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CHEAP AS CHIPS With Easter fast approaching, what better zine to feast our eyes on than that of ‘Cheap’ with its cute little birdies that are repeatedly on the cover. Nylon UK have delved into the mind of one member of the duo, Tommy Higson, finding out what really goes on in that little birdcage/office. “We like stuff that says something about now, something cool that looks good and most importantly is relatable. So much art out there is not, it’s too intellectually elitist and we don’t like it” says Tommy. It’s safe to say Cheap are the opposite of being pretentious, keeping it nice and simple, with sweet fun designs that people can enjoy. Cheap started as an independent zine run by the fantastic Tommy Eugene Higson and Nikki Marie Jackson, a couple with a passion for hunting down and working with a premise to showcase new talent in the arts industry. “We’re always cruising MySpace, blogs and Flickr, it’s real fun.” Their main driving force for the magazine was to show this fantastic work that is being hidden behind the masses of content on MySpace for example and actually get it out to the public in paper form. The magazine was produced extremely cheaply hence the name, with a lovely play on the little birdie noise. Nikki does the majority of the covers that are so simple and adorable to the eye. They do step back a little though and let the other work take centre stage, having grown a great deal of favourite contributors along the cheap road. “Some who’ve stood out are Dario Molinaro, his work is just uber- cool and funny, a bit punky/grungy. Anthony T.W Myers is really awesome; they’re really well drawn and are a reminiscent of Art Nouveau but with a sci-fi twist and I LOVE sci-fi!” Tommy certainly seems passionate about the work, yet I choose not to probe into his love for all things sci-fi, I think you Nylon-ers will manage ok without any info on Star Trek for now.
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So not only do they produce this charming black and white magazine, they are also taking on another project in the form of limited edition artist T-shirts and also running fairs around the country, including artwork, vintage jewels and some tasty looking cupcakes. These two are busy bees. Surely they can’t keep up this hectic schedule? “Well, we’re putting Cheap to rest for a while after issue 10 so we can work on a few more ambitious projects; we’re currently putting together our first book which is all about the influence of Art Nouveau on contemporary practices in image making.” Their efforts and achievements are admirable, with ideas springing up by the second. “It would be nice to have a shop and gallery, to be selling lots of ‘Cheap’ products and I have millions of ideas for exhibitions.” Well that would be nice for us too! When they do get a minute to themselves, the creative pair are doing a series of paintings on the upstairs walls of their house…do they ever stop being creative? I think not. Their passion has existed for many years, starting out with just sketchbooks and the desire to draw, just like many of you may be who are reading this. For anyone interested in the world of art; they gave us some advice for newcomers to the illustration working scene. “Stick at it, it seems to take a long time and sometimes just doesn’t seem worth it, but if it’s what you enjoy then you just HAVE to do it, there’s no question about it.” Inspired by many artists and illustrators, from Jon Burgerman to Kate Moross, this pairing have created a successful brand that will hopefully continue to gain admirers, it just needs flaunting a little bit, as it is still hiding away in the depths of the northern city Manchester. Come and join us down south too Cheap! Get yourself a copy of Cheap while you still can, you can make a purchase for only £1.50 with a link on their blog http://cheapzine.blogspot.com/. If not just have a browse at their updates, they will not fail to entertain and leave you feeling energised and ready to get creative, or at least doodle the odd robin or cockatoo here and there.