a fond farewell to print, explaining that he couldn't afford to keep on losing money on his passion project. But the start of 2019 saw the return of Gym Class, again taking magazines as its core subject matter, but with some major changes that have pushed Steven and his project on into ambitious new territory. In this episode he speaks about the excitement that brought him back to publishing, the challenge (and rewards) of handing over creative direction to somebody else, and the magpie-like approach to publishing that has helped to make this latest iteration financially viable. We delivered this magazine to Stack subscribers in January 2019, but if you weren't on the mailing list you can head over to the Stack shop to pick up a copy for yourself: https:/

"Let's just stay up until four in the morning..." Marc Holzenbecher is the publisher and executive editor of Still, the brilliantly eclectic arts and literary magazine based between Berlin and New York. In this conversation he speaks about the practical difficulties of working on a passion project with a team that is scattered across time zones, and about the thrill of producing something that's as close to perfect as it can be. We delivered this issue of Still to Stack subscribers in June last year and I spoke to Marc in May, shortly before the magazines arrived at our warehouse, but it has taken me nine months to post this episode because it took so much work to clean up the background noise! If you haven't already seen this one for yourself and you want to pick up a copy, head to the Stack shop to place your order: https://www.stackmagazines.com/product/still-issue-6/

"It feels like you can find everything on the internet, but that's just not true." Reagan Clare is the founder of Homesick magazine, the title that delves into archives to present previously unseen images and the stories of their creation. Going behind the scenes of the fashion, music, film and entertainment industries, each issue takes a tour of vintage pop culture from the 60s to the 90s, for a pre-internet exposé featuring fascinating characters you'd probably never otherwise have come across. We're hosting a launch party for the new issue at The Ace Hotel in Shoreditch on Thursday 7 February. So if you're in London and you'd like to come along, RSVP to reserve your free tickets and join us for a beer and a chat with Reagan herself: https://www.acehotel.com/london/events-and-spaces/calendar/2019-02-07/stack-homesick-launch/

"Don't do everything yourself – that's mad..." Recorded live at The Book Club in London on Tuesday 22 January, this extra-long episode focuses on some of the most common challenges encountered when publishing an independent magazine. Divided loosely into four sections that focus on funding, commissioning, production and distribution, followed by an audience Q&A, we devote an hour and a half to understanding the first-hand experiences of independent magazine makers. Our expert panel features Caspian Whistler, creative director and editor-in-chief of A Profound Waste of Time; Elisabeth Krohn, editor of Sabat, editorial advisor to Suspira, and co-founder of Dreadful Press; and Helen Jennings, editorial director of Nataal. And as always with independent publishing, you can expect open and honest conversation from people happy to share their expertise. This podcast is supported by Park Communications – tap into their printing expertise at https://www.parkcom.co.uk/

"We wanted to break something..." Dominika Hadelova and Aldo Buscalferri are the editors and creative directors of Matto, a new magazine based in Paris that combines art, photography, fashion and erotica. The artists, designers and other people featured in the magazine are united by their utter dedication to what they're doing, and Dominika and Aldo reflect that with a similarly obsessive commitment ('Matto' means 'crazy' in Italian). All independent magazines are inevitably personal reflections of the people who make them, but for this one Dominika and Aldo have really immersed themselves in an editorial world, admitting that there's often no separation between the magazine and their personal lives. If this is the sort of crazy you want in your life, head to the Stack shop to buy your own copy of Matto: https://www.stackmagazines.com/product/matto-issue-1/

"It's like a little chameleon..." Suze Olbrich is the editor of Somesuch Stories, the literary magazine that covers a vast range of subjects including nature, sex, society and spirituality in its aim to reflect, "the full contemporary experience". It looks a lot like a paperback book, and in this conversation Suze speaks about the pleasure she gets from seeing it popping up in different places, alongside both books and magazines, quietly carrying its short stories and creative non-fiction to new audiences. This issue is built around the theme of redemption, and Suze also speaks about her personal experiences of making the magazine, with all the challenges that entails, and the strategies she has found for overcoming and coping with those difficulties.

"You don't need to be into video games. You just need to like pretty words and pictures..." Caspian Whistler is creative director and editor-in-chief of A Profound Waste of Time, the magazine that uses beautiful illustration and long first-person stories to reflect the experience of making and playing video games. The magazine sold out of its first print run, and has proven so popular that even after a second run it's difficult to get hold of copies. But it hasn't all been plain sailing. In this conversation Cas reveals the difficulties he has faced along the way, from early success with a Kickstarter campaign that raised almost twice its target amount, to the "nightmare" of the reprint, when his Croatian printer went bust, taking his money with them.

"The word 'finance' made me want to run a mile." Elana Schlenker and Mark Pernice are the art directors of Hacking Finance, a new magazine that takes a progressive and provocative look at business and our relation to money. This first issue is themed around 'movement', and features stories on a wide range of subjects, from the man trying to make a commercially viable hydrogen-powered car, through to the disruptive and creative impact that skateboarding can have on cities. For more information and to buy a copy, check Hacking Finance in the Stack shop: https://www.stackmagazines.com/product/hacking-finance-issue-1/

"We approach special issues with trepidation..." John L Walters and Simon Esterson are the editor and art director of Eye magazine, the international review of graphic design. Their latest issue is the second in a two-part special focusing on magazine design, and it's their biggest issue ever, packed with fascinating interviews and comment covering both the mainstream and independent worlds (and the places where those two realms intersect). It's a massive undertaking, so it's not surprising that this double issue has been bubbling away for a number of years before finally emerging onto the newsstand, and I loved hearing the stories behind the stories straight from John and Simon. As I write this we currently have copies of this latest issue available to buy from the Stack shop, so do head over there to pick one up for yourself... https://www.stackmagazines.com/shop/

"My degree suffered a little..." Arne Meyer was one of the editors and art directors on the current issue of Brasilia, the magazine made by students at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts in Hanover. They won Student Magazine of the Year at the Stack Awards, so Arne dropped in at the Stack office the morning after the ceremony to speak about the making of the magazine, and the challenge of keeping quality high when the team has to change each year.

"Magazines tell the story of what's going on right now." Bobbie Johnson is the editor of Anxy, the California-based magazine that aims to break down the stigma around mental health. Anxy won Art Director of the Year and Best Use of Illustration at this year's Stack Awards, so the day after the ceremony Bobbie came over to the Stack office to talk about their evolving mission, and why a group of people based in Silicon Valley use a print magazine to communicate their ideas.

Recorded live at The Queen of Hoxton in London on Monday 19 November, this week's episode features all the winners and commended magazines from the Stack Awards 2018. Hear our judges sharing their thoughts on the stand out titles, hear the winners giving their heartfelt acceptance speeches, and hear our little microphone breaking down whenever we play our walk-on music. See lots of pictures from the awards on the Stack site: https://www.stackmagazines.com/current-affairs/stack-awards-2018-winners-event-party/

"It just became this thing we couldn't shake..." Perrin Drumm is the founder and director of Eye on Design, the initiative launched by AIGA in 2014 as a way to reach designers in the college to mid-career age bracket. Originally a blog that Perrin ran on her own as a side project, it quickly grew into a fully fledged website, and then in 2017 came the first full issue of the Eye on Design print magazine. In this conversation Perrin tells the story of her journey so far, explaining the advantages and challenges of publishing both online and in print ("Now we're running on two treadmills at the same time"), the importance of theming issues, and the experience of working on an all-women team.