NICHOLAS BLECHMAN THE NEW YORKER LONDON, 2017
INTERVIEW WITH JEREMY LESLIE, MAGCULTURE
SINCE 2013, MODMAG HAS BEEN AN ANNUAL EVENT IN LONDON, A GATHERING OF GREAT MAGAZINEMAKING TALENT FROM THE UK, THE US, AND EUROPE, ORGANIZED, CURATED, AND MODERATED BY JEREMY LESLIE OF MAGCULTURE. AHEAD OF TODAY’S MODMAG NY EDITION, SPD TALKED WITH JEREMY ABOUT THE DAY. WHAT IS MODMAG, AND WHY ARE YOU DOING A NEW YORK EDITION?
ModMag started as a launch event for my 2013 book ‘The Modern Magazine’. It brought together a number of the people I interviewed in the book for a one-day “live version” in London. Like the book, the aim was to highlight the great work being done in editorial design — despite the business challenges the industry faces there are great magazines being made and I felt that work was being overlooked. We’ve now organized it five times, and it’s gotten bigger and better each time to become a part of London’s design landscape, a barometer of magazine innovation and creativity. When Adam Moss, editor-in-chief of New York magazine, joined the London lineup in 2014 I remember him saying there was nothing like ModMag in New York, so I’ve had a local edition in mind for a while. London and New York are the two big capitals of Englishlanguage magazine publishing so it seems a natural extension. WHAT CAN WE EXPECT TO SEE AND EXPERIENCE AT MODMAG?
You can expect a busy day of talks from a carefully selected series of speakers: people from big magazines, small magazines, new magazines, established magazines. I program it like a print magazine; each speaker is carefully briefed and the running order and timings are designed to vary the pace and flow of the day – it’s never just a run of portfolio talks. You’ll be inspired and buzzing at the end of the day, excited to get back to your own work! IS THIS ONLY ABOUT INDEPENDENT MAGAZINES? WHAT CAN FOLKS WHO WORK AT BIG CORPORATE MAGS LEARN AND TAKE AWAY FROM MODMAG?
I believe in great magazines, whether they be famous international brands or tiny independent start-ups. The lineup reflects this: from THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE and BON APPETIT to leading indies APARTAMENTO and MIGRANT JOURNAL, we hope to inspire everyone working or hoping to work in publishing.
WHY ARE YOU STILL SO EXCITED ABOUT THE STATE OF MAGAZINE PUBLISHING?
For the same reason I was always excited: magazines are the root source of graphic design, where content and presentation combine to create unique, uninterrupted, experiences. I still get surprised by new launches and the ideas behind them. TO WHAT EXTENT DO YOU THINK THAT INDIE MAGAZINES HAVE REVITALIZED OR REPRESENT THE FUTURE OF MAGAZINE PUBLISHING?
The new generation of indies have reminded us of the essential power of print as a medium: its physical and tactile qualities, the way it engages multiple senses (sight, touch, smell, sound) and, perhaps most vitally today, the way printed content can’t be altered or deleted. It’s on the record! The influence of the indies is everywhere. One of our speakers, Michele Outland, is the perfect example of this. She’ll be talking about her own indie, GATHER JOURNAL, as well as her new role as creative director of BON APPETIT. IS MODMAG JUST FOR DESIGNERS AND ART DIRECTORS, OR WILL THERE ALSO BE EDITORS AND OTHER MAGAZINE MAKERS?
The line between design and editorial has always been a loose one and has become increasingly irrelevant. Both designers and editors will be speaking; we don’t draw a distinction. We’ll be hearing from some of the best magazinemakers around and hope the audience will reflect that – designers, editors and publishers will all get a lot from the day. IN THE PRESS RELEASE FOR MODMAG YOU SAY THAT “THIS EDITION OF MODMAG WILL FOCUS ON THE LIFE AND DEATH OF MAGAZINES.” HOW WILL THAT MANIFEST ITSELF AT MODMAG?
The overarching idea is to celebrate what we do as magazine makers, but threaded through the day is this theme of the life and death of magazines. Magazines reflect their time, they inevitably come and go and we need to understand that and not freak every time another title shutters.
ADAM MOSS NEW YORK LONDON, 2014
PENNY MARTIN THE GENTLEWOMAN LONDON, 2016
Herb Lubalin’s trio of 60s magazines are acclaimed for their typography and political boldness, but failed for reasons beyond their maker’s control. Alexander Tochilovsky from the Lubalin Centre will be telling that story. New magazine NO MAN’S LAND was conceived to support womanonly space The Wing, but its arrival coincided with the #MeToo movement and as a result has developed into a far larger project. I’m looking forward to hearing from Pentagram partner Emily Oberman about her work on that. And Pan-European indie MIGRANT JOURNAL is halfway through its self-defined run of six issues; after six it will be mission accomplished and they’ll cease publishing. FROM YOUR POSITION AS A MAVEN OF MAGAZINES, WHICH THREE MAGAZINES ARE REALLY KILLING IT RIGHT NOW?
Three is difficult! I’ll stick to ModMag examples. I’d point you to MACGUFFIN for the way a magazine should always surprise you; to MUSHPIT (designed by Richard Turley) for its astonishing alignment of editorial and design intent, and to THE NEW YORK TIMES MAGAZINE, as a reminder to always aim for the absolute best. – INTERVIEW BY ROBERT NEWMAN FOR SPD.ORG, 05.05.18
BERTIE & CHAR MUSHPIT LONDON, 2015
